TUS NUA - ch 47

TUS NUA – ch 47

New Beginnings – Mia and Midnight

(*)(*)(*)

Alistar grew excited and as he pointed, whispered, “There. Finola, see? The image is focusing.”

She smiled. “Mo stor, we are truly blessed with the favor of the God and Goddess and the help, no doubt from our ancestor, Adira. Now that we’re in the building, we need to find the ones who are working on our situation.”

“I’m sure that won’t be easy. The laboratory must be busy with all sorts of tests. How can we manage to find one problem concerning so many people?”

Finola stared at the people who were wearing the traditional white lab coats. Without closing her eyes, she concentrated and began to speak.

“Mirror, my friend, you brought us to where

Human magic is done with such care.

Can you show us who tests the remains of the lost,

Especially the children whose bones were found tossed?

I thank you, dear Mirror, for what help you can give me.

So, I am humbled to say, so, mote it be.”

They watched as the mirror’s image quickly moved from site to site, from room to room, from person to person, then finally stopped behind someone who appeared to be a young woman. Her chestnut brown hair was tied in a tail at the nape of her neck, and she sat leaning over and into a silver and white colored microscope. With pen in hand, they watched as she peered into the eyepiece and wrote notes with her right hand.

The woman they watched suddenly sat straight as an arrow, with stilled hand. They heard her murmur, “Oh my, is this what the Americans call a hat trick?”

She reached inside the pocket of her white coat and pulled out her phone.

“Henry? Yes, it’s Risa. It’s a match.” She almost shouted, “They all match!”

They heard the hitch in her voice as she quietly and reverently continued, “We found them, Henry. All of them! Oh, my lord, Henry. We found them!” She placed her face in her hands, and it appeared that she started to cry.

A man who seemed to be in his mid-fifties hurriedly approached. “Risa? Are you sure?”

She turned and looked up at him, wiping tears that rolled down her cheeks. Her smile was radiant. “Yes, I ran the tests three times to be completely thorough and leave no doubt. The missing children are, without a doubt, Liam Quinlyn and Mary Dowd and the samples given to us by Alistar from Tus Nua have shown that they are their children. All match the sample given us by Alice and Shaun Dowd.”

Henry placed a gently hand on Risa’s shoulder. “This took its toll on you, hasn’t it, Risa? You worked on this so diligently. I’d like to take a ride to Tus Nua and give Alistar the news in person. Are you up for a trip, then?”

“Me? You’d take me along?”

He smiled at the young woman and replied, “Risa, it’s only right that you accompany me. After all, you did the work. You saw the results. You made it happen to bring the family peace. Go, wash your face, scrub the tears and red blotches away. We’ll leave whenever you’re ready.”

Finola, who sat towns away on the floor in the middle of her circle in her workroom, finally stood.

“Mirror, my friend,

You’ve succeeded again.

I’ll give you rest and put you away

To save your strength for another day.

Thank you, dear Mirror, for what you’ve given me.

Go. Rest, my friend. So, mote it be.”

Alistar extinguished the flames on the small candles and Finola wheeled her mirror back into its darkened corner.

“Alistar, I know we won’t forget what the mirror just told us, but we need to at least pretend we didn’t know when this man Henry comes to the door.”

“Yes, dearest cousin. You’re so right. I think we’re good enough to put on surprised faces. In the meantime, let’s get back to Tus Nua. I feel Mia is there with news of her own.”

“I felt it, also, but didn’t want to interrupt our business. If you don’t mind, right now, I’d prefer using a ley line rather than a portal. I want the extra seconds to catch my breath, my wits, and my relief.”

As they descended the stairs, with Alistar taking the lead, on the third step from the bottom, Finola tripped and her body lunged forward, slamming into the back of her cousin.

He turned as quickly as possible and grabbed his cousin, keeping her from hitting the floor. “Finola, are you all right? What happened?”

“Alistar, I’ve been up and down these stairs for the better part of forty years. This is the first time this has ever happened.” She tried to joke about it and continued, “Must be getting old.”

“Sit down, mo stor. We’re not going anywhere just yet. I’ll get you a small glass of Hennessey to calm you, but please sit and humor me.”

She saw the worry in his eyes as he remembered his own mother beginning to lose her footing.

“Alistar, get those thoughts out of your head. It isn’t my time yet. My thoughts were distracted just thinking of that family and how, after all these years, they’ll, well, hopefully be together. I only worry that perhaps the grandparents won’t accept the children.”

Alistar placed his fists on his hips and curtly said, “I understand what you’re saying but I still prefer a better opinion. A more, we’ll say, qualified opinion.”

He stood in the center of the room, arms outstretched to his sides and said,

“God and Goddess of Wiccans of white,

Can I ask for an answer to this curious plight?

You’ve no doubt seen what just occurred.

I fear for my cousin. I’m worried for her.

Would you tell me, please, if her time’s coming near?

Would you put to rest my worry and fear?

Your guidance is always trusted by me,

So, I reverently ask you and so, mote it be.”

Finola wanted to tell him to stop and not bother the God and Goddess with such a trivial matter, but she knew better than to interrupt a witch in the middle of a request to the God and Goddess of the Wiccans. She remained quiet and seated, sipping her Hennessey.