The Sorceress (40 page)

“We're in a relationship; we were getting close before the… uh…accident.”

A shimmer of hope lit Twyla's face. “Are you pregnant?”

Jen gave a wistful smile, thinking of Tara and Zeta, the two wondrous beings who had come from the heavens to rescue her and Rome. Those angelic women had promised that she and Rome would marry and have a son.

“No,” Jen finally said. Locating a blood match for Rome had precedence over getting a pregnancy test. She wondered if Tara's and Zeta's prediction was true. Actually, she had started to doubt herself and wondered if she'd imagined the encounter. A winged woman and a beautiful goddess armed with two swords… crazy!

With all she'd been through, it was possible she'd hallucinated being rescued by otherworldly beings. Had she hallucinated Eris and Boozer, as well? Hell no! Her aching arm and Rome's critical condition was a testament to their biting and blood-sucking rampage.

As far as marrying Rome and having his child…well, time would tell. Right now, her only concern was saving her man's life.

“Excuse me. I have to call the hospital and let them know Rome has a match.” Jen reached inside her purse, pulled out her cell, and looked at Twyla. “Don't worry; your identity will be kept confidential.”

Twyla rose. “I'm sick of keeping secrets. I'm holding a press conference tomorrow. I'm telling the world that I've been blessed with a brave and forgiving son.”

Jen felt brave, also. Brave enough to face her parents, and admit she'd been expelled from school.

She had no idea what the future held for her and Rome. If her role in his life was to reunite him with his mother, then she would accept that. But on a deeper level, she knew that they'd be sharing a future together. It would all unfold in time.

In the meantime, no more secrets. The cost to the soul is too high.

SPRING, ROANOKE, VIRGINIA

A
jali frowned. The asparagus fern displayed to liven up the parlor was tinged with brown. Had she given it too much water? No! She'd done her research, followed the care instructions to a tee but still, the showpiece fern was dying.

Huffing and puffing, Ajali lifted the potted plant and struggled to carry the gargantuan fern next to the piano where there was indirect light.

Kali skipped into the room. “Why are you moving that big plant again, Mommy?”

“I think it's getting too much sun. I've got to figure out a way to keep this plant alive, honey,” Ajali answered, distracted as she lowered the enormous ceramic pot to the floor. She lifted a billowing stalk and sighed.

“What's wrong?” Kali skipped over to see what her mother was fretting about.

“This plant is in worse shape than I thought. It's not going to make it.”

“I can save your plant.” Kali said with confidence.

Ajali looked up to smile at her sweet child, but noticing an unusual ring on Kali's thumb, she made a tiny screech. “Where'd you get that ring?” she shouted, knowing that Bryce had donated every piece of that so-called buried treasure to charity.

“I found it.” Kali said, leaving out Mr. Bear's involvement.

“Where?” Ajali was horrified. The ring looked ancient. It reminded Ajali of the Egyptian ankh, but with unique features of its own.

“This is a goddess ring. It was in the treasure box.”

“Your father gave those jewels to charity.”

Kali lowered her head. “He gave away the jewels and my musical jewelry box, but he didn't donate the wooden box.”

“The wooden box was empty! I thought we threw it out a long time ago.”

Shaking her head, Kali held her thumb up, showing off the ring and waiting for her mother's approval. “Don't be mad, Mommy. This ring is magical. It was hiding all this time in a secret slot at the bottom of the box.”

“Oh, my God!” Ajali was beyond horrified. She couldn't believe her child was wearing something that the evil Eris wanted.

“Watch! Look at what I can do.”

Kali touched Ajali's plant and miraculously, it sprang to life, turning a vibrant green all over.”

“See. I can save things,” she said proudly.

“Have you brought any other plants back to life?”

She shook her head. “No, but I made a baby bird come back to life and put it back in its nest with the other birds.”

Ajali gasped, her eyes staring at the ring in horror. “Did you save anything else, honey?” she asked in a voice that trembled with fear.

“Uh-huh. A butterfly, a worm—”

“Just insects…birds…and uh, that worm?” Ajali asked her, brimming with hope.

“Can you keep a secret?” Kali whispered.

Her mother nodded, though her fingers were mentally crossed.

“Remember that day I had a play date with Marley? She was sad because her gerbil had died. And I brought it back to life.”

“Oh, Kali. Take that ring off. It looks strange…and evil.”

“It's not evil. My godmother told me to wear it for protection.”

“Your godmother?”

“Her name is like mine, only she's a goddess. Guess what, Mommy?”

“What, sweetie?” Ajali asked, distracted by thoughts of the goddess who'd saved her life—whom she'd named her daughter after. How did her daughter know about the goddess? She'd never shared that information with her.

“I'm going to be a goddess, too.”

Eyes roving fast from the ring to Kali's face, Ajali could feel herself going into a fit of panic. What was her daughter telling her? Was Kali going to leave her and join the others on the Goddess Realm? Ajali almost collapsed; her fear was so profound. She'd always considered Kali to be a gift that was too good to be true. She'd harbored a hidden fear that one day she'd lose her precious child.

“She teaches me the lessons of the goddess at night. While I'm asleep.”

“Oh, God!” Fear gripped Ajali's heart.

“She meets me in my dreams. That's why I'm not afraid to sleep in my room. Kali says she will always protect me.”

Ajali nodded. “Okay, but when—specifically—did she say you're going to become a goddess?” Motivated by fear and desperation, she clutched her daughter by her shoulders and shook her. “When?” Ajali screamed.

“Stop it, Mommy! You're hurting me.”

Ajali looked at her own hands in shock and released her daughter. “I'm sorry.”

“Being a goddess is not a bad thing, Mommy. Kali said I'm going to make you proud.”

“I'm already proud.” Ajali began to sob. “You don't have to leave me and become a goddess to make me proud.”

“But I'm not leaving you. The transition will be complete when I'm twelve years old,” Kali said proudly. “Kali is going to ascend to the heavens, but she's going to sleep until I turn twelve. She said the goddess Gaia looks after the planet earth, but I'll be the first goddess to actually live here. Our planet needs me.”

Ajali wanted to cry. She didn't want her child burdened with the problems of the world. “It sounds like there might be a lot of responsibility. Is that what you want, honey?”

“I want to help all living things. The goddess Kali says it's my calling.”

Brows drawn together, Ajali looked at her daughter. “Do you remember, Shanice…the little girl you met on last Halloween?”

“Shanice feels much better. Doesn't she, Mommy?”

“Yes,” Ajali agreed softly. “I saw her last week. She was at the hospital for a routine visit. She's back in school and doing great. No symptoms of sickle cell anemia. Did you have something to do with her recovery?”

Kali nodded and Ajali knew the role that she and Bryce would play. Anonymously, they'd donate money—build a new wing at the children's hospital. She would continue to volunteer, bringing Kali along from time to time. The children Kali interacted with would heal.

Ajali and Bryce kept many of their various contributions, anonymous. They'd have to figure out a way to keep Kali's gift of healing a secret, too.

SPRING, PHILADELPHIA, PA

T
he sound of their harsh breathing filled the room. Recovering from an extremely passionate lovemaking session, Jen and Rome lay side by side, panting. They were always good in bed together, but this time seemed like the best sex ever. Intense yet tender.

Still trying to catch her breath, Jen stared at the animal art that decorated Rome's bedroom. As her heart rate returned to normal, a million thoughts whisked through her mind. She'd been so brave up to this point. But it was her last night with Rome until the end of summer. A sharp pang of regret knifed through her. Could she get through an entire summer without her man?

He had displayed such unabashed affection; there was no reason for her to doubt his love. But here she lay, taking in every aspect of his bedroom as if it might be the very last time she perused his personal space.

Suddenly she felt his finger touching her…tracing her stomach. His hand glided downward, fingers combing through the tangle of red hair that covered her mons. With the tip of his middle finger, he caressed her clit. Gently. Circularly. Determinedly. Until she released a tiny moan. That soft sound announced her arousal, and her temporary distraction from troubling thoughts.

“I can't get enough of you,” Rome murmured.

Jen turned toward him, moving closer. She pressed her face against his chest, inhaling him. But a whiff of his fragrance, Twyla Tanning's signature, Insatiable for Men, was a harsh reminder of their pending summer separation.

Insatiable was a scrumptious scent, but it smelled like trouble.

Ever so slightly, Jen pulled away, using her palm to secretly dab tears before they trickled from her eyes.

Sensing a mood shift, Rome clipped Jen's chin, lifting her face. His worried eyes searched hers. “What's wrong, Pretty Red? Why you crying, baby?”

“You haven't left yet, but I miss you already.”

“Aw, come on, baby. Don't cry. This summer is going to be rough on both of us, but you know I'm going to call you…text you…and send you flowers every day.”

Sniffling, Jen nodded. “I know. I'm being silly. Allowing my insecurities to get to me.”

Rome looked shocked. “Insecurities? About what? I'm not leaving you behind because I want to. I invited you to come with me.”

“I know, Rome. I'll get it together.” Jen said, her tone unconvincing and pitiful.

“Jen. Baby,” he said patiently. “Didn't we both agree that I would spend the summer with Twyla while you went back to school?”

“Yeah, but—”

Motioning impatiently, Rome shushed her. “You promised your parents you were going to take summer classes to make up for that semester you lost.”

“I know,” Jen whined. “I just wish you didn't have to go.”

Rome spoke softly, taking on the patient tone one would use
with someone who suffered from memory problems. “When you got accepted to Saint Joe's, you said you wanted to hit the books hard. You even said that trying to study with me underfoot would be a distraction.” Rome chuckled.

“You're right. Back when we made those plans, I was feeling a lot more confident than I do now.”

“What happened?” Soothingly, he smoothed wiry strands of her hair, and stroked her neck as he waited for her to answer.

“To be honest, I'm feeling really vulnerable. And jealous. I'm so scared I'm going to lose you.”

Rome stared at her. “Who are you jealous of? Twyla?”

“No! It's just…well, you're like a celebrity now. I guess I'm feeling like I can't compete with all those fly chicks you'll be hanging out with while you're on the road with your mother.”

Rome gave a hearty laugh, indicating he thought her comment was absurd. But Jen felt too vulnerable to even crack a smile. Her heart was aching and Rome didn't seem to be experiencing any pain over their separation.

As if reading her mind, he put a comforting arm around her. “Baby, the thought of getting on that plane without you is killing me. Look, the last thing you need to worry about is me getting involved with some aspiring actress. Do you really think I'd let somebody use me to get a photo op with Twyla Tanning's lovechild?” He laughed loudly at his self-description.