TUS NUA - ch 8

TUS NUA – ch 8

New Beginnings – Mia and Midnight

(*)(*)(*)

“Aintin, I’d like to make a suggestion regarding the twins.”

Finola looked at Mia in a piercing manner and nodded. “Yes, Mo Stor, I agree. Would you be willing to go alone?”

Mia smiled and said, “Do you really have to ask?”

Finola chuckled. “Alright, then, when would you like to leave?”

Mia replied with one word: “Now!” She turned and walked out to the garden where she lifted a portal orb from her pocket. Visualizing the address she’d gotten from the twins the night before, she gently tossed the orb in the air and allowed it to swallow her. Seconds later, she stood before the blue wooden door and knocked.

A woman with the same color hair and eyes opened the door and declared, “I’m sorry but whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying.” Slowly, she attempted to close the door but Mia anticipating her actions, placed the palm of her left hand on the wood and said, “I’m not selling anything. I’m here about Laura and Mary. May I please come inside?”

The woman’s movements froze but her body began to shake.

Mia spoke again. “Mrs. Green. My name is Mia Diehl, and I know where the twins are, but please allow me to come inside and tell you everything. Then, I am more than ready to take you to your girls, but there’s so much you need to know first.”

The woman stepped back and shouted, “Sam, please, come here. Quickly!”

As she heard his hurried footsteps, she invited Mia in. “Please come in. I’ve got to know where my girls are. Please.”

Mia heard a masculine voice with the hint of an Irish brogue, “Nora, what’s going on?” He looked at Mia. “And who might you be?”

Nora answered first, “She knows where the twins are. Please, Miss, come in and tell us.”

Mia followed her into a small but cozy den-type room with the soft earthy colors of greens and browns. She sat on the couch Nora indicated and spoke first to Sam Green.

“Mr. Green, how long have you been in America?”

At first, he was about to say, “I don’t see how that’s any of your business nor do I see how that will help us get our girls back,” but looking in the eyes of the young girl in their presence, he answered, “Ten years.”

Mia smiled and continued. “I know this is personal but since the twins are twenty-one, should I be bold enough to assume you’re their stepfather?”

“I don’t know what his has to do with getting them home, but I’ll answer anything to get them back. Yes, Nora’s husband died in a boating accident when the girls were about four. She raised them alone until one day, we met at the local fish market. I’d been in America two years by then. We hit if off and the next thing we knew, we were a family of four. As far as I’m concerned, the girls are mine. Keep in mind, I’ll never let them forget their real father. That would be wrong but for everything else, I’m their dad.”

Mia smiled brightly. Finola had used her scrying mirror and learned everything she needed to know about Nora and Sam Green. Mia was grateful that Sam held nothing back, so she spoke again to him.

“Mr. Green, “ he interrupted her. “Please, call me Sam.”

“Alright then, Sam, coming from Ireland, you haven’t forgotten what a magical place it is. Am I correct?”

He looked puzzled but nodded his head.

Nora interrupted, then. “Please, before we continue, can I make us all tea? I’m very jittery.”

Mia chucked. “Nora, that would be wonderful but I won’t make this any longer than absolutely necessary.”

As Nora stood in the kitchen brewing a pot of tea, she tried to calm herself. Yet, her hands shook violently. She was about to ingest one of her tranquilizers when Mia appeared in the doorway. “Nora, trust me, you won’t need any of those.”

She walked to where a shaking Nora stood and grabbed her hands. “Nora, I’m asking you t trust me.”

Looking into Mia’s eyes, she had an instant recognition of a kind and gentle soul. “I can’t explain it and we only just met, but I feel I can trust you with anything.”

Mia released Nora’s hands, reached inside her left pocket, and pulled out a small cloth sack. “Place the contents of this sack in the tea for you and Sam. It will help keep you calm and trust me; it will NOT put you to sleep. Just calm your nerves. What I’m about to tell you, you’ll need your wits about you. Can you do that?”

Nora smiled and said, “Consider it done.”

Mia turned and walked back to where Sam sat waiting. “She’s understandably a nervous wreck. She has been since the girls went missing. Here she comes with our tea. She can explain it all much better than I could.”

To show she trusted Nora, Mia picked up her cup and took a large gulp of her tea. “Oh, my, Nora. This is excellent tea. Earl Grey black?”

“Yes, it is. It’s our favorite.”

Mia then asked, “What can you tell me about the day the twins went missing?”

She saw the instant sadness in Nora’s eyes. They were going to a birthday party in the next town. Only about twenty minutes away. They never arrived. The police found their car on the side of the road with a flat tire. Everyone naturally assumed they had called a tow truck, but we never heard from them again. That was four years ago. We looked everywhere. Called everyone. Placed ads in the papers of every local town.”

There was a slight hitch in her voice, then Mia said, “They were kidnapped and held in a house on Long Island. They were kept drugged making them incapable of being able to even think of finding a way to escape. They are currently in Greenan, Ireland. Will you go with me to bring them home?”

Nora jumped up. “In a heartbeat! What do I need? When do we leave? Can we both go or is there only room for one of us? How long will it take to make the travel arrangements?”

Mia explained, “First, I need to tell you, I’m a witch.”