Last Witch Standing

chapter 20



The Present

Earth



Rachel started, prepared to jump from the water and run, although that would be useless against a flying creature such as Katie. She willed herself to calm down, breathing as Queen Annalisse had taught her what seemed so long ago. This wasn’t hopeless – she wasn’t entirely defenseless against the sorceress.

The figure stood up; its burlap-covered outfit illuminated by a street lamp. Trudy. Of course, Queen Annalisse would not leave her or Candice unguarded – not on this night.

The Upper Mountain Witch waved. Rachel returned it with a blush and faint smile. Should she continue swimming? No, better to call it a night. She had already taken her share of kinetic energy from the pool.

Candice was still asleep when Rachel entered the motel room. After changing, for Candice and Dan Edwards had brought new clothes for her, she went to bed. Above, a ceiling fan turned silently and Rachel occupied herself by counting each revolution. Since leaving her mortal, earthly body, four hours of sleep a night was generally more than ample, and such sleep had more to do with quieting her mind than resting her body.

Rachel considered her situation. She was proficient enough in the Power to make it difficult – but not impossible – for Katie to hold her.

The light of passing headlights came through the curtain of their motel room. It was past midnight. Reluctantly, Rachel settled under the covers. Tomorrow, she would think over these matters. Tomorrow, when she was refreshed and the idea of freedom from Katie had more fully set in. Now she would sleep.

The room was awash with daylight when Rachel opened her eyes. Candice’s bed was already made; the detective was on the telephone. Rachel went to the bathroom to wash and change into day clothes.

Steam formed on the mirror as Rachel ran the hot shower water. The temperature was high enough to scald a person, but her body was nearly indestructible now, so took as much kinetic energy from it as she could.

“Queen Annalisse will meet us for breakfast.” Candice looked up from the room’s desk, a laptop open before her.

“Good. I need to ask her some things,” Rachel replied as she dressed.

A shadow crossed the drapes as a van pulled into the parking space in front of their motel room. A moment later there was a knock at the door.

Candice opened it to admit Dan Edwards and Queen Annalisse, along with Karen and Jakob.

“Good morning, ladies. I trust you had a good night’s sleep?”

“Yes, thank you,” Rachel said.

Candice smiled.



***

“Thank you for rescuing me,” Rachel said to the party when they were seated at the motel’s coffee shop. The smell of hot coffee and blueberry pancakes filled the restaurant and green-aproned waitresses hustled to serve the morning rush of customers.

“We waited a year before making the attempt. You needed more practice in the use of the Power. We did not know if there would be a fight, or whether we could take you away as we did, with Katie unaware,” Karen said.

“Where do I go from here? If I return to the Mountain Witch Kingdom, she will find me there.”

“Yes. However, we have a plan to corral and tame her. Once that is accomplished, you will be safe to return to your sisters. In truth, you must return. You are a witch, not a sorceress, and it is crucial to your health and development that you return from time to time to the world of your second birth,” Karen said.

“So that’s what Karen meant when she told Katie I would not live if she took me away?”

“Yes. Katie, as a sorceress, was unaware of this, and may not believe us,” Karen said.

She had felt the longing for the Mountain Witch Kingdom – beyond simply wishing to see her sisters – a physical need. Rachel pondered for a moment. “How are my sisters?”

“They are well, child-witch. Worried for thee, but well.” Annalisse took a letter from her satchel and handed it to Rachel.

Rachel jostled the carafe of coffee reaching for the letter and it would have fallen had Jakob not grabbed it. The front of the envelope simply said “Rachel,” but she knew it was from Gertrude and Eustice. She was careful not to damage the envelope as she opened it.

Inside was a neatly folded letter on pink stationary, written in fine calligraphy, the letters forming the branches and leaves of a tree. Rachel removed it, opened it and read.

Dearest Rachel,

If you have received this, it means you are now free of that hideous creature’s power. We are glad. Your gifts are safe in our cottage and awaiting your return. Leroy is well, and anticipates your return. Agnes and the rest of our sisters send their regards.

“Thank you, Queen Annalisse,” Rachel looked into the queen’s eyes as she spoke.

“I have been absent from Earth for centuries. Katie will have more power in this world than, I. Yet, we must tether her there. She is too powerful to defeat in a pitched battle,” Queen Annalisse said.

A shadow passed over them, and Rachel looked up to Karen and Jakob.

“Rachel, this is more serious than you know. Katie is tearing holes in the fabric of the Cosmos with her ‘explorations’. Not all her travel through space is safely done. Also, she loves to watch supernovas – the explosion of stars – and uses the Power to cause them, by accelerating fusion to the point where hydrogen, helium and other elements give way to iron. Iron is the death of stars and worlds,” Karen said.

“Like a child playing with high explosives, thinking they are only fireworks, she is leaving a trail of destruction in her wake,” Jakob added.

“Interstellar nuclear weapons.” Candice leaned forward.

“I understand. I knew she was endangering young witches, but I did not know the extent of the upset she was causing,” Rachel said.

“Katie can throw bomblets of ionized matter – plasma. At some point in her first year of development, on the Citadel world, we believe she came across an old tablet demonstrating this. This is a very dangerous skill to have. Worse, we now believe she has mastered anti-matter.”

“She has,” Rachel spoke up. “I have seen her. Once, she tried to teach me how to use it, but I could not handle the material and it blew a hole in one of the cliffs on Pangea. Had I been human, the blast would have killed me. As it was, I was disoriented for several weeks.”