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  A moment later, a warm glow surrounded me. The owl nestled itself into my energy and there was an odd moment that I had never experienced before. It was as though our auras entwined, and we became part of the same core, the same energy. At that moment, I could sense the thoughts of the owl, although not in a language I was used to. It was more of an impression whose meaning was crystal clear.

  My name is Lanyear. I’ve been waiting for you.

  I floated in the sensation for a moment before focusing my thoughts. It was more about focusing on emotion, or a concept rather than thinking at the bird. I focused on acceptance, on welcoming, because the overwhelming sensation that I felt was one of good fortune, of luck and of companionship.

  I’m Maddy. How long have you been around?

  I’ve been waiting since you first arrived. I’m here to work with you.

  Bubba flashed through my mind. He wasn’t my familiar—he was an entirely separate being. But I wondered how he would take to another creature joining the household. He had brought Luna in, but Luna was his girlfriend. This was not only a different species, but a bird. And the cat part of Bubba might not be too happy about Lanyear.

  Do not worry, we’ll make this work.

  And with that, Lanyear settled himself on my shoulder, and—still rather overwhelmed—I headed back inside.

  KELSON TOOK LANYEAR’S appearance in stride. I called to Bubba and he came running in, followed by his ever-present shadow. Luna adored Bubba, and Bubba adored Luna, and they were almost always together.

  “Bubba, I want you to meet somebody. Kelson, you too. This is Lanyear, and he’s apparently my familiar. I think Arianrhod sent him, because when I first met him, I was asking her for a sign. That was a few months back.”

  Bubba gave me a long look. “Mrrf?”

  “Really. You need to tell Luna not to mess with Lanyear. He won’t hurt you as long as you don’t try to hurt him.” I glanced up at Kelson, who rolled her eyes and suppressed a snicker.

  Bubba gazed at Lanyear, who let out a low hoot, and then turned, swishing his tail back and forth, and marched off out of the room. Luna gave Lanyear an inquisitive gaze, but followed Bubba.

  “Well, that didn’t go over very well, did it?”

  Kelson laughed. “Did you really expect it to? At least neither of them made a jump for him.” She glanced around the kitchen. “May I suggest we put up some tall perches—high toward the ceiling, away from any of the shelves Bubba and Luna can climb?”

  “I think that’s a good idea. Meanwhile, I’ll ask him to stay right outside until we get those installed. No use asking for trouble.”

  I carried him back to the door and held out my arm. He flapped his way from my shoulder to my wrist. Once again, I closed my eyes and felt for that connection.

  Lanyear, until we make it safe for you—and safer for Bubba and Luna—you need to stay outside in the yard. Will you be all right?

  Again, the whisper-soft flutter of wings on my thoughts. I will. Call when you need me.

  I opened the door and he flew off my wrist, out to a tall tree near the house. As he took up a perch there, I thought how odd this year was turning out to be. But even as I was contemplating Lanyear and what the future would bring with him, a low rumble of thunder echoed as the sky darkened. I stepped out and watched as a huge thundercloud raced in. Lanyear flew lower in the tree, hiding beneath a branch thick with needles. There was something unnatural about the storm, something almost terrifying.

  “Maddy! Maddy!” Sandy burst out of the kitchen and raced to my side. In the coming thunder, I hadn’t even heard her drive up. “I drove like a maniac on the way over here. I had the terrible feeling that something is wrong. What’s going on?”

  I shivered, folding my arms across my chest. “I’m not certain, but I imagine it has to do with that.” I nodded toward the cloud.

  Sandy shaded her eyes, gazing up at the towering plume that rolled in on an updraft of wind. “The storm’s alive.”

  “That storm’s hiding something,” I said softly, a prickling at the back of my neck. “Or someone.”

  Sandy caught my arm, leaning close, as the clouds overtook the sky. Dark and frothing, forks of lightning rippled through them as the clouds lay siege to the island. An army in gray, they marched to the rumble of low thunder. My stomach twisted, but I couldn’t turn away. I wrapped my arm through Sandy’s as we waited for the storm to break. Kelson darted out the kitchen door to gaze up at the gathering tempest.

  “What is that?” she whispered.

  “I think…”

  I paused as lightning streaked across the sky, forking out in all directions. Thunder ripped through the air and in that moment, the world seemed to freeze. A stillness fell over the area, as if the world had stopped. I huddled closer to Sandy. One beat…two…three…four beats passed and then, the clouds swirled into vortex, touching down in the woods behind my house. The trees churned as the funnel cloud spewed out moisture, and the clouds opened up to drench us with icy rain. The lightning crashed again, skipping from cloud to cloud.

  The funnel cloud vanished, whipping back into the air as a figure emerged from the glade. Clad in a long black dress and billowing cape, her hair was flame red, as though it had been set afire, and even from this distance, I could see the glittering blue of her eyes.

  “She’s back,” Sandy whispered.

  I could only nod as Fata Morgana came striding toward us, returned from the ocean after two hundred years.

  Chapter 10

  FATA MORGANA.

  As she strode toward us, I let go of Sandy. We needed to meet her as an equal. One thing I knew about Fata was that she had a tendency to take over situations. Or at least, she had in the past and I doubted that had changed. No matter how I was feeling, I wasn’t about to let her see my nervousness. Sandy seemed to sense my mood and she straightened her shoulders, and lifted her chin.

  We waited until Fata was near, before moving forward to greet her. I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I wasn’t sure how to act. But Sandy stepped out in front, holding out her hands.

  Fata Morgana paused, her gaze focused on me. For a moment, I thought she didn’t even see Sandy. Then, slowly, she took a deep breath and said, “I’m back. Did you miss me?”

  “Fata,” Sandy said, withdrawing her hands when Fata didn’t meet them. “Welcome to Bedlam. Welcome to our home.”

  Only then did Fata turn toward Sandy and slowly smile. It was a feral smile, ever so slightly dangerous. “Cassandra, I wasn’t sure whether you would be here. When Maddy summoned me, she woke me out of my slumber and I rose out of the ocean. I followed Maddy’s call, and… Here I am.”

  A light flickered in her eyes that I didn’t recognize. She was Fata Morgana, and yet, she wasn’t. I reached out, searching for some familiarity. I knew it was her—there was no question of it. But she seemed distant and alien, like a sleeping princess who had been woken after a hundred years to find herself in a different land. I wanted to ask her inside, but I found myself a little afraid of what might happen.

  Just then, Kelson opened the sliding door and Bubba ran out. He took one look at Fata, and dashed over and jumped into her arms. He had always liked her, and she, in turn, had been indulgent of him. Startled, she looked down, staring into his face for a moment. And then, the strange light flickered again and faded, and when she looked up we were staring at our Fata. At the Fata we had known and loved.

  Bubba leaped down and wandered over to me. I picked him up, still worried.

  Fata looked at the house and smiled. “So long, and yet, this house could have been around the last time I was out and about.”

  “It might have been. It was built in the early 1800s.”

  “What year is this?”

  “2017. What’s the last year you remember?” Sandy glanced up at the sky, which was whipping up another round of rain and wind. “Why don’t we go inside?”

  I nodded, motioning for them to
follow me. Carrying Bubba, I led them into the kitchen.

  Fata blinked at the artificial light. She took everything in, then shook her head. “So different. So many changes. I left in…it was a long time ago. It was after I left the two of you. I went over to Europe again, but didn’t stay long. The call of the ocean was too strong.”

  “Where have you been all these years?” I asked. Bubba bounded out of the room, but before he left, he turned to me and let out a soft, “Mrpp…m-row?”

  I gazed into his eyes. “I will, little guy. I will.”

  With another glance at Fata, he turned and silently padded out of the room. I slid a quick look toward Fata. She seemed to be calm and focused, but I’d have to be cautious. Letting her in the house was like letting a wild tiger enter my home.

  Fata drifted over to the kitchen table and, running her fingers over it, slowly sat in one of the chairs. She leaned back, her face looking as young as the day she had left us. Her hair glistened, falling to her shoulders smooth and straight. She was completely dry, unlike Sandy and me, who were soaked through to the skin.

  “Where was I?” Her voice was faint. She seemed to be a long ways away. “I rode the waves out to sea. Out to the wide, wild ocean. There was something calling me. To be honest, there’s always been something calling me, since I was first born. I remember in my bed, as a child, I would close my eyes and hear the song of the ocean, beckoning me to come play. When we fought—oh, Maddy, how we fought that day. I was so angry with you. I wanted to drown the town and the two of you with it. But that was just the storm talking inside me. It wasn’t me.” She had closed her eyes and was leaning back.

  I glanced over at Sandy, feeling totally creeped out. Fata Morgana had always been wild, but now, she felt barely constrained, on the edge of breaking into a fury. She was Fata, all right, but in the intervening centuries, something had definitely changed. Sandy licked her lips and gave me a cautious shake of the head.

  After a moment, Fata spoke again. “What was I saying? Oh, yes. There was something calling me, and I summoned a wave. It came like the gentlest of horses and let me stand astride its back. And so I rode it out to the depths. For days, the wave carried me. When I was thirsty, there was rain, glorious rain, and I opened my mouth and drank straight from the heavens. When I was hungry, fish rose from the water, jumping high so that all I had to do was hold out my hand and they would land in my fingers. I ate them raw, alive, and the flesh was so sweet and so bright that I didn’t want for anything else.”

  Fata opened her eyes, her lips wide in a brilliant smile. She was dazzling and beautiful, and she made me remember thoughts better left in the past. I shook away the vivid images that lingered in my mind, but when she caught my gaze, I had the feeling she, too, was remembering. She licked her lips slowly, then gave me the faintest hint of a wink.

  “What did you do? You’ve been out of touch for nearly two hundred years.” Sandy seemed to catch the nuances and intervened. I let out my breath, flashing her a silent thank-you.

  “I dove deep, I swam in the currents, and became one with the Ocean Mother. She welcomed me in, kept me from drowning. When I was tired, I curled up in her underwater caves and slept deep—sometimes for decades. When I was hungry, there was always fish. When I was thirsty, the rains came. Until…sometime during the summer, when I seemed to wake out of a long dream. I heard you calling for help, Maddy, and I had a vision.”

  Pausing, she sniffed. “What smells so good?”

  I cleared my throat. “Muffins, probably. Or soup. Kelson’s making dinner. Are you hungry?”

  Fata nodded. “I haven’t wanted anything beyond fish for years, but now, my stomach aches. Do you have bread? And something hot? I don’t care what, really. I just…it’s been so long, but I need food again. Solid food.”

  She leaned forward, elbows on the table. “I’m confused,” she said, and the sureness left her voice. She blinking, rubbing her eyes. “Where am I? What time is this? Maddy, how did we get here?” Fata asked frantically, a look of terror washing over her face. “I’m afraid.”

  Sandy jumped up, motioning to Kelson. “Get her some food. Something’s happening.”

  I took hold of Fata’s hands and held them tightly, trying to ground her. Sandy rubbed her shoulders, whispering words of comfort. After a few minutes, Fata seemed to relax. Kelson brought over a bowl of beef soup and a loaf of French bread with butter. Sandy slowly spooned the soup into Fata’s mouth, and Fata swallowed, staring straight ahead.

  After we had managed to get half a bowl of soup and a slice of toast down her throat, Fata suddenly shifted in her chair, let out a soft cry, and fainted, slumping forward.

  “Fuck. What the hell do we do? I suppose I can call Jordan.” I wasn’t sure what to think. I was absolutely unprepared for this.

  “I think you better. Meanwhile, let’s get her into the parlor and stretch her out.” Sandy and Kelson carried Fata Morgana into the living room. They wouldn’t let me help. I found a blanket and pillow, and we arranged her on the sofa, then tiptoed out of the room, but close enough where we could still keep an eye on her.

  “I’m afraid of her,” Sandy said in a low voice. “Call Jordan, now. This is Fata, but she’s more than Fata, if you know what I mean.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, it’s like she’s got her memories and knows who we are, but she isn’t alone in there.” While Sandy watched Fata, I moved to the edge of the room and put in a call to Jordan. When he came on the line, he sounded a little bit harried.

  “What’s up, Maddy? I don’t mean to rush you, but I was just heading out to dinner with my girlfriend.”

  I have no clue that Jordan had a girlfriend. He’d make good boyfriend material, for sure, but last I heard he wasn’t involved with anybody.

  Feeling guilty about interrupting him, I said, “What else? We have a serious problem. I don’t mean to interrupt your evening, especially after calling you about George, but we have…a situation. I can’t go into it over the phone. We just need you to look at somebody, and tell us what you think. And it has to be while she’s still asleep. I know this sounds cryptic, but it would take far too long to explain what is going on.”

  Jordan paused, then let out a long sigh. “At least I know when you call me it’s not hypochondria or some mountain out of a molehill. I’ll be over as soon as I can. Is there anything I should know so I can know what instruments to bring?”

  I glanced back at the sofa. Fata still seemed to be unconscious. “Have you ever heard me mention Fata Morgana?”

  “Wasn’t she the water witch that you and Sandy hung out with a few centuries ago?”

  “Yeah. She’s back, but there’s something going on and we need to know what it is. She was always a little scary but now, Jordan, I’m afraid of what she could do to the town. She brought the storms with her. That much I know. There’s more to Fata than just Fata. If that makes any sense.”

  “In a way. All right, I’ll grab my bag and be over in twenty minutes.”

  I turned back to Sandy. “He’s on his way. I wonder how long she’ll stay out?”

  “I don’t know, but I hope it’s until Jordan gets here. What should we do in the meantime? I’m not certain I want to leave her alone.” Sandy gave me a long look that told me she was as frightened as I was.

  “I suppose we just wait.”

  Sandy and I settled down at a small table near one of the windows in the parlor. Fata remained unconscious, and we did our best to keep quiet so we didn’t wake her up. Finally, I caught a glimpse of Jordan’s car pulling in and I hurried to the front door so he wouldn’t ring the bell. As I opened the door, he took one look at my face and pushed past me.

  “This really has you spooked, doesn’t it?”

  “Jordan, Fata was a force of nature when we knew her. I was running wild at the time, but she… Fata was beyond control. We were just lucky she never took it out on anybody who didn’t deserve it. I’m not so sure she’s still as select
ive.” I let him into the parlor and nodded at the sofa. “We’ve tried to keep quiet. I suggest you move cautiously. I’ve no idea what she might do if she woke up and found you examining her.”

  Jordan stared at Fata for a moment, then set his bag of instruments down on the table next to the sofa. But he made no move to open it. Instead, he closed his eyes and held out his hands, running them through her aura as she slept. When he opened his eyes, the look on his face went from curious to startled, and he backed away, motioning for us to follow him into the hallway.

  “I can tell you one thing right now. She’s not fully a witch. She may have the DNA in her blood, but I’d swear to you she’s a water elemental, bound in form. I’ve got a couple more tests I can do, but they’re invasive. My ethics preclude me performing them unless I ask her consent. It’s not like she’s committed a crime or that the police are asking me to check her out. Do you understand?” He looked extremely uncomfortable.

  I nodded. He was right. We were asking him to invade her privacy. And that didn’t feel right, as worried as we might be.

  “Yeah, I understand.” I glanced at Sandy, who nodded as well.

  “Do you want to wake her up and ask her if I can examine her? You could always tell her that she fainted, and you were worried about her so you called the doctor.”

  I rubbed my forehead. This wasn’t going the way I had hoped, although I wasn’t sure what I had actually expected. I think I had hoped Fata would just fade away and not bother coming back. She meant so much to me back then that I couldn’t bear to see what she had become.

  Sandy answered for both of us. “Come on in. We’ll try, although I’m not sure how she’ll respond.”

  I knelt by Fata’s side and gently tapped her arm. “Fata? Can you hear me? Fata, it’s Maddy. We want to make sure you’re all right.”

  Fata stirred, ever so slightly, her eyes fluttering. She looked confused for a second, then brightened as she saw my face.

  “It wasn’t a dream, then. For some reason I thought I had dreamt that I had come back to you.” She glanced over at Jordan. “Who are you? I don’t remember you.”