that someone did not want to be seen.
“She’s dead.” It took me a minute to realize that Tracy was the one speaking. Every eye at the table was riveted on the woman.
“What are you talking about, honey?” Vera asked.
“This is all pointless, don’t you see?” Tracy said. “My daughter’s dead. Her friend is probably dead, too.”
Vera’s hand twitched, like she wanted to slap the other woman.
“Why do you say that, Mrs. Webster?” I asked, trying to keep things calm.
She turned toward me, her eyes flashing with anger. At least she no longer looked like she belonged to a different world. “She’s my daughter. Mothers know these things.”
Not unless the mother is at least a minor empath, which, I supposed, wasn’t entirely out of the question. Enough people had that sort of minor empathy that the concept of “knowing” the desperate needs of a close family member was a widely accepted phenomenon, even among the untalented.
“When do you think your daughter died?” I asked.
Before she could answer, Nora broke into the conversation. “She’s been through a lot, can’t you see?”
“I called yesterday morning.” Tracy seemed to be coming back to herself. Her eyes penetrated Nora’s as she went on unrelentingly. “You wouldn’t believe me.”
“What time?” I asked.
“She called at three in the morning, raving like a lunatic.” Nora’s face was as pale as a ghost.
Vera’s face, on the other hand, was nearly as red as her hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I wasn’t sure if she was talking to Nora or Tracy – probably both. For a moment, she inflated, trying to make herself look bigger than her petite stature. Then, in an instant, she deflated. Throwing her fork in a pile of mush, she pushed herself away from the table and fled in the direction of the restrooms.
Before I had a chance to regroup and try to quiz Tracy on her intuition, one of the search parties returned, causing everyone to turn and look.
“Jack!” Tracy knocked over her chair as she stood, then raced to her husband.
I scarcely noticed them. My eyes flew straight to Evan, who had the white-faced appearance of a sorcerer on the brink of magical drain. A sorcerer can’t just endlessly cast spells. It takes energy, some personal and some from the Earth itself. That’s why the node near Eagle Rock, under that section of Table Rock Lake, drew so many sorcerers. It’s also one of the reasons my parents had never been keen on traveling. It’s not that they wouldn’t be powerful sorcerers anywhere, and it’s not that there aren’t other places with node energies to draw upon, but they had grown accustomed to the way the magic flowed through their own home turf. And they missed it when it was gone.
Apparently, Evan felt the same way. Hadn’t he said he noticed the absence of the node when we’d arrived? He had probably underestimated how much of a difference its absence would make.
I grabbed my purse and the bottle of water Jeff had handed me. Then, as an afterthought, I grabbed another bottle of water for Evan. He had a canteen attached to a strap draped across his shoulders, but might need a refill. He would need water and food, in that order, preferably followed with rest and access to his familiar node. I still had a thousand questions and dozens of people I wanted to interview, but all of that could wait until morning.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” I called to the table, partly as a good-bye and partly as a warning. “I’ll want to talk to those people I mentioned,” I added to Nora.
Then I was by Evan’s side. Linking my hand in his without thought to the implications or consequences, I steered him out of the mess hall. He didn’t need to lean on me. Luckily, he wasn’t that far gone, because I didn’t think I could support his taller, heavier frame for any length of time. He clasped my hand tightly, as if he didn’t want to let go.
I didn’t want the touch of his hand to affect me, but it
“She’s dead.” It took me a minute to realize that Tracy was the one speaking. Every eye at the table was riveted on the woman.
“What are you talking about, honey?” Vera asked.
“This is all pointless, don’t you see?” Tracy said. “My daughter’s dead. Her friend is probably dead, too.”
Vera’s hand twitched, like she wanted to slap the other woman.
“Why do you say that, Mrs. Webster?” I asked, trying to keep things calm.
She turned toward me, her eyes flashing with anger. At least she no longer looked like she belonged to a different world. “She’s my daughter. Mothers know these things.”
Not unless the mother is at least a minor empath, which, I supposed, wasn’t entirely out of the question. Enough people had that sort of minor empathy that the concept of “knowing” the desperate needs of a close family member was a widely accepted phenomenon, even among the untalented.
“When do you think your daughter died?” I asked.
Before she could answer, Nora broke into the conversation. “She’s been through a lot, can’t you see?”
“I called yesterday morning.” Tracy seemed to be coming back to herself. Her eyes penetrated Nora’s as she went on unrelentingly. “You wouldn’t believe me.”
“What time?” I asked.
“She called at three in the morning, raving like a lunatic.” Nora’s face was as pale as a ghost.
Vera’s face, on the other hand, was nearly as red as her hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I wasn’t sure if she was talking to Nora or Tracy – probably both. For a moment, she inflated, trying to make herself look bigger than her petite stature. Then, in an instant, she deflated. Throwing her fork in a pile of mush, she pushed herself away from the table and fled in the direction of the restrooms.
Before I had a chance to regroup and try to quiz Tracy on her intuition, one of the search parties returned, causing everyone to turn and look.
“Jack!” Tracy knocked over her chair as she stood, then raced to her husband.
I scarcely noticed them. My eyes flew straight to Evan, who had the white-faced appearance of a sorcerer on the brink of magical drain. A sorcerer can’t just endlessly cast spells. It takes energy, some personal and some from the Earth itself. That’s why the node near Eagle Rock, under that section of Table Rock Lake, drew so many sorcerers. It’s also one of the reasons my parents had never been keen on traveling. It’s not that they wouldn’t be powerful sorcerers anywhere, and it’s not that there aren’t other places with node energies to draw upon, but they had grown accustomed to the way the magic flowed through their own home turf. And they missed it when it was gone.
Apparently, Evan felt the same way. Hadn’t he said he noticed the absence of the node when we’d arrived? He had probably underestimated how much of a difference its absence would make.
I grabbed my purse and the bottle of water Jeff had handed me. Then, as an afterthought, I grabbed another bottle of water for Evan. He had a canteen attached to a strap draped across his shoulders, but might need a refill. He would need water and food, in that order, preferably followed with rest and access to his familiar node. I still had a thousand questions and dozens of people I wanted to interview, but all of that could wait until morning.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” I called to the table, partly as a good-bye and partly as a warning. “I’ll want to talk to those people I mentioned,” I added to Nora.
Then I was by Evan’s side. Linking my hand in his without thought to the implications or consequences, I steered him out of the mess hall. He didn’t need to lean on me. Luckily, he wasn’t that far gone, because I didn’t think I could support his taller, heavier frame for any length of time. He clasped my hand tightly, as if he didn’t want to let go.
I didn’t want the touch of his hand to affect me, but it
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