M Sellars - Miranda

The answer wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I asked, “How dark?”

“Very,” she replied, her voice leaning heavily on the word.

“How intense are they?”

“Enough. But, not so bad that I can’t cope.”

“You’re sure?”

“Aye, Rowan, I’m sure. They’re nothing I can’t handle.”

“You need to drink…”

She finished the sentence for me. “…salt water. I know, and I already am… And sage tea as well. You aren’t the only Witch here, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. Is it helping?”

“Aye. It seems to have taken the edge off then.”

“But the feelings are still there…” I replied, offering the words as more of a statement than a question.

“I’ll be okay, Row,” she appealed. “Really, I will.”

I wasn’t convinced, and she didn’t necessarily sound like she was either. But, right now there was a little too much distance between us for me to do anything other than worry.

“When did they start?” I pressed, a bit of hesitation creeping into my voice. I already knew what she was going to say, but I had to ask.

“About an hour ago,” she replied. “Maybe a little more. Why?”

I closed my eyes and whispered, “While I was in the room with her… That’s what I was afraid of.”

The ache bouncing around inside my skull took on a new dimension, making the back of my throat tickle with a thin wave of nausea. Recent events stuttered through my brain like a cartoonist’s flipbook until one exploded forth to fill my thoughts.

In my mind’s eye I could clearly see Miranda’s smug grin as she stared back at me. But even worse, I could also hear her mocking voice as she chuckled and said, “Really? How do you know I am not trying Felicity on for size again right now?”

As soon as my mouth was able to sync up with my brain once again, I mumbled to Felicity, “Let me see about changing my flight. Just hang in there, and I’ll be home as soon as I can, even if I have to buy a new ticket out of my own pocket.”

“No,” she replied, a sudden sternness in her voice.

“What do you mean, no?”

“Exactly that. No. You can’t come home yet. You just told me you have to meet with Annalise tomorrow.”

“Honey, I also told you I don’t even know…”

She cut me off. “…if she even exists any longer, I know. And before you say it, I know Miranda might only be stringing you along with this.”

“There’s no might to it,” I replied. “I know she is, and so do you. It’s what she does. Besides, after the way things went today, the powers that be around here might not even allow another meeting to happen.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say I doubt the FBI is very keen on their consultants losing their cool during an inmate interview.”

“Oh, Rowan…” she sighed. “What did you do? You aren’t in any trouble are you?”

“I’ll tell you later, and I don’t know for sure on the trouble just yet,” I said. “But I don’t think so, which seems a little weird in itself if you want to know the truth. I’ve had a bit of a hinky feeling about all this ever since the interview ended.”

“Well, it is Miranda after all.”

“Yeah, but not just that. It’s something different. Something a little closer to home and definitely grounded in reality.”

“What?”

“That’s something else I don’t know for sure,” I admitted. “But I get the impression I haven’t been told everything that’s going on. Plus, with the way things have played out so far, it appears as though my presence here may be more important to the FBI than I originally thought it was.”

“I told you I had a very bad feeling about this,” she lamented.

“I know, honey. Me too. But it might all be moot. Like I said, after what happened today, I’d be surprised if they were actually willing to let me into a room with Miranda again.”

“I wish you would tell me. Not knowing is just going to make me worry more.”

I swallowed hard and said, “Let’s just say she’s going to have some bruises and I’m responsible.”

“Oh Gods, Rowan…” she breathed. “You assaulted her?”

“It’s okay,” I told her. “No permanent damage. It really sounds worse than it was.”

“You’d best be right. Should I call Jackie then?”

It didn’t surprise me that she brought up our attorney. Her name had crossed my mind too. “No. Not yet, anyway. If I get charged with something then yeah, for sure…”

“Okay then. If you’re certain.” After a pause, Felicity ventured, “Aye, but you still have to try to talk to Annalise if they will let you. That’s why you made this trip in the first place.”

“A trip that has turned out to be a huge mistake,” I told her. “Especially in light of what you just told me a minute ago. Your problems today started while I was in the room with Miranda. I’m willing to bet that she’s somehow using me as a conduit to get to you. That was something I didn’t even consider, which was stupid on my part. I should have thought of that.”

“Don’t allow her to use you then.”

“Easier said than done, obviously, or it wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” she replied. “What if it’s you who should be drinking salt water?”

“I’ve tried that before, remember? Apparently I’m immune to its positive effects.”

“Try it again.”

“Felicity…” I said. “Even if that would work, it’s all a moot point. The door to Annalise has most likely been closed. On all fronts.”

“Only if you allow it to be.”

“You’re putting way too much faith in me, honey. Besides, we’re getting off track. The real issue here is you. I can’t stay here and leave you by yourself if she’s found a way to connect with you again. On top of that, if she’s using me as the conduit then the farther I am away from her the better.”

“But what if the closer you are to me the worse off I am?”

“Don’t…” I stuttered, paused, and then said. “Dammit, Felicity.”

“You know you have to take that into consideration too.”

“You’re being awfully damn logical, you know that?”

“One of us has to,” she replied. “Besides, I told you, Rowan, I’ll be fine.”

“I wish I could make myself believe that.”

“Aye, I wish you could too because it’s the truth.”

“I can’t take the chance.”

“You have to, Row… You know you do. I’ll be fine. Really.”

I sighed heavily, leaning forward and resting my elbows on the edge of the desk in front of me as I massaged my forehead with my free hand. “And what if you’re wrong, Felicity? What if they’ll let me talk to her again and she gets to you through me?”

She was quiet for a moment before answering softly. “What if she does? What do you think you could do if you were here?”

“Keep you safe.”

“Could you?” she appealed.

“Yes.”

“Aye, you would try… I know that… But at what cost?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me.” She fell silent for a moment then all but whispered the reason behind her objection, “I almost killed you once already.”

“No, you didn’t. That wasn’t you. It was Miranda.”

“Yes, but she was using my body,” she replied, laying heavy emphasis on the my. Just from the sound of her voice, I could imagine the pained expression she was most likely wearing.

“Which is precisely why…” I began.

Once again she cut me off. “Which is precisely why you should stay there and find a way to stop her for good.”

“You just aren’t going to let me win this argument, are you?” I asked after a short pause.