“She’s terrified,” Lilia said. “She’s so scared for you and Granny she can’t even speak.”
“Karma.” Trulie nudged the big, black dog sitting to her right. “Stay with Mairi. I think she is going to need you more than I will. Keep her company until I get back.”
Karma protested with a soft whine, but his thick, black tail slowly wagged that he would obey. Ears sagging, his head drooped as he lumbered his way down the line. With a disgruntled huff, he plopped down between Mairi and Lilia and leaned against the young girl’s leg.
Not to be outdone, Granny looked down at the black cat sitting between her feet. “Kismet. Watch after Lilia. She’s putting on a brave face, but I know she will feel better if you stay here with her.”
Kismet flattened her ears and settled more solidly between Granny’s feet. Her golden eyes narrowed to slits and she glared into the fire. The cat was obviously not going to move.
“Kismet!” Granny nudged her toe under the cat’s behind and gently lifted.
Kismet replied with an insultedrowrr, glared at Granny with a pointed look, and switched her tail.
“Do as you’re told.” Granny fixed the cat with a threatening glare only Granny could pull off.
Kismet hissed an ugly reply and slunk around to the spot between Lilia’s feet. Once there, she sat as stiff and erect as a statue, her disgruntled glare fixed on the flames.
“All right.” Trulie exhaled and tried to relax the tensed muscles knotting in her gut. “I guess we are all set.” She glanced up and noted the position of the moon. She couldn’t remember a time Granny had done a jump this size as a follower. She silently prayed the strong-willed woman would be able to assume the role and remain focused.
Granny nodded her encouragement, smiled over at the girls huddled close together, then turned back to Trulie. “Go ahead, gal.”
Trulie curled her bare toes deeper into the cool, damp earth and sucked in a deep cleansing breath. She cleared her mind of everything except a vision of a mist-covered land of deep green, bordered by the blue-gray mountains she remembered from her dreams. As she relaxed and focused, the cool softness of the rich, black soil beneath her feet pulsed with an ancient energy and sent warmth running up her legs. With every breath, the warm tingling grew stronger, until Trulie’s entire body hummed.
The energy surge strengthened. The power of the primeval force roared in Trulie’s ears. Her heartbeat slowed to a strong, dull thud filling her with anticipation. It seemed an eternity between heartbeats. As she lifted her hands into the air, the flames encircling the small, dark pond rose higher, matching their swaying rhythm to the slow, steady pounding threatening to burst from her chest.
She focused on the center of the pond’s now gently swirling waters. The dark ripples circled faster in a counterclockwise motion. The undulating waves gained momentum in their spin. The edges of the pool frothed and bubbled. A haze misted up into the swaying stalks of cattails growing along the banks. The pool swelled, then solidified into a glowing ebony mirror. Its smooth surface sparkled and danced with the orange-white light of the tall, roaring flames.
With one last look at her family, Trulie sang out the time command. Her throat burned as she raised her voice to shout over the high-pitched whine of the rising wind.
“Web of time,
Veil of space,
Carry us to our chosen place.
Borne of water,
Trialed by fire,
Our blood bespeaks our rightful power.
For the good of all,
With harm to none,
So as it is spoken,
So let it be done.”
The fire around the pool immediately solidified, frozen in place. The long orange-and-white tongues of the curling flames sprouted and stretched up around the portal like an eerie circle of sculpted glass.
Trulie crouched, nodded affirmation to Granny, then launched forward. The final command ripped from her lungs in a high-pitched shout into the roaring void. “So mote it be!”
She shivered with the surge of energy as her feet shattered the surface of the pond into thousands of sparkling shards. Her fingers trailed through the jagged pieces as they spun away in slow motion, scattering out into the star-filled darkness of the time tunnel. Anticipation spiked with a heady dose of excitement jolted through her. Mercy on her soul,she had missed the exhilaration of the ancient energy.
“Yes!” Trulie shivered with giddiness as she kicked harder and dove forward. She couldn’t help it. The icy wind of time whooshing across her skin was intoxicating.
“Trulie Elizabeth!” Kenna’s shout echoed from far away and repeated a thousand times across the endless void.
