The Time Witch - Part #32

Author Note: I thought I was at the end of the story, but after this installment there is still one more and an epilogue after that, so the story has a little more to give. Plus, Evangeline will be back for another adventure!

Recap: Adas’s mind control stretches decades, and the only people that know where his power comes from live in the past or are trapped in a locket. Evangeline has a lot on her plate, as we wrap up this part of the story.

LINKS: The Beginning, Last Part (#31), Time Witch page

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“Walk into the light.”

Evangeline motioned toward the wooden paneling as an aura borealis sparkled through the hole in the closet wall.

Standing in the Carnegie Library’s closet, a wide-eyed Danna nodded, intrigued. Being told there was a time tunnel in the closet was one thing; seeing it made her face light up. Evangeline motioned for her new hire to step into the tunnel. “They’ll be waiting for you.”

“Just like that?” Danna asked. “Step in and step out.”

It hadn’t been that easy in the beginning, but Evangeline realized her magic responded to intention. “I’ll get you to the right spot.”

“Who’d have thought there was a tunnel in the closet?” Danna marveled at the sight. “I guess I’m gonna have to trust you.”

“Thanks, of course; maybe it helps that I know things I shouldn’t know,” Evangeline winked, having used Danna’s undercover spying for the Coven to sway the witch’s opinion. Coming from the future had benefits.

Danna’s smirk confirmed the truth.

“We’ll be great friends one day,” Evangeline promised.

“If we survive.” Danna nodded toward the beaconing time warp. “The goal is to survive, right?”

Evangeline hadn’t put the situation into those terms. She’d been running from one problem to another. “Of course,” she said, “but it’s not like that. No one has died. It’s more like everyone and everything is compromised, shifting to the whims of Adas Abernathy.”

Danna nodded as if it made sense. “Who is Adas Abernathy?”

“He’s a curse that’s been hounding my whole life.” Evangeline sighed, seeing the flaw in letting the situation control her and not the other way around. “And he might be a Hexenmeister, whatever that is.”

Sucking in a slow breath, Danna let it back out in a soft, strangled sound. “That’s bad.”

“How bad?” Evangeline turned to her friend, alarmed.

“Depends on what you believe. It’s a German word for wizard, but we don’t think of them as human around here.” Danna momentarily bit her lip. “At least—the town’s history is twisted with tall tales of a Hexenmeister. I kinda hoped they weren’t based on anything real.”

Evangeline wondered how many of those stories were about her. She’d crisscrossed through time enough to leave a few in her wake. “Anything important stand out about the creature?”

Danna licked her lips, thinking. “Well… nothing on how to conquer one or anything that useful. I always thought the stories were to warn kids about having a big ego.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good luck with that.” Danna turned back to the tunnel. “I’m ready.”

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Evangeline reiterated. She’d banked upon their future friendship, hoping the roots strung back to their first meeting, not realizing how much she’d counted on it until now. Of course, she’d come back to this point in time to outmaneuver Adas Abernathy. His power wasn’t omnipresent. He couldn’t be everywhere, in every time. No, Evangeline thought, he needs my power for that, but he doesn’t have it yet. She’d come to this point in time because it was the safest one to approach Danna.

Danna waved a hand, and Evangeline realized she’d let her thoughts take over. “Don’t worry,” Danna said, as if repeating herself. “It causes a wrinkle on your forehead. Whatever the Coven thinks is going on, I’m not surprised they’re wrong. It’s my duty to help them figure it out—even if they get upset. You know, I never wanted to spy on you.”

“I know.” Even though they hadn’t gotten the chance—yet—to have a heart-to-heart about Danna spying on Evangeline, it didn’t matter. “Somethings don’t need discussion, not between friends. So, if you’re ready, step into the light.”

“Will it hurt?”

“It tickles.”

Danna ducked to enter the tunnel, taking the first step back in time. She looked over her shoulder, surprised that Evangeline wasn’t behind her. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked.

“Not this way.” Evangeline winked. “I have another path.”

The blue-green lights wrapped around Danna, welcoming her as she advanced into the tunnel and crossed to another time. Evangeline wished she could see it, knowing how much the experience had changed her. She hoped it would be transformative for her friend, as well.

Heading back into the library, she went through a couple of boxes until she found the book. She’d roughly remembered where she’d uncovered it, but finding it this time felt bigger. She knew what it meant.

“Miss me?” She asked the red leather limerick book. It contained the tintype photograph—the one of Evangeline in a wedding gown with Adas Abernathy.

Evangeline made a face at the photograph. The first time she’d seen it, a sense of dread filled her heart. She knew the source was a lingering sense of failure. “It had to happen this way,” she told the library.

Belly of the beast.

“It’s the only way I can get close to him.”

The ghostly voice remained silent on her second revelation.

With a sigh, Evangeline put her hand on the vintage piece of photo board and willed her magic to come alive. A vibration made her body shudder as she felt a tug. It pulled at her skin, emitting a torrid of colors. They swirled around Evangeline, creating a cockeyed kaleidoscope that twirled out of control, mixing with a high-pitched whine. Everything blurred and muted. A squeezing sensation pressed her temples. She had to close her eyes, feeling smaller and smaller as the cacophony dragged her into the photograph.

The beat of her heart ticked off the seconds.

Ears popped, and the pressure eased. Evangeline sensed a shift in the air. Cleaner, sweeter. A hint of incense welcomed the transformation. She blinked as the room came into focus. She stood in a small chapel with a modest altar, six rows of worn walnut pews, and one stainless window depicting the Garden of Eden. Her soft gasp echoed in the space, the arched ceiling giving it room to ramble around, reverberating.

A male photographer motioned for Evangeline’s attention. “No moving, my dear.” He ducked back behind the accordion-shaped box on a tripod. “Hold onto your bride, sir.”

Daring to move again, Evangeline looked over her shoulder. Adas Abernathy smiled back, none the wiser, it seemed, that something had changed in his bride.

“We must capture this moment.” A smile creased half of Adas’s mouth. Surprisingly, the man’s voice was gentle. His silky smooth baritone held good humor. It would calm the most prominent critic in a debate about him being more of a man or a monster.

I’m not wrong, Evangeline thought.

He cocked his head to the side—a silent question.

“Must we?” Evangeline asked, sensing he expected a response to the statement.

“It is tradition,” he offered, “is it not?”

Standing so close, seeing him in full living color, Evangeline understood the power of his magic. It seeped out of his skin. A clawing allure that wrapped around her like tendrils. She wanted to shake it off.

“I do believe that we have kept the priest waiting long enough.” Adas waved the photographer away, turning a critical eye to a hallway that branched off from the chapel. “Where has he taken himself off to now? I dare say he’s gone in search of a drink to settle his nerves. Did you notice how he shook?”

Evangeline wondered if the priest had a condition or a real fear about participating in a forced marriage ceremony. Either way, she frowned at the pleasure Adas took in the clergy’s discomfort.

“My good wishes to you both on this special day,” the photographer said, grabbing the sticks of his camera and lifting it to rest on his shoulder. He nodded, bowing and taking his leave.

Evangeline watched his back, realizing she was utterly alone with Adas. A stillness settled over the chapel as she faced him. It took her a heartbeat to paste on a smile.

“My dear,” Adas said, “you are an angel before me. I am the luckiest man in the world to stand before you and pledge my devotion.”

He stepped closer.

Evangeline felt her smile waver. She had no clue how he expected her to act. No clue to the scope of his power. No clue about the manipulation he’d used to entice her into the chapel. She’d felt the remnants of his magic, but it had withered once she entered the body, combining her future self with her past self. It had been the same when she joined with young Evangeline. Past memories clouded as she’d taken over control. The magic sparkled along her fingertips as if just being released in this version of Evangeline.

“I am your servant,” Adas said, reaching a hand out to caress her face.

She flinched.

The reaction… involuntary.

His hand stalled as his expression darkened. “What is this, my love? Your worries have been vanquished, have they not? I stand before you as I have pledged, ever your servant.”

The words were part of his magic. Evangeline could see them lingering in the air, turning into shadows. They wove together, reaching out to her, tugging at her heart to listen, to trust.

Adas lowered his voice, propelling the words forward as he savored each one. The beast appeared addicted to his own power. “Your wishes are my only desire. You know my heart, do you not?”

Evangeline wanted to move away from his hand. Slap it. Scream. His touch made her skin crawl. “I know your heart.” The statement range true because she knew his heart to be evil.

The farce will be short-lived, she promised herself. In minutes, the others would arrive, and her charade could end. She’d be able to break the connections he’d woven throughout time. It was the only way to remove his power.

“Unless I remove yours first,” Adas said, as his hand clamped around her throat.

Evangeline tried to swallow, but the pressure increased.

“Pitty really,” Adas murmured, “as I would have loved lingering in your mind, my dear, as it sparkles with the magic that you have now delivered to me.”

His lips curled in triumph as he added pressure to her neck, and she collapsed in his arms. He lifted her, leaning close to whisper, “You have always been mine.”

The Time Witch is nearing the end of the first adventure, but more are coming. Thoughts? Evangeline has a thing for libraries and can go to one anywhere in time, so which library would you like to see on her trip list?

Thanks for reading! Next week will be the final installment, but it will be followed the week after with an Epilogue to wrap up all the storylines and give you a hint of what’s in store for Evangeline (and her friends) in the next adventure!