The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga Taliesin Govannon (best free ereader .txt) 📖

I’m sure that Penelope has better things to do than to hold my metaphorical hand!

                Does she? She’s dead… that’s pretty much the textbook definition of ‘plenty of time on one’s hands’, after all.

                I hope I can contact her, without anyone to guide me.

                Like she isn't all ready to pop in and say hello!

                You’re probably right.

                I hoped that the reality was the same as my internal trial run!

                                                                                                *                *                *

                “Annabelle, hi… come in!”

                I stood in the doorway to what I assumed was Penelope's home, a little out of sorts. I had gone through the steps to relax and reach out with my thoughts, seeking to connect with Penelope's unique energy. I felt it soon enough, and followed the thread of resonance to where she would be.

                The fact that I found myself outside of an ancient-looking hut in a lush, vibrant green forest at first was new. Penelope answered quickly after I knocked, wearing the same peasant clothes that could have been from multiple centuries.

                I followed her in and looked around. The hut was a single room, bed in one corner and table in another. There were a couple of nondescript chairs by the fire, and we settled down into them.

                “Nice place.” I said.

                “It’s rustic, but that’s always been my taste.” Penelope patted her skirt.

                “It’s kinda hard to place, historically.” I looked around at the utilitarian decor.

                “Most of the fashions and trends you learn about in history class were for the rich people.” Penelope said. “For most of us, life didn’t change that much that quickly.”

                “You know, change slowing down is starting to look better and better.” I said, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.

                “And now I sense we’re getting to the reason for this little visit.” she said, smiling.

                “I mean,” I said, “How did you deal with it? The constant upheaval in your life?”

                “I was even less prepared than you are.” She shook her head. “At least you’ve grown up knowing that technology alone would ensure that the world you died in would be radically different than the one you were born in. Most people in my time never ventured more than ten miles from the place that they were born in their entire lifetimes!”

                “That would be difficult.” I agreed.

                “Now, a lot was different for me.” she continued. “For one thing, I didn’t have some unknown foe trying to kill me.”

                “So that’s not common?” I said, eyes rolled. “Lucky me.”

                “No, the fact that so many people in the… “ she thought for the right word, “… ‘paranormal underworld’, or whatever you call it… knows that there’s a new Sorceress is very new. In the past, the few people who could recognize the energy pulse of a Sorceress coming into her power would keep that knowledge close. Her court was often drawn from these people. Everyone else would be clueless unless they met her.”

                “So what changed?” I asked.

                “The internet.” Penelope shrugged. “The same thing Jack uses to do vital research for you guys and download porn is used by supernatural beings in much the same way. More of them know about the existence of figures such as the Sorceress than ever before, and there are multiple arguments going on online right now about whether or not you’ve really come.”

                “So I’m dealing with the Mother of all internet trolls.” I said, sighing. “Great.”

                “I did everything you’ve done, only I could do it slower.” she continued. “I didn’t meet my first Fae for a decade. I didn’t travel to distant lands for a decade beyond that. Your current situation has simply accelerated the process.”

                “I am one hundred percent in control of things.” I said. “I just feel like I’m hanging on by a thread sometimes.”

                “You’re never in complete control.” Penelope said, smiling. “Don’t pretend that you are.”

Chapter Fifteen

                From the Diaries of Angelique Dupre

                10/11/1589

                Roanoke Colony

                I am becoming increasingly concerned about the habits being indulged in by young Sarah.

                She has moved out of her family home. I knew that this was coming and necessary. The worldview of these simpletons is simply too narrow to ever be able to adjust to the awesome power of the Sorceress, let alone her coming duties to the world. Leaving that bubble was inevitable.

                What’s disturbing is that she will not allow me to paint a convincing death for her family. I had dug up a girl of similar size who had expired from an infection in the late summer and dressed her in Sarah’s personal items. I had then planted clues to allow men from the settlement to find the remains and close the story of the girl they had known.

                She refuses to allow the ruse to succeed. She keeps appearing to children in the forest and telling them that she’s run away to “live with the fairies”. She uses her gifts to leave images of herself around for her family and neighbors to find, and then whispers in their dreams that she lives and will not die.

                Most troubling, she continues to enchant the young men to come into the forest and enjoy carnal pleasures with them. Her libido is healthy and predictable, that’s not the problem. It’s that she’s so indiscriminate. Her knowledge of memory charms is incomplete, so these men have full memory and knowledge of their sexual exploits with her when they awake the next day.

                This is far too much for their fragile worldviews. They have come to fear Sarah, believing her to be a demon sent to rip them eternally away from Heaven.

                Yes, the thought IS humorous. She’s taking too much delight in their fear, however.

                                                                                                *                *                *

                Stuck.

                I sped along the trail, one part of my mind keeping an eye out for anything unusual as I went. I had gotten good at patrolling while using