Chapter 30. A Journey begins
The girls stood side by side in front of the building. It didn't look like anything, and the girls wondered if they had the wrong address. Sarah shrugged, opened the door and walked in. It was dark and a bit gloomy inside. The girl behind the counter looked up and dropped the item in her hand. It hit the counter and made a loud thud noise. Magda standing behind Sarah snickered and muttered. "Yeah, this must be the place."
The girl behind the counter could not contain her excitement. "You're here! She said you'd be here and…. HERE you are!" She came dashing around the counter to grip Sarah's hands. "I'm Laurel," she introduced herself in a giddy voice. She was not quite as tall as either Magda or Sarah, and had a clean shaven head. She wore makeup that looked rather Egyptian in style. She was dressed in a peasant blouse in light gauze, under which she wore a camisole of linen. Her skirt was plain brown cotton and went down to her bear feet. She was small, and strange and overjoyed. "Mother is waiting for you in the garden."
Magda scoffed. "Hey kid, what are you smoking? And how about passing some this way…." Her tone was flippant. "This is New York City." She pointed to the street. "What garden?"
Laurel smiled at Magda a bit condescendingly, "You must be the Russian Mother spoke of… the garden is up on the roof." She pointed to a staircase behind a beaded curtain. "Come on, I'll show you."
Sarah looked at Magda, "I've seen stranger." Magda raised on brow, looking doubtful. Sarah turned and followed the girl to the stairs.
Magda followed her and hissed in her ear. "Sure you have." Something prickled the back of Magda's neck; suddenly she grabbed Sarah by the hand and pulled her back down the stairs. The other girl ahead of them was not yet aware. She pulled Sarah out of the shop and onto the street. "Don't ask why, just come!" she ordered Sarah. Once down the street both felt rather than heard the shrieks that were coming from where the building they had just left stood.
Sarah looked at Magda, "I'm not asking."
"Good, because I'm not sure I could tell you." Magda hooked her arm. "I know a place… and I think we should go there… it's called Craft of the Wise."
"Lead on." Sarah said.
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The shrieking howl ended and Lady Allison glared at her minions. "Find that girl!"
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They walked quickly, and soon stood before the storefront that read, 'Craft of the Wise.' Magda looked more peaceful as she opened the door to the shop. "This is much safer." She whispered to Sarah.
"But will they know anything about this book?" Sarah asked pointing to the book in her hands.
The interior of the shop was a far cry from that of the Enchantments. Where Enchantments had been dark and gloomy this place was full of light and joy. The air was not stale as was the air in Enchantments, no this place smelled of sweet herbs and spices. The woman behind the counter was untangling some hanging ornaments, and looked up with a smile. "Good afternoon ladies." She greeted them warmly. Unlike the girl at the other place this woman looked serene and peaceful. She was dressed conservatively, and wore her hair clipped up with a faux tortoise shell comb.
Sarah looked at Magda who seemed more at peace as well. "I'm looking for information on the writer of this book." She handed the book over to the clerk who smiled.
"Of course," she looked at Sarah and smiled. "Won't you come this way?" She led the girls who were much younger than she to a back room. "If you'll wait in here, Mrs. Perry will be right with you." She turned to leave. "She will answer what questions she can."
A few moments later another woman much older entered, "I'm Mrs. Perry; I was told you were asking about the author of a book." She was dressed in a long caftan of blue. Her hair was almost all white, but at one time must have been strawberry blond, and was pinned up but looked soft and most complimentary to the woman. Her blue grey eyes were not adorned with makeup but looked at the pair with kindness and gave a great comfort to Sarah.
Sarah stood up, offered the newcomer her hand, "Yes, I'm looking for information on this author." She handed the book to the woman, who opened the book to the marked passage. "My friend here thought you might be able to help me."
"Midsummer's seeding." She murmured, and then looked at Sarah. "I see." Sarah felt a bit uncomfortable. Mrs. Perry smiled gently. "Which of you is the mother of the seedling?"
Sarah raised her hand reluctantly.
Mrs. Perry nodded, "I'd thought so. You have that Fae Touched look about you." She motioned the young women to be seated and called out the door. "Coral, we'd like some tea, if you please." She then took a seat and smiled at Sarah. "Your child was seeded on Midsummer and born on Ostara right?" Sarah nodded not sure how else to answer.
The older woman rolled a little table that had been sitting beside her chair between them. "Well, let us see what the cards say." She picked up a deck of round tarot cards and began to lay them out. After the first six cards she stopped. "Your involvement with the world of magic goes back a bit, does it not?" the girl nodded and the woman continued. "Yes, even before you became a woman fully grown… This is very interesting, you are being challenged." She looked at Sarah with an amused grin. "If I didn't know better I'd say it was a spiritual journey you were about to embark on…. However this is the card denoting physical journey."
Sarah took a deep breath, "I wasn't planning on going anywhere."
Mrs. Perry snickered, "I'm sure you were not." She placed more cards out and frowned. "This is the tower… it means there is danger near you and the child."
Sarah looked at the woman seriously. "That's why I came looking for this McFarland person. I thought since she wrote this book, she might be able to help me find the answers to my questions."
"I don't doubt she would, if you could find her." Mrs. Perry placed another card on the table. "You have good people with you, but some are not… what they seem…Just as you are not what you seem."
Magda sat quietly listening to the woman speaking and looked at Sarah with a questioning glance.
Mrs. Perry placed another card down. "You've just thwarted an enemy, one who is now very angry. I see… darkness and a woman who is as cold as ice." She looked up from the cards to Sarah. "Where in world were you child?"
Sarah opened the book she'd been carrying. "This is where the book came from originally, I got it second hand at a book store on Ninth… and I thought these people would be able to help me. But something there spooked Magda here and we bolted."
The elderly woman looked up as Coral entered with tea. "Coral, would you go get my valise?" She then poured tea and served her guests. "There are many prophecies about Midsummer seedings, did you know?" She asked in a tranquil voice that would have calmed the stormy seas. "A child born of a Midsummer seeding is considered to be a blessed child."
Sarah sighed, "Joey is a very special baby…"
"His father is not… human is he?" The elder sipped her own tea quietly, her eyes watching Sarah's reactions over the rim of the cup.
Sarah looked over at Magda, the Goth girl smirked at her. "There is nothing you can say that will shock me, I'm Goth… remember? I'm use to things that go bump in the night. So go ahead give it your best shot." She crossed her arms as if challenging Sarah.
The green eyed girl paused for a moment, gave it thought and then blurted out. "Peter Hobson was not just playing Puck… He is Puck…."
The amused expression on Magda's face faded slightly, one brow arched but the girl remained steadfast. She placed her tea cup down, "Is that all you've got?"
"J.G. King, my baby's father is Jareth… The Goblin King." Sarah admitted swiftly before she could take it back. Magda's mouth dropped, but nothing came out of it. Sarah instead turned to Mrs. Perry. "What's said is said…"
Mrs. Perry looked at the door where Coral was tapping lightly. She motioned her to come in and accepted the leather valise from her. Opening it she reached inside and withdrew a hand shaped amulet on a chain. "This is the Hand of Fatima…" The woman stood up and placed it on Sarah. "It is a powerful amulet of Protection, it will help protect you from the evil eyes of the woman whose grasp you've escaped from so far. Keep it with you at all times; it will guide you on your journey." She pulled Sarah up from the chair and gave her a gentle embrace and a kiss on the brow.
"Journey?" Sarah questioned.
The calm woman nodded, "Go home, pack lightly for you and the boy…your guide will be there before the sunsets today. Go with the guild, if you wish your son to live."
"What about the McFarland woman?" Sarah questioned.
"Lady McFarland's book will help guild your steps, and that is all you need… for now." Mrs. Perry assured her. She turned to Magda, "God and Goddess be with you both."
Magda reached up and unhooked a necklace that she'd been wearing for months now. She handed the long sliver chain work over to Mrs. Perry. "Keep this safe… I may want it back someday."
"I will." The elder promised. "Listen to your inner guides, Daughter of the Ashkenazi, and go in peace." She placed the necklace in one of the deep pockets of her caftan.
Sarah hesitated, "Mrs. Perry, how will I know my guide?"
The woman smiled softly. "You will know." She promised.
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Magda stood by watching Sarah pack, like a warrior guard, or a sentinel. Neither one had spoken a word from the moment they'd stepped out of the little shop. It was as if a silent pact had been made and they were aware of something deeper.
Linda was holding Joey, when they came down the stairs. Sarah took him from her mother's arms and kissed her cheek. Linda opened her mouth to ask a question; Sarah shook her head, eyes wide with worry. Linda closed her mouth and stepped back. Sarah had been different from the moment she'd returned from the courthouse with Jay. Linda was taking it on Faith that Sarah knew what she was doing.
A tapping came on the front door, so lightly that it almost went unnoticed. Sarah nodded for Linda to open the door. On the stoop stood a hooded figure, one that stepped into the vestibule ever so gently and only once inside did long fingers pull back the hood to reveal a face that was almost too perfect to be human.
"I am the guide." She said carefully. "I am called Gwendolyn, are you ready?" The guild turned her gray eyes to Linda. "It will not be safe here once we leave, you must leave too."
Sarah gasped, "I had not thought of you," she confessed.
"Don't worry about me; I'm going to be fine." Linda assured her. "I've got my own protection." She hugged her daughter, "Be safe."
"You too, Mom, you too," Sarah choaked out before turning and following Gwendolyn out the door.
Magda paused, "I'll take care of them, toots."
Linda nodded and grabbed her own purse, locking door behind her and watching the trio with the baby disappeared in a torrent of mist, like tendrils of vapor sneaking across the ground like pale, ghostly locks of a drowning woman's hair. Linda whispered a prayer to a God she didn't often speak to, and turned away.
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Puck had been on his way to Magda's feeling that something was out of kilter. Stopping the car on a side street, he stepped from it and sniffed the air. "Jareth!" he cried out, "Trouble!"
Somewhere in the Goblin Kingdom a lone figure stood on a windswept hillside, mismatched eyes, like storms at sea watching the Kingdom. He looked at the place where she'd first stood on her journey into the Labyrinth. Sarah, the mother of his child, the heralded Champion of the Labyrinth… He heard the voice of his watcher and nodded. "So it begins," He murmured. In a swirl of glitter he vanished from the hillside, leaving no evidence he'd even been there.
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Oberon was playing chess with Papa, who was winning much to the High King's chagrin. Nicole came quickly over the bridge and knelt at his side. "It begins." She murmured. Oberon didn't bother to look at her, but placed a hand gently to her head. He was looking at the board.
Papa, completely relaxed and unworried, observed his opponent. "It's your move, old man." He said not really speaking of the game on the board.
"I've never been one to interfere," Oberon quipped, moving an ornately carved pawn before the queen.
Papa pursed his lips, looked at the board. "Did I suggest that you did?"
Nicole saw the movement of the procession coming into the grove. "Your Queen, Sire."
Again Oberon did not bother to look, but spoke directly to the Fae Princess. "Trust me, Nicole, your mother is safe." He looked over at Papa his eyes telling the director to play his part. "Your move."
Papa moved a knight, and smiled. "Interesting game you play… old man."
"Isn't it?" Oberon moved again, shifting his eye to observe one member of the Queens train. Lady Allison Hiver, the icy woman with the stone like heart. "There are many games being played, don't you agree?"
Papa didn't turn; he clicked his tongue and sighed. "Sarah will eat her alive and spit her out."
"Good," the High King crooned.
