make the journey to see you
in your new life, Regan. The two of you are well worth the trips.”
So maybe she’d been wrong about Blanche. She seemed genuine
if a little odd.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I selfishly wanted to
have you to myself for a few more months while I get my affairs in order,”
Regan murmured.
“You’ll have two months top before you have to go to
Vanguard III. They really are in need of a sheriff, Regan. You might have to
get your hands dirty.”
“I doubt that,” Regan said, staring off into space. “You
forget, cousin, my talent keeps my hands quite clean.”
He smiled. “So it does.”
“So.” Blanche looked nervous. Obviously she didn’t want
Regan elaborating on her mysterious talents. More than likely they mirrored the
Asher Brothers’ powers, and if that was the case, Blanche was right, she didn’t
want them stirring up that hornet’s nest.
“Yes?” Anya asked.
“Can this old lady ask where the two of you intend on
settling when you go to Earth?”
Damien smiled broadly. “We’re going to settle near Anya’s
family. The Redgraves are a prominent family in a sleepy seaside town, and they
are well known through the space shipping circles.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it sleepy, Damien,” she laughed,
“but you’re right, they are quite prominent there. Everyone knows who they are,
and what my cousins and I are.”
“You’ll live by the sea? In that case, once you are settled
in, I shall make haste to make the trip to see you. I shall fly like a family
of fairies. I love the water, and I’ve never been near any body of water on
Earth. I think I shall quite enjoy the visit. It will be like ribbing the
daisy.”
Anya’s mind went to the extensive wax doll collection she
and her mother had gathered throughout the years. She didn’t know how Damien
would regard it once they went back to Earth. She’d have to tell him that they
were merciless witches and warlocks who truly deserved their sad fate. Still,
maybe she had to reconsider releasing some of them—she couldn’t hold grudges
forever.
“Now then, my dears, let me read your tea leaves. Regan, you
can go first so Anya will know I’m no huff and puff,” Aunt Blanche murmured.
“To be fair, Auntie, there aren’t many huff and puffs here
on Vanguard. They get called out for the charlatans they are.”
Anya listened closely. Blanche liked to use slang native to
Vanguard and it could be quite disconcerting to listen to her when she threw it
about.
“I shouldn’t worry about reading mine, Auntie, my future is
only filled with darkness,” Regan murmured.
“Shush, shush. That’s total fibby-boo. Now give me your cup,
that’s a good girl,” Blanche said, using her magic to levitate the china cup
and saucer back over toward her. “Now, mind, I don’t profess to be a seer, it’s
not my particular gift, but I do have a way with the tea leaves. They put me
into a trancelike state, you see, and the things I predict can be quite
surprising.”
“Unbelievable, more like,” Regan muttered under her breath.
Blanche held Regan’s cup between her hands and gave the cup
three good swirls, and then she turned it down onto the saucer. She breathed in
deeply before righting the teacup.
A spark of crimson-colored magic shot out of the tip of her
finger and illuminated the cup. She smiled at them all and then stared down at
the remnants of tea that were gathered at the bottom of the cup. Her eyes went
distant and she spoke aloud in an otherworldly voice.
“Darkness will come for you—it will want to dance with you
and make you its mistress—but in the light there lives one man who shall be
your savior. Love him and he will keep you in the light, fight him and you will
be forever lost to the darkness.”
A shudder went through Blanche and her hands trembled as she
nearly dropped the cup. “Oh heavens, I feel as if someone just walked over my
grave.” She gave a nervous little laugh. “As
in your new life, Regan. The two of you are well worth the trips.”
So maybe she’d been wrong about Blanche. She seemed genuine
if a little odd.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I selfishly wanted to
have you to myself for a few more months while I get my affairs in order,”
Regan murmured.
“You’ll have two months top before you have to go to
Vanguard III. They really are in need of a sheriff, Regan. You might have to
get your hands dirty.”
“I doubt that,” Regan said, staring off into space. “You
forget, cousin, my talent keeps my hands quite clean.”
He smiled. “So it does.”
“So.” Blanche looked nervous. Obviously she didn’t want
Regan elaborating on her mysterious talents. More than likely they mirrored the
Asher Brothers’ powers, and if that was the case, Blanche was right, she didn’t
want them stirring up that hornet’s nest.
“Yes?” Anya asked.
“Can this old lady ask where the two of you intend on
settling when you go to Earth?”
Damien smiled broadly. “We’re going to settle near Anya’s
family. The Redgraves are a prominent family in a sleepy seaside town, and they
are well known through the space shipping circles.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it sleepy, Damien,” she laughed,
“but you’re right, they are quite prominent there. Everyone knows who they are,
and what my cousins and I are.”
“You’ll live by the sea? In that case, once you are settled
in, I shall make haste to make the trip to see you. I shall fly like a family
of fairies. I love the water, and I’ve never been near any body of water on
Earth. I think I shall quite enjoy the visit. It will be like ribbing the
daisy.”
Anya’s mind went to the extensive wax doll collection she
and her mother had gathered throughout the years. She didn’t know how Damien
would regard it once they went back to Earth. She’d have to tell him that they
were merciless witches and warlocks who truly deserved their sad fate. Still,
maybe she had to reconsider releasing some of them—she couldn’t hold grudges
forever.
“Now then, my dears, let me read your tea leaves. Regan, you
can go first so Anya will know I’m no huff and puff,” Aunt Blanche murmured.
“To be fair, Auntie, there aren’t many huff and puffs here
on Vanguard. They get called out for the charlatans they are.”
Anya listened closely. Blanche liked to use slang native to
Vanguard and it could be quite disconcerting to listen to her when she threw it
about.
“I shouldn’t worry about reading mine, Auntie, my future is
only filled with darkness,” Regan murmured.
“Shush, shush. That’s total fibby-boo. Now give me your cup,
that’s a good girl,” Blanche said, using her magic to levitate the china cup
and saucer back over toward her. “Now, mind, I don’t profess to be a seer, it’s
not my particular gift, but I do have a way with the tea leaves. They put me
into a trancelike state, you see, and the things I predict can be quite
surprising.”
“Unbelievable, more like,” Regan muttered under her breath.
Blanche held Regan’s cup between her hands and gave the cup
three good swirls, and then she turned it down onto the saucer. She breathed in
deeply before righting the teacup.
A spark of crimson-colored magic shot out of the tip of her
finger and illuminated the cup. She smiled at them all and then stared down at
the remnants of tea that were gathered at the bottom of the cup. Her eyes went
distant and she spoke aloud in an otherworldly voice.
“Darkness will come for you—it will want to dance with you
and make you its mistress—but in the light there lives one man who shall be
your savior. Love him and he will keep you in the light, fight him and you will
be forever lost to the darkness.”
A shudder went through Blanche and her hands trembled as she
nearly dropped the cup. “Oh heavens, I feel as if someone just walked over my
grave.” She gave a nervous little laugh. “As
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