A Touch of Mother - Chapter 4

I have some disappointing news. A Touch of Mother will not be out on January 15th. I admit I spent a lot of time with Genius Kid while he was home on leave for Christmas and New Year's. And I totally overestimated my ability to work on my novel and do the homework for a class I'm taking this year.

The good news is A Touch of Mother's release will only be pushed back a month. I want to make sure this is the best story possible for you. The new release date is February 14th.

In the meantime, I will continue posting chapters until the week of release, so you will not be totally bereft of new material. Again, I apologize for the delay.

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Rather than take anymore chances, I ordered the corpse to be salted before I allowed Master Devin and his apprentice to load the body into their cart when they pulled up a few moments later with Sister Raven Claw of Death and Warden Hitari. I trusted the master healer to wait until I arrived at their guild house before beginning his examination. The clergy of Death here in Orrin did, too. However, the home Temples of Death still held a grudge over the schism between them and what became the Healers Guild, so one of Death’s clergy were required to observe.

Jeremy insisted Master Devin examined me for any injuries before he left despite my protestations. Magistrate DiCook seconded Jeremy’s request. The healer pronounced me as healthy, and as stubborn, as ever.

Magistrate DiCook stepped closer to me while the cart turned around to make its way to the center of Orrin, followed by Raven Claw and her warden. Even the formerly mumbling crowd showed the appropriate silence for the demise of someone so young.

“Can you still do the rewind?” DiCook murmured.

“I can try,” I replied. “But let Brother Jeremy and I doublecheck the alley before we make another attempt. I doubt you’d want us to fry your peacekeepers’ brains if we miss another trap spell.”

DiCook shook his head. “I’m not talented, and I know you’ll correct me if I’m wrong, but it was almost like the trap wasn’t in the now. Like it came into existence when you started your spell.”

“Because it existed in the past. When I rewound time, my spell yanked it to our moment,” I said. “I pulled a similar stunt with the demons in the Tandoran tunnels.” I shook my head. “Either someone survived who knew about my deed, or I wasn’t as inventive as I thought.”

DiCook snorted. “How many refugees did you and Luc bring back? It could be any one of them.”

His observation only brought back my worry concerning Elizabeth. She’d been at the skinwalkers’ mercies for nearly a year after they taken over our sister city. The same city we destroyed in order to kill the demon army. Every time I sure Elizabeth was innocent of being under the renegades’ influence, something like the trap spell on the boy’s corpse made me wonder about her true loyalties. She, Luc, and Brother Bumblebee, a Diné Light priest, were the only ones who knew about my stunt placing a magical flashbang in the past of the Tandoran tunnel system.

No, the surviving demons in the tunnel knew about my trick as well. Were there more renegades among the survivors from Tandor than we realized? Such questions and concerns would surely drive me mad.

“Despite my powers, I can only deal with one problem at a time,” I answered. “We investigate Yellow Fin’s death step by step as we would any other murder.”

DiCook snorted at my poor pun, but he remained silent while Jeremy and I did a thoroughly check of the alley. When we were done, I settled on the cobblestones once again.

I hesitated before I reached for the timelines. I’d never had to worry about anyone being harmed directly by this spell before now.

I looked up at DiCook. “Magistrate, you and your peacekeepers should vacate the ally in case I missed something.”

“You heard the chief justice, lads.” He jerked his head in the direction of where we’d entered. “Out.”

After a bit of grumbling and protests, the peacekeepers walked back to the streets framing the alley. “You, too, Malven,” I murmured.

“Nah, I trust you.” He spat on the cobblestones before he grinned at me. “And I trust Brother Jeremy here even more. The boy’s faster than you.”

“I’m not a boy,” Jeremy growled.

DiCook looked startled at the priest’s foul mood. Not was it like Jeremy to snap at anyone. Maybe I needed to speak with Luc privately about sending Jeremy over to High Sister Mya of Child. Her talent would be far more useful to the young priest’s peace of mind than a reprimand would at this time.

“Of course, you may stay, Magistrate,” I said softly. “However, the risk to life and limb are your responsibility.”

“Understood, Chief Justice.” He glanced at Jeremy with a worried expression.

I didn’t need to touch DiCook’s mind. I had the same concerns as did Shi Hua. She had continued her intimate relationship with Jeremy because they were ordered to, but she’d asked me for my advice when it came to the changes in his behavior since the Battle of Tandor.

“Let me know when you are ready, Brother,” I said.

He inhaled deeply. The sharper edges of his psyche receded, but it still prickled against mine. A visit to Child was definitely in order before the day was out.

“I am ready to witness for you, Chief Justice,” Jeremy murmured.

My odd eyesight marginally picked up the chill wisps of the past, but I still couldn’t see them as clearly as anyone with normal human vision could. I still had to rely on a witness to relay the actions just like my blind sisters did. I reached into the memories of the surrounding cobblestones and bricks. The stones were steadier, but the bricks and wood paid more attention to the humans since they injured and transform the respective building materials. I yanked on the timelines from two days ago, half-expecting something to rush out of the past again. However, my spell worked as expected this time.

Candlemarks slipped between my fingers, faster than the normal passage of time but slow enough for Jeremy to make out events. Sweat beaded along my hairline and trickled down my spine.

“Slower, m’lady,” Jeremy said. “Four peacekeepers are passing through the alley. Magistrate?”

“I’ve had to increase the number of personnel over the last few months,” DiCook said.

“Has there been problems in this section of the city?” Jeremy shifted to view the time shadows.

“Not yet,” DiCook grumbled. “Hoping to prevent it.”

“Continue, Chief Justice,” the priest murmured.

I sped the passage of hours. Jeremy noted the peacekeepers passed through this alley at least once per hour. However, the intervals were random. DiCook trained his people well.

“Hold!” Jeremy said. He took a few steps toward the west end of the alley and circled a spot of grayish mist. “The person appears to be dressed in a black cloak, leggings, and boots in the style of the Temples.”

“Balance or Death?” I gritted my teeth at holding the time lines still.

“There’s no insignia on the robes, and I can’t see their face.” Jeremy stepped back from the faint image. “Continue.”

The time phantom stopped before me and dumped its bundle before me. My anger and sorrow at the treatment of the child’s body nearly made me lose my grip on the threads of the past.

“From the angle of the shadows, the person arrived shortly after First Morning.” Jeremy crouched across from me. “They’re unwrapping the child from a blanket.” He gasped. “Hold!”

“Brother…” My entire body shook from the strain of holding time in one moment.

He pointed at something and looked up at DiCook. “Do you see this, Magistrate?”

DiCook’s face paled to a dull yellow. He nodded and muttered a curse under his breath.

I couldn’t hold the lines at one point any longer. My fingers burned as the moment slipped from my grasp, and time snapped back to the now. I leaned my elbows on knees and tried to catch my breath. I hadn’t lost control of a rewind spell like that since I was a novice.

A hand touched my shoulder. “You all right, Anthea?” DiCook murmured.

I reached up and patted his hand. “Despite Brother Jeremy’s efforts, that trap spell affected me more than I realized. It’s nothing a little rest and some tea won’t take care of.”

“Perhaps Master Aaron should take a look at you before you continue this investigation,” DiCook. Both he and Jeremy took my hands and pulled me to my feet.

“First, tell me what you saw.” My gaze flicked between the two men. The skin on Jeremy and DiCook heated to a brilliant red under my odd sight.

Jeremy exhaled. “The blanket held the insignia of Mother.”

My stream of obscenities would have blistered the ears of the demons themselves.