Free Between Light and Dark by Elissa Wilds Page B

get out of balance. They can also tap into
people whose minds aren't their own-say, from drugs or
alcohol. Unfortunately, we ran into just such a Finder at
the gas station after you took off."
    Before she could respond, Axiom turned in his seat and
glared at her, apparently deciding to join the conversation.
"If you did not understand the urgency of our situation before, I hope what happened tonight has made it clear. Not
only could you be dead right now, but others, innocents,
could have died because of your actions." He ground out
his last words with venom.
    The air shimmered with Axiom's power, and Laurell's
skin crawled.

     

Fiona the witch had emerald eyes and cherry red hair that
brushed her shoulder blades. Laurell thought the woman
resembled all the witches in the fairy tales her grandmother had read to her as a child. Beautiful. Powerful.
Young. In her mid-thirties at the latest. At the moment,
though, with her jaw set and her eyes hard, Fiona did not
seem some fairy-tale character. She was a very annoyed,
very human woman.
    Fiona had met the new arrivals at the entrance to her
property after Wayne called her on his cell phone. The iron
gate at the foot of a very long driveway opened, but before
they were allowed to pass through, Fiona made quite a
show of pulling a long sword from beneath her black cloak
and cutting an imaginary door in the air around the gate.
    After the three drove through, Laurell turned to see Fiona
using the sword in the opposite direction, as though to close
that same imaginary door behind them. What's that red flash
at the edge of the sword? Laurell squinted her eyes shut and
opened them again. The crimson glow disappeared.
    "What did she just do?" Laurell asked.
    "Who, Fiona?" Wayne glanced in the rearview mirror at
Laurell.
    "I saw her wave a sword in the air and then red light came
out of it." Or at least, she thought that was what she'd seen.

    "She was cutting a door in the protection circle around
the property. It's not as tough to do as you might think."
    "You mean a literal door? Using what, magic?" Laurell
asked.
    Wayne shrugged. "The cutting of the door isn't a big
deal. The magical part is the casting of the circle. From inside the circle anyone could cut the door. It's trying to get
in from the outside that would cause problems for most
folks."
    Once they'd driven for another mile, they stopped the
car and Wayne and Axiom got out. Laurell watched from
inside the vehicle as they waited for Fiona to pull up behind
them on her golf cart. They spoke briefly with the witch,
though Laurell couldn't make out their words.
    Axiom opened the car door then, and stuck his head inside. "You are safe here. Fiona will show you to your cabin.
Try to get some rest." Then he and Wayne disappeared inside the main house.
    Laurell frowned and stepped from the car. Where the
heck were they going?
    "Follow me," Fiona instructed, then turned and stalked
away as though it were inconceivable that Laurell would do
anything else.
    As she followed Fiona across the property, Laurell's feet
sank into mud and leaves. It was dark, but tiki torches and
solar lights lit their way.
    Fiona glanced down at Laurell's feet. "Hope those aren't
expensive shoes. We've been getting a lot of rain lately."
Fiona grimaced at the sky as though angry at the weather's
lack of cooperation. "Completely unseasonable, all this damn
rain." Fiona's dislike of Laurell was clear.
    Moments later, the witch halted so suddenly, Laurell
almost walked into her. They stood in front of a cabin, which sat in the middle of a circle of similar buildings.
Fiona motioned Laurell inside. "This is where you'll be
staying."

    Laurell glanced around the cabin. A queen-size bed sat
in one corner with a nightstand beside it. A double dresser,
comfortable brown chair, and side table completed the furnishings. Laurell noted a small bathroom to the right. The
place was small, but had a warm, cozy feel with