RoadBlock by Amelia Bishop Page A

want to know why.”
    “Dagger’s mother?”
    “Yes. Last night.”
    Dagger and Betony exchanged confused glances. “What about my mother?”
    Adelaide took a deep breath, but didn’t respond to Dagger, instead asking Cal, “Are you sure you want to know this? Are you sure I should tell you?”
    “Yes.”
    “All right. I’ll defer to you, since you are a more gifted seer than I am, by far. But do not forget the original foretelling called for secrecy.” She took a mug of tea for herself, and settled back in her chair. “Twenty years ago, Dagger’s mother, Diana, had a vision. A strong vision. It upset her greatly, and she meditated on it for several days before bringing it to anyone. Finally she told me, and I told Marcus. Together we made a plan, and carried it out. Many sacrifices were made to help secure your success.”
    Adelaide paused and took a sip of her tea, then seemed to gather her resolve to continue the story. Calderon understood her reluctance. It was a difficult thing, going against one’s instincts as a seer. After the similar dreams he and Dagger had shared last night, though, he wasn’t going to take any chances. And if Dagger’s mother had called Adelaide last night, she may have had a similar dream, which prompted her to change her mind about keeping the secret.
    “Diana’s vision was of a very talented witch. A rare thing, now, but more common several generations ago. This witch would have several skills, and all of them strong. We were not sure if the witch was to be male or female, but the day of Diana’s vision was the day of conception, so he or she would now be just over twenty years old. The frightening thing is that this witch was born into the Theodosians.”
    Wade snorted at that and Dagger groaned, but Calderon let out a long breath and leaned back in his chair, waiting for more. Adelaide turned to Wade, her eyes angry.
    “The Theodosians are not a joke, Wade. I know we like to denounce them, and claim their powers are weaker than ours, but the truth is they are just as we are. They are witches, and some have powers as strong as ours, they are just a smaller group, thank Goddess. But their adherence to their bizarre form of Christianity makes them dangerous, and having a rare witch born to them is a major problem. They have been gathering information for years. Computers, the internet, all our secrets are out now. And they know how to find us. They have seers, as we do. You would all do well to take them seriously as a threat.
    “Diana’s vision revolved around this rare witch. His or her talent is a blessing to the Theodosians, and they join together around the new witch, or as they would say, the new ‘angel’. “ Adelaide turned to Betony and explained, “The Theodosians believe they are descendants of archangels, and that their job is to eliminate pagans. They think our existence serves their devil, and that their god is weakened by our rituals. They have always tried to undermine and attack us, however they can. Luckily, they are a very small group and we have them out manned and overpowered.
    “Diana wasn’t sure of the details of their plan, and it never became clear to her. She kept trying to see the rare-witch, but she was blocked. That’s part of why she moved away, so Calderon could come in and possibly see more. But she knew this new ‘angel’ of the Theodosians was the heart of the problem. You four must work together to stop her, or him.”
    “When you say ‘ stop’ …”
    “Yes, Dagger, unfortunately, I mean kill. We’ve seen no other outcome. If you find another way, then take it. But all Diana’s premonitions, and mine, pointed to this witch’s destruction as the only solution. I know it is a lot to ask. I know what this will mean to all of you. The only possible way you have of getting through this without damning yourselves is if you do it together , and share the cost.” She met their eyes then, and added softly, “But a price will need