She stood on the edge of the bank and looked out at the mist. The moonlight was shading it with pale silver, but it was as mysterious and inexplicable as ever.
As enigmatic as Cira had always been to Jane since that first dream when she was seventeen. No, that wasn’t true. She had always understood Cira; she just didn’t know why Cira had wanted her to understand. All the years that had passed, Cira’s life and story gradually unfolding to Jane even as she grew in spirit and experienced her own tragedies and struggles. Through it all, Jane had never known the reason.
And she didn’t know why Cira had brought her here to this place tonight and shown her the depths of her sorrow and her soul.
And her triumph.
Why, Cira? Why now? Wasn’t I ready before?
No answer.
But the answer would come, Jane knew suddenly. If she stayed here on the bank, if she let the wind and the mist tell her what she needed to know.
Your move, Cira …
*
“Eve,” Jane whispered. She shook her gently. “Wake up.”
Eve tensed, even as she opened her eyes. “Jane? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. At least I don’t think there is.”
“The hell there’s not.” Her hand was on Jane’s arm. “You’re cold.”
“Cool,” she said, correcting her. “I’ve been outside by the lake for a few hours. I’m fine.”
Eve sat up and brushed the hair away from her face. “Something about Lisa?”
“No. Something about me.” Her hand reached out to grasp Eve’s. “Something about Cira. I’ve been out there trying to figure it out. I believe I may have done it.” She smiled. “But, as usual, I had to run to you for confirmation and help. That goes on forever.”
“Wrong. You don’t come running to me nearly often enough.”
“Well, I’m here now.” Her hand tightened on Eve’s. “And I need you to do me a favor, Eve.…”
8:10 A.M.
“You’re not painting today?” Lisa asked Jane as she glanced at the covered easel. “I thought it was going well.”
“It is,” Jane said. “But I didn’t come here to paint. I thought I’d go to the bank this morning and see if I can help.”
“I tried.” Lisa made a face. “It’s all your fault for sending me to bed as soon as I got back yesterday. MacDuff didn’t like it that I got so tired. He said that he’d give it a couple more days before he’d let me help again. I couldn’t talk him out of it.”
“That must have been disappointing.”
“Well, he has Jock back today. It wasn’t that I didn’t do a good job.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t.” She was looking out at the mist. “And there’s not much that I can do today, either. I just want to be there.”
“Why?” Lisa’s gaze was fixed on her face. “Are you okay? You look a little weird.”
“Do I? I had trouble sleeping last night.”
“Well, it wasn’t Cara’s fault,” she said quickly. “She didn’t play that long, and it was all quiet stuff. So don’t blame her.”
“I wouldn’t think of it.” Jane smiled. “Since you evidently don’t.”
“She promised the people at her school that she’d practice. She had to keep her promise.”
Jane chuckled. “Lisa, you don’t have to defend her. We all love her music. A little less sleep is okay when weighed in the balance. I guess you found that out.”
Lisa nodded. “But I’ll try to get her to practice in the daytime today. I don’t care what she says; it’s not smart for her to be sitting around in the dark playing that violin.”
“You do that.” Jane grabbed her backpack. “What else do you plan to do today besides trying to run Cara’s life?”
“Cook. Make myself invaluable to your Eve and the kid.” She grinned. “Maybe look up a few recipes for wedding hors d’oeuvres on the Internet. Do some of MacDuff’s paperwork to show him how generous and forgiving I am.” She paused. “And think about how quiet you are today and why you want to go to the north bank.”
Jane wasn’t really surprised that Lisa had sensed something in her demeanor that had sent up flares. Lisa might not have been linked to Jane, but she was Caleb’s sister, and they were evidently close enough for her to pick up vibes. “I’m never permitted to be quiet around you because you have entirely too many questions.” She met Lisa’s eyes. “And you once asked me if I minded your working in Cira’s world because she belonged to me. The answer is still no, but that doesn’t mean that the time won’t come that I’ll have to be the one to do what she’s always wanted me to do.”
Lisa’s smile faded. “What’s happening, Jane?”
“I’m not sure, but I think that it’s what’s supposed to happen.” She started down the trail leading toward the bank. “We’ll have to see, won’t we?”
1:25 P.M.
“When do you think you’ll be able to turn on the lights?” Jane asked MacDuff in the middle of the day as she stopped to wipe her brow. “You have four poles mounted with those space-age wonders and all the transformers are connected now. When?”
“Soon. Maybe we’ll come back tonight after supper.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “We did a run-through with the first ones we put up, and they were marginally successful. But these transformers may make the difference.” His voice was tense. “It’s got to work, Jane. I feel it. We’re getting close.”
“Yes, we’re close.” She looked out at the mist. “I feel it, too. And you deserve it, MacDuff. What’s more, your family needs and deserves it.” She smiled faintly. “And Cira was always very protective of her family, remember?”
“You’d know that better than I. You’re the expert on Cira.” He wearily turned back to where Jock was working. “All I know is that we’ve got to get those lights working. I realize it’s become something of an obsession with me, but I’ll do it, Jane. There’s no way on earth I’ll let them beat me.” He smiled faintly at her over his shoulder. “I’m glad you came today. You haven’t been down here for a few days. I was afraid you’d given up on us.”
“Never.” She smiled back at him. “It just didn’t seem the time.”
“And now it does?”
She nodded as she got to her feet and followed him. “Yes,” she said quietly. “Now it definitely does, MacDuff.”
9:15 P.M.
Jane turned off her lantern and lay there in the dark, trying to relax. There was no use being this tense. She’d made a decision and now she had to accept that she had to—
Her cell phone rang.
Caleb.
“Lisa’s fine,” she said as soon as she picked up. “As long as she stays busy, she’s not nearly as edgy. She’s getting stronger every day and she—”
“I know all that,” Caleb replied, interrupting her. “She makes sure that she tells me these days that she’s a cross between Wonder Woman and Supergirl every time I talk to her. Though she really prefers Elektra, but she says Supergirl has more power. How are you?”
“What?”
“How are you? When I just called Lisa, she said that you seemed too quiet when you were at supper tonight. She didn’t think you were ill and she knew her meal was fantastic and that couldn’t possibly be it. You went to the north bank with the guys today, instead of painting. That might mean that you didn’t want to be social with anyone at the camp. So is it something that Lisa’s doing that you’re not telling me about? Should I talk to her about it? Should I return?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She couldn’t believe this. “I was quiet and suddenly your sister is doing something terrible that could cause me to spiral downward into some kind of depression?”
“It was a thought. I could tell she was worried.” He paused. “And what you might think terrible wouldn’t necessarily appear that way to Lisa.”
“Yes, it would. She’s not as callous as you, Caleb. Or she wouldn’t be worried about me.”
“True. But she doesn’t think I’m callous at all, and most of the time she thinks I can do no wrong. So there you are.” He paused. “If it wasn’t her, what is it? Lisa has excellent instincts and she’s gotten closer to you since you’ve been together.”
“Sometimes overpoweringly so. No, I didn’t mean that. I care about her, but I always have to keep on guard around her. She can be as disturbing as—”