The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga by Taliesin Govannon (top 10 novels of all time .txt) 📗

Miss Rockefeller… “ Raina said, grinning, “any chance we could get our hands on a copy of said copy of said book?”

                “My Uncle would probably send you the original.” Tiffany replied, re-lighting her joint.

                “No!” I said firmly, waving her off. “I do not want the responsibility of safeguarding something that rare! A copy is just fine.”

                “I’ll text him when he’s up.” Tiffany said. “Now for some more disturbing news.”

                “What’s up?” I asked.

                “I’ve finished analyzing the attacks and incursions connected to you.” she said, looking at me. “The conclusion is inescapable. They’re testing our defenses.”

                “So they’re probing attacks?” Raina said.

                “I don’t get it.” I said. “What’s the difference between a probing attack and a regular attack?”

                “A probing attack isn’t really designed to achieve their final objective, which is getting to you.” Tiffany explained to me. “They’ve never sent the kind of numbers that said that they were serious. And they’ve only sent one kind of creature at a time… imagine how chaotic it would be to fight off giant spiders, giant bats, mechanized corpses, and mud monsters all at once! No, they were seeing how you guys reacted to individual threats. They’re assessing you.”

                “So, what do we do about that?” I asked, wondering about our next step.

                “We stay fluid.” she replied. “We’re going to stay on the move… another week here, a couple of weeks at the Hawaii compound y’all told me about, and then to Starwood to find the Oracle.”

                “And then,” I said, “hopefully we’ll find some answers.”

Chapter Sixteen

                From the Diaries of Angelique Dupre

                11/11/1589

                Roanoke Colony

                I have discovered where Sarah goes when she disappears, and the answer is very disturbing.

                She took me to see it today, her secret house in the forest. It was well hidden… it seems that the lass is smarter than I gave her credit for. It was also finely crafted. The men she had enchanted did very good work!

                Half of her old village was there, as well as half of the local indigenous tribe… women to care for the house, men to do the heavy labor, as well as to do be at Sarah’s beck and call for her carnal desires.

                It happened so quickly! I am furious with myself to have allowed this to happen!

                Sarah has never had power over her own life. Now that she’s tasted power, she wants more. And more.

                I hope I can pull her out of this.

                                                                                                *                *                *

                My legs were stiff as I got out of the van and stretched. Three hour drives weren’t the worst, but they were long enough to make it feel good to stand afterwards.

                Raina, Tiffany, and Gaia had gone over to the registration tent by the side of the road to get us checked into the festival, and I stayed back and looked around.

                It was sparse inside the gate. This was by design… keep things looking boring up top, while letting the festival in the lands below have the craziness. A single ten by twenty foot pavilion sat by the side of the road, giving out festival wristbands and programs to registered participants.

                The Starwood festival had been going on for longer than I’d been alive, launching in 1981. It was a hodge-podge of Pagans, hippies, leftist political activists, and alternative health advocates… at least, that’s what Raina had read on the internet. It was also supposed to be where the Oracle was at the present time.

                Gaia came back over first, an extra program and wristband for me. She was in her human glamour, her black skin and green hair mirroring her Fae reality, She handed me the program while securing the wristband around my right wrist.

                “Any problems?” I asked. “I guess I’m supposed to show my ID and stuff?”

                “Don’t sweat it.” Gaia replied. “It wasn’t hard to do a little confusion spell and get you registered.” She fastened the plastic wristband around my wrist as Raina and Tiffany joined us.

                “Why do they put people who obviously uncomfortable with computers in charge of checking people in?” Tiffany asked, frustrated. “That took way longer than it needed.”

                “Groups that put on festivals like this behave like a lot of the Pagan groups I've been in." Raina said. "Finding people who are a: trustworthy enough to handle cash, and b: are willing to do the damned job is difficult enough. Adding 'tech-savvy' to the list is just pushing your luck."

                “So, we ready to hit the festival?” I said.

                “We are ready to roll!" Raina said. "I just got off of the phone with Jack, and they have everything set up. We just need to turn left at the bottom of the hill and head back to the pinewoods."

                We got back in the van and drove down the tree-lined road. We passed people dressed for summer weather, and I was glad that I had brought plenty of bright, colorful skirts and tops with me.

                We turned left at the bottom of the hill, and the Starwood festival opened up in front of us. There were brightly decorated merchant booths, a cafe, and even a pirate radio station. We drove by a big wooden stage where the concerts featured at the festival were obviously performed, and people in various stages of undress were being body-painted in front of it. Tents, some decorated with flowers and tapestries, were everywhere.

                “This looks awesome.” I said from my seat, looking out of the window,

                “I have heard about this festival from my Pagan friends for years.” Raina replied. “I can’t believe I’m finally here.”

                We drove slowly down the road through the campground, and soon saw Jack waving us over. We pulled up to the treeline and parked.

                “Welcome to Starwood!” Jack said when we piled out of the van. “Come on, we have a spot in the woods.”

                We followed him down the path. Raina looked