The Time Witch - Part #35

All's well that ends well?

Recap: The Time Witch, with a little help from her friends, beat Adas Abernathy! (Insert cheers!) Now, for a hint at what’s coming next.

LINKS: The Beginning, Last Part (#34), Time Witch page

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“Get out? You get out!”

The angry female voice—Danna’s voice—echoed from inside the Carnegie library.

Evangeline hurried up the steps with a garment bag over her arm but paused. The front door was slightly ajar, and she could hear more than one person inside.

Something was terribly wrong, which made no sense. The last week had restored her faith in the world after she and her friends stopped Adas Abernathy’s mind games. His ability to control people had reached across the years, insidious in nature, and for a moment, he seemed impossible to stop. Yet, they had shut him down, and he was on an extended time-out in the white void, allowing time to reset and magic to run free.

Life had shifted into a new normal. Evangeline was living at the Covington-York mansion with Samuel and Mabel—which was a whole thing but offered a sense of family that made any awkward moments worthwhile. Plus, being around Samuel was its own kind of cure.

After going to the Baxter Creek County Clerk’s office and discovering that Samuel’s death certificate had no date, plus what they’d already learned about how he’d disappeared from 1910, they’d decided it best he stay in 2024. Charles went back, but he came for visits. Mabel approved, of course. Evangeline expected their instant bond overrode any concerns.

Not that Evangeline had any right to judge them since she often traveled with Charles between 1910 and 2024 to visit Starlight. The Coven had agreed that the Time Witch needed training, and Starlight and Nixie stepped up—in their respective timelines—to teach her the basics. As far as being a Time Witch, they only had fairy tales for references, which seemed inaccurate, so anything to do with time magic was left to fate. Her gifts had evolved naturally, and no one wanted to mess with nature. Perhaps her time magic would continue to grow, but until it did, Evangeline needed to know more about general magic.

The Coven, as a whole, kept their distance. They’d finally seen the danger of consolidating too many practitioners in one spot. They’d even split their members, operating in a rotation schedule, so no more than seven members congregated at a time. The hope was to lower the risk of exposure. Evangeline’s magic would tip any gathering over the edge, so she continued to exist outside the Coven.

After the disaster of Adas Abernathy, no one wanted to turn Baxter Creek into a magical beacon. Of course, Evangeline noticed several oddities after all her time traveling. The tales of a headless horseman lurking around Baxter Creek persisted. No one took them seriously, but she couldn’t help but wonder if they were a ripple effect she created. It caused her to start a journal of Time Travel Rules.

Top of the list: Avoid crossing paths with yourself.

Evangeline’s collision with a past self and forcefully merging with that soul still gave her chills. The oldest timeline version appeared to be grounded, thus taking over. She’d vowed to avoid such an impact again, if possible.

Most of all, she knew her parents were still alive, trapped in the family locket. The locket, however, had been lost in the past, and Evangeline had no idea how to find it without crossing her own timeline. Until she learned more about being a Time Witch, she couldn’t think about finding the locket and freeing her parents.

The thought of them trapped… haunted her.

“Out! Get out!” Danna’s voice echoed again from inside the Carnegie library.

Lurking at the door, Evangeline couldn’t imagine who had disturbed her friend. The very air tingled with tense human emotion.

“No one should even be on the premises,” a disapproving male voice said.

Evangeline didn’t recognize it, and that fact stopped her from entering. Instead, she debated the best moment to interrupt. Pick the right one and calm the situation. The wrong one could make things worse. Before she figured it out, however, the door swung all the way open, and a blurry figure charged right into her.

The impact sent the garment bag flying, but the man grabbed Evangeline by the shoulders. His swift reaction defied gravity and kept them from crashing to the ground. It was a miraculous recovery. For a second, she stared right into his surprised face.

Shock and embarrassment arched across the stranger’s brow. He steadied them, taking a moment to determine that they were both firmly on their feet. His eyes shifted to the ground, but not before Evangeline registered something beyond his shock. She saw—relief. It seemed disproportionate to their collision. Much bigger than just avoiding a fall.

“Excuse me,” he said, letting her go and bending to retrieve the garment bag.

Evangeline barely had time to realize what had happened when Danna came to the doorway. She gawk at them. “Guess you should watch where you’re going, Mr. Sato, just like you should mind your manners when invading people’s privacy. This ain’t the city. You can’t just barge into places, scaring folks half out of their wits and knocking the building’s owner to the ground!”

“Danna!” Evangeline exclaimed, surprised by her friend’s anger. “What’s all this about?”

“I’m Kenji Sato, the historical investigator.” He paused as if the introduction warranted a response. When none came, he sighed and handed Evangeline the garment bag. “I was told the building had been secured for my inspection, and since I was able to come sooner than planned—knowing of the urgency in your situation—I thought I’d get right to work. I apologize. I startled the girl.”

“Girl!” Danna shrieked and stormed back into the library.

“Again, my apologies,” Kenji said.

The man held himself well despite the current situation. He’d clearly gone one too many rounds with Danna. Still, he exuded a strong, no-nonsense kind of personality for a twenty-something. Japanese heritage dominated his features, with a wave to his dark hair and a dimple on his chin.

“She’s never like this. Must be a misunderstanding,” Evangeline assured him. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

“You’re welcome. I’d like to get to work, even though it’s well into the day. I could, at least, evaluate the space and be better prepared for a full day tomorrow.” He glanced into the library.

“Of course,” Evangeline said halfheartedly as a tingle of nervous energy ran down her spine. His arrival would delay her plans. She’d been headed for the time tunnel and a trip back to get Charles for a visit. Samuel was keen to see his brother.

Unfortunately, she didn’t see a way to avoid a delay. “Please, come inside and let me make you some coffee.”

With a nod of acceptance, Kenji let Evangeline enter first. His eyes scanned the entrance lobby, perhaps expecting an ambush as soon as he cleared the threshold. However, Danna was nowhere in sight. Giving a soft exhale, Kenji relaxed a bit. “Have I interrupted your day?”

“Quite the contrary, I’m hoping you can save the day.” She indicated the stalled library renovations around them. “Let’s get that coffee, and then we can both get to work.” Evangeline led him to the cafe side of the building, but not before catching his concerned expression. “Don’t worry. We’re only focused on organizing the books.”

The explanation mollified him. At least he didn’t question her about why the library hadn’t been sealed off. Evangeline wasn’t sure the topic was settled, though.

“The young lady was partially correct. While I am more comfortable in a city, I usually work alone. It is the nature of my craft,” Kenji admitted. “I expected the library to be empty.”

Mentally, Evangeline ticked off a box. She knew he wasn’t pleased to find them working inside, especially after hurrying to the site. He’d done them a favor, only to arrive and find work still underway, even if it wasn’t anything that would hurt the library or interfere with his investigation. Still, she understood his mood. It probably triggered Danna. She’d have picked up on the potential problem, too. The girl was loyal and wouldn’t want the inspector adding to their Grand Opening delay.

“You’ll have to forgive the sheriff for breaking protocol,” Evangeline said. “It’s small-town hospitality, plus they’re excited for the library’s next chapter.”

Kenji looked around, taking in the progress. “I guess it’s all right, as long as the renovations have stopped. You do seem to have a lot going on within these walls. I can tell you’re a person who loves libraries.”

“Oh, renovations have stopped, I assure you. How do you take your coffee?” Evangeline draped the garment bag over a chair, grabbing two mugs. She could see a whole pot of coffee steaming on the hotplate.

“Just black.” Kenji sat on a stool. “I’m impressed with the new design. They emailed the original blueprints and the renovation plans. I hope I can clear the site for your renovations to continue, but I don’t want to give you false hope—especially when it comes to time.”

“Time?”

“Time has a way of stretching longer than we like,” he said.

Evangeline squinted at him, feeling a tingle at the back of her neck. Ignoring the sensation, she poured the piping hot coffee, which she hoped wouldn’t make Danna even madder. After all, she’d probably brewed the pot for herself. “I’m sure it will all work out.”

“How can you be so sure?” he asked, acting surprised by her attitude.

Realizing her confidence came from being able to travel back in time, she struggled to find a reasonable answer. “Well, I’m hoping things work out when you let time work for you.” Evangeline busied herself with getting cream and sugar for her cup, missing the inspector’s raised eyebrow.

“I find that time can work for you or against you,” Kenji mused. “Has that been your experience, as well?”

Evangeline wanted to read something into his statement but figured she was overly sensitive to anything time-related. “By the way, Danna’s just looking out for me. I’m sorry you got caught up in her protective nature. She’s really a sweetheart. You’ll see.”

It was Kenji’s turn to focus on the coffee.

Evangeline changed the subject again. “Where are you staying while you’re in town?”

“The Manor House.”

“Oh, it’s lovely. Too bad you couldn’t bring a friend to enjoy the area,” Evangeline said, silently chiding herself for prying. However, something told her that he didn’t have a friend to bring. At least, not a special friend.

He cleared his throat. “All of my friends are busy, but I’ve recently located one in the area. I’m hoping to reconnect.”

“Well, that’s good news,” she said, thinking it might be bad news if it made him poke around the library longer. “I’d ask who you know, but I’m new here. Probably haven’t met them.”

Kenji nodded. “They’re new, as well, so you probably haven’t.”

Evangeline picked up her cup and motioned for Kenji to join her at one of the cafe tables. They really hadn’t been set up to be used. She wondered if she could conjure a rag to dust one off. She glanced down at her hand. No rag.

So much for advancing my magic, she silently huffed. If I don’t feel like a witch or act like one, what am I? Aloud, she said, “I know you’re here to work, but you should take some time to enjoy Baxter Creek.”

“Your case will be my priority,” he said, dismissing the idea. He also avoided revealing any other personal information.

Evangeline let it drop. “I’m not sure how far you got into the building, but I found the skeleton in the closet over there. Do you expect the Sheriff to come and show you around?”

“He seemed busy.” Kenji continued to avoid eye contact. “They received word from the forensics team about the skeleton. Seems they found something in his vest pocket that might be a clue to his identity.”

“What was it?” Evangeline asked. “Should I give him a call?”

“Oh, if you want. He said he’d head over eventually.” Kenji tried to smile. “They found a pocket watch engraved with the initials SCY. Mean anything to you?”

“They aren’t my initials.” Evangeline joked, knowing the watch had to be Samuel’s. “Why would it mean anything to me?”

“Oh, thought I saw some recognition on your face,” he said, blushing. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to keep saying that,” Evangeline assured him.

For a long, awkward moment, he stared at her.

She blinked, a bit disconcerted. Clearing her throat, she stuttered, “But… but the library was built by Samuel Covington-York.”

He nodded with a faint “ah-ha” expression. “The initials.”

“We’ve already been wondering if the skeleton was him,” Evangeline admitted. She saw no need to keep that information to herself.

A silence stretched between them. Evangeline wondered what kind of small talk to make, and Kenji looked perplexed. The coffee got most of their attention for a minute.

“Is she still here?” He dared to peek over his shoulder.

“Danna?” Evangeline held back a laugh. “I’m sure she’s still around somewhere. Don’t you worry, Mr. Sato, you’ll see her again.”

“Kenji. Call me Kenji.”

Evangeline felt the tingle along the back of her neck again. “Kenji… I had an Uncle Kenji, but he’d be twice your age.”

The inspector smiled. “How remarkable.”

The air in the library stilled. A hush fell over the books, and Evangeline realized time had stopped, but she hadn’t caused the time shift. No sound reached her. No hint of the world outside. The stillness clung to her skin, a bit disconcerting when it wasn’t her doing.

Kenji lifted his coffee cup to take a sip but stopped halfway to his lips. He frowned at the mug. “I hate it when that happens.” He turned the cup upside down, and nothing spilled out. “You freeze time and forget to exclude your coffee. Don’t you hate that?”

With a gulp, Evangeline nodded. She’d hate anything that interfered with her coffee… especially a man who could control time.

COMING IN JANUARY…

The next adventure for THE TIME WITCH.