flash of silver light and a gust of wind literally knocked
the coffee cup from Laurell's hands. Folgers dark roast spattered across the table. It took her a moment to realize Axiom had moved from the table to the far side of the room
and held a cell phone to his ear. If she'd thought he traveled fast before, she realized then she hadn't seen a damn
thing.
She focused on the cell phone. How had she overlooked
it during her attempt to escape? Probably he'd had it on
him. At least now she knew there was a phone nearby. Not
that she had much confidence in her ability to wrestle it
away from him.
"Wayne," Axiom spoke into the cell phone, his words
laced with concern. "We must leave the safe house."
Wayne, whom Laurell was getting a good look at for the
first time since her abduction, wore a stone-faced expression across his broad features as he stared at Axiom. He appeared to be in his early fifties. A good old boy type, wearing
a leather jacket, a cowboy hat, and boots. Not like a witch
at all.
"So let me get this straight. You're a witch and you belong to a whole coven of witches," Laurell said.
"That's right," Wayne said. "What's wrong? I'm not what
you expected a witch to look like?"
Laurell frowned. "Frankly, no."
Wayne glanced away from her and back to Axiom. "So
we're off to Fiona's then?"
The three sat at the kitchen table, dressed to hit the road.
Laurell cradled a plump duffel bag to her chest like a shield,
waiting for one of the two men to speak. She had shoved all
the toiletries and clothes she could find into the satchel Axiom had produced. Her backpack hadn't been large enough,
though she'd refused to leave it behind. The Book of Shadows remained tucked inside, pulling at her to be read.
It seemed they had to leave the safe house. The High
Priestess of Wayne's coven, Fiona, owned some fifty acres
of land in Black Earth, Wisconsin. In other words, in the
middle of nowhere. Laurell knew enough about the northern Wisconsin landscape to know Black Earth consisted of nothing more than woods, gravel roads, and more woods.
Her chances for escape were quickly dwindling.
"Wayne," Axiom said. "I do regret having to go to Fiona's.
I know it is not what she or her sister Anne would have
wished."
"Well, Anne had hoped to keep you and Laurell at arm's
length. The safe house was a good way of assisting without
putting the entire coven in danger."
"I understand, but if the Umbrae are responsible for
Anne's death, it means they may already know about the
safe house. We cannot risk staying here. Particularly with
the full moon so close," Axiom said.
"If they found Anne, how can we be sure they don't already know about the coven too?" Wayne asked.
Axiom sighed. "There is no way to be certain. Perhaps
Laurell will receive another visit from her Liaison soon and
she will have an answer."
Both men looked at Laurell then. What's that? Have a
chat with dear old Mom again? Sounds lovely. "Who is Anne?"
"The former High Priestess of Hidden Circle Coven,"
Axiom said.
The witch who died. Laurell cringed, her desire to extricate
herself from the mission increasing with every moment.
When she said nothing, the men returned to their conversation.
"In the meantime, at least we have you to warn us if you
sense them near," Axiom said.
Wayne sighed and tugged at his chin. "I only wish I were
able to detect them sooner. A five-minute warning doesn't
seem like nearly enough time."
"It will have to suffice," Axiom said.
"Maybe we shouldn't go to Black Earth," Laurell piped
up before she could stop herself. "I mean, it's in the middle
of nowhere. What if we need backup?" Both men turned to look at her with raised eyebrows as though they'd forgotten
she was there.
"The coven is the safest place for us. The members have
been carefully selected for this mission. Like you, they volunteered before incarnating," Axiom said.
Laurell cringed. She didn't like being reminded she'd
chosen to
the coffee cup from Laurell's hands. Folgers dark roast spattered across the table. It took her a moment to realize Axiom had moved from the table to the far side of the room
and held a cell phone to his ear. If she'd thought he traveled fast before, she realized then she hadn't seen a damn
thing.
She focused on the cell phone. How had she overlooked
it during her attempt to escape? Probably he'd had it on
him. At least now she knew there was a phone nearby. Not
that she had much confidence in her ability to wrestle it
away from him.
"Wayne," Axiom spoke into the cell phone, his words
laced with concern. "We must leave the safe house."
Wayne, whom Laurell was getting a good look at for the
first time since her abduction, wore a stone-faced expression across his broad features as he stared at Axiom. He appeared to be in his early fifties. A good old boy type, wearing
a leather jacket, a cowboy hat, and boots. Not like a witch
at all.
"So let me get this straight. You're a witch and you belong to a whole coven of witches," Laurell said.
"That's right," Wayne said. "What's wrong? I'm not what
you expected a witch to look like?"
Laurell frowned. "Frankly, no."
Wayne glanced away from her and back to Axiom. "So
we're off to Fiona's then?"
The three sat at the kitchen table, dressed to hit the road.
Laurell cradled a plump duffel bag to her chest like a shield,
waiting for one of the two men to speak. She had shoved all
the toiletries and clothes she could find into the satchel Axiom had produced. Her backpack hadn't been large enough,
though she'd refused to leave it behind. The Book of Shadows remained tucked inside, pulling at her to be read.
It seemed they had to leave the safe house. The High
Priestess of Wayne's coven, Fiona, owned some fifty acres
of land in Black Earth, Wisconsin. In other words, in the
middle of nowhere. Laurell knew enough about the northern Wisconsin landscape to know Black Earth consisted of nothing more than woods, gravel roads, and more woods.
Her chances for escape were quickly dwindling.
"Wayne," Axiom said. "I do regret having to go to Fiona's.
I know it is not what she or her sister Anne would have
wished."
"Well, Anne had hoped to keep you and Laurell at arm's
length. The safe house was a good way of assisting without
putting the entire coven in danger."
"I understand, but if the Umbrae are responsible for
Anne's death, it means they may already know about the
safe house. We cannot risk staying here. Particularly with
the full moon so close," Axiom said.
"If they found Anne, how can we be sure they don't already know about the coven too?" Wayne asked.
Axiom sighed. "There is no way to be certain. Perhaps
Laurell will receive another visit from her Liaison soon and
she will have an answer."
Both men looked at Laurell then. What's that? Have a
chat with dear old Mom again? Sounds lovely. "Who is Anne?"
"The former High Priestess of Hidden Circle Coven,"
Axiom said.
The witch who died. Laurell cringed, her desire to extricate
herself from the mission increasing with every moment.
When she said nothing, the men returned to their conversation.
"In the meantime, at least we have you to warn us if you
sense them near," Axiom said.
Wayne sighed and tugged at his chin. "I only wish I were
able to detect them sooner. A five-minute warning doesn't
seem like nearly enough time."
"It will have to suffice," Axiom said.
"Maybe we shouldn't go to Black Earth," Laurell piped
up before she could stop herself. "I mean, it's in the middle
of nowhere. What if we need backup?" Both men turned to look at her with raised eyebrows as though they'd forgotten
she was there.
"The coven is the safest place for us. The members have
been carefully selected for this mission. Like you, they volunteered before incarnating," Axiom said.
Laurell cringed. She didn't like being reminded she'd
chosen to
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