Magic on Changeling Mountain

By the time they got back to the cottage, they both had a better handle on their emotions, which was a good thing because just as they pulled into her driveway, Colin’s cell phone started to ring. It was Sidney.

“What’s up?” Colin answered.

“There’s been an accident down on the highway, about 5 miles outside of town. Several cars and a big rig. Sure could use your help.”

“Man, your timing is lousy but Ok. I’ll be there soon.” Colin said as he hung up. “Sorry, babe. Duty calls. Bad accident down on the highway. It’s more than Sidney and Jason can handle on their own. Have dinner with me tonight?”

“Want me to come along? Maybe I can help?” Carolyn offered.

“You don’t have to do that. It’ll probably be just mostly traffic control. People for some reason want to slow down and look and then fender benders happen.”

“Ok. I guess I’ll go up and check on the fairies and my folks. If I’m not here when you get back, I’ll be up there.” Carolyn said and kissed him goodbye.

Colin regretfully left and drove down to the accident site. He had been right. It was very gruesome. Several people were hurt and it took over 3 hours before they cleared it all away. By that time, the long hours he had put in were catching up to him. He drove back to Carolyn’s house but she wasn’t home so he called up to her parents’ house and her mother answered the phone.

“Hi Colin! What’s up?” Angela answered.

“Hi, Mrs. Masters. Is Carolyn still there?” He asked.

“She’s out in the barn, helping her father. One of our calves got a cut on his leg. Do you need to talk to her?”

“Well, I just finished up at the accident down on the highway and I’m beat. I’m going to go home and get a couple of hours of sleep but if you could let her know, I’ll be back at 5 to pick her up for dinner?”

“Sure, Colin. You go get some rest. I’ll let her know.” Angela said and then hung up. Poor Colin sounded so tired. She slid the pie she had been working on into the oven and set the timer. She was cleaning up the kitchen when Carolyn came into the house again.

“Carolyn, Colin called a little while ago. He’s done with the accident and said he was so tired that he was going to go home and get some sleep but that he would pick you up at 5 for dinner.” Angela relayed the message.

“OK. Darn. I was hoping we would get to spend the day together. We have so much to talk about for the wedding.”

“And plenty of time to discuss it. Don’t rush. Have you set a date yet?” Angela asked.

“No, not really a specific date but sometime in late May or early June. Colin took me to a really pretty place this morning that would be perfect for the wedding. On the north side of the mountain. There’s a big open field next to a nice partially frozen pond surrounded by woods. There’s a natural arch in the trees that Colin said is covered in blue wisteria and honeysuckle. It will be beautiful.”

“I know where that place is. That lake is said to be inhabited by water nymphs but no one has seen one in years. It will be a perfect place for a wedding.” Daniel Masters said as he joined them in the kitchen. “What’s for lunch, wife? I’m hungry!”

Carolyn looked at him with wide eyes. She had never heard about that before and wondered if her father was just teasing her. “Dad, were you serious about the water nymphs? Aren’t they a type of fairy?” Carolyn asked.

“I’m not sure. Like I said, no one has seen one in years but then not many people know about that place. Colin’s family used to live not far from there but since they left, no one really goes there anymore.”

Carolyn couldn’t help but wonder if that had not been a place where Colin used to play as a child and that’s why he knew about it. She spent about half the afternoon, talking over wedding ideas with her mother.

About 3 pm, she finally called a halt to it. “I’m going to head home and get a shower and get ready for dinner with Colin. I want to talk about some of these ideas with him. Thanks for lunch, mom.” She said as she stood up from the kitchen table where they had been planning and tucked the list she had made into the pocket of her jeans.

She transformed as she jumped off of the front porch and jogged across their yard and disappeared into the woods. Daniel Masters joined his wife on the porch and put his arm around her shoulders. “Stop looking so down. She’s not going away, they are just going to add to our family.”

“I know but it seems like only yesterday that she was just learning how to walk and I miss my little girl.”

“I know but just think, now you have not only a full grown daughter who will someday give you some grandbabies but also a close friend. I just hope she waits until after the wedding to start her family. She’s going to be in season soon.”

“Me too and you’re right. This is a whole new adventure.”

“Come on back inside. It’s cold out here.”

Carolyn ran back to her cottage and jumped up on the porch to hear her phone ringing. She quickly let herself in and snatched up the phone. “Hello?” She said breathlessly.

“Oh, did I catch you in the middle of something?” Tammy’s voice asked.

“Oh, Hi. No, I was just getting home from my folks house. My mom and I were talking about wedding plans. How’s Seattle?”

“Raining. Always raining here.”

“The rain’s got you blue, hasn’t it?”

“You know me so well. I’m loving spending time with my parents but I definitely hate this weather.”

“Have you talked to them about moving here? I mean, you do want to come back here, don’t you?”

“Yes. I guess. Have you talked to Stuart lately?”

“No but I’m going to be seeing Colin this evening. Want me to ask him how he’s doing?”

“I guess I could call him myself but I keep hoping he will call me, without having to be prompted.”

“Does he have your number there?”

“No, not the house number but he does have my cell number but he hasn’t called or texted me even once since I’ve been gone.”

“Which is only two days now. I do know he went to be with his family for the holidays. Maybe he’s just involved with them right now.”

“I hope that’s all it is. I’ve been feeling so…………oh, I don’t know. Maybe it is just the rain that’s got me down. So, how are the wedding plans coming along?”

Carolyn told Tammy of what she and her mother had discussed and finished with “But I want to talk it over with you and Colin before I make any final plans. You are still going to be my maid of honor, aren’t you?”

“Of course. Looking forward to it. Hoping to catch the bouquet in fact.” Tammy said. She seemed a little more cheerful but Carolyn could tell she was still feeling down.

“What are you going to do tonight?” Carolyn asked.

“We’ve been cleaning and painting. Probably more of the same. My parents may be magical but they don’t use it much. They insist on doing things the non-magical way. I’ve got paint in places on my body that I can’t figure out how it got there.”

“Why don’t you apparate back here for the night and come see Stuart? I think he’s due back today and I’m pretty sure he’s not on duty tonight since Colin has the midnight shift.” Carolyn suggested.

“Oh, I would love to but I don’t want to intrude on him. He might have made other plans now that I’m out of town.”

“Oh, girl. You’ve got it bad for him, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess I do. He’s pretty special and I’m missing all of you.”

“Have you told your parents about him?”

“What’s to tell? Stuart and I haven’t made any commitments to each other. So far we’ve just been double dating with you and Colin. He’s been over for dinner a couple of times but he was a total gentleman and left early. I’m beginning to think that he’s not interested in more than just friendship since he’s never even tried to take it beyond a good night kiss.”

“Well, when are you planning on coming back?”

“Well, I have a business to run and I do have appointments set for the week after New Years’ so I guess I’ll be home a day or two before for sure.”

“Well, it’s up to you but if I were me and I had your ability, I’d spend the days with my folks and the nights with my man! Do you think your parents will even consider moving here?”

“I don’t know. They seem so happy to be back in their house. We’ve been fixing and painting ever since I got here. They want me to make my room up so that I’ll be happy in it again. They are treating me like I’m a kid and frankly, it’s beginning to get annoying.”

“Well, tell them! They missed being around you growing up and maybe in their minds you are still just their little girl. What they are forgetting is that you are a full grown woman now! One who is very independent and capable of taking care of herself and that she has her own hopes and dreams. Don’t ever give up on that!”

“I know you are right. Why does being all grown up mean you have to do such hard things? It’s been great being with them and they seem so happy to have me home and while I don’t want to lose contact with them again, I do want to get back to my own life.”

“So tell them that! I’m sure they will understand.”

“I’m so glad I called you! You always help me make my mind straight!”

“Oh, before I forget. Invite your friend, Hazel, to the wedding! I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

“Have you set a date yet?”

“Not a definite day but it will be either late May or early June. Colin has found the prettiest spot on the north side of the mountain to have the wedding. I don’t know how I’m going to manage to wait 5 or 6 months to marry Colin. I want him now!” Carolyn admitted.

“Uh-oh. Sounds like it’s your time of the month soon!”

“Yeah, anytime now and believe me it’s coming in like a lion in the mood department. If Colin hadn’t gotten the call to go help with that accident this morning, we may have consummated our relationship this morning.”

“Carolyn!”

“What? The wedding is just a formality. Colin and I are committed to each other and that’s all that’s really important.”

“True but I thought you wanted to lose it on your wedding night?”

“I don’t think what night it is really matters. It’s the man I’ll be with. I’ve just wanted to know that he’s not going to take off the next morning and not come back.”

Carolyn heard a voice in the background over the phone and could tell that it was Tammy’s mother.

“Sorry to cut this short, Carolyn, but my mom is calling. Have fun on your date tonight and I’ll see you in a few days. If you see Stuart, tell him I said Hi.”

Carolyn hung up and stood looking at the phone for a moment. “Poor Tammy. I wish I knew what to do to help her.” Carolyn thought as she stared at the phone. She went to use the bathroom and sure enough, she had started her period. “Great!” She said as she cleaned up.

She decided to pull on her comfort clothes and then went to make a cup of cocoa. She settled down on the sofa and prayed the cramps would not be too painful this month. She put in a movie and tried to concentrate on it but all she could think about was Colin. She wanted him so badly and it was very tempting to call him and ask him to come over but that would only make the desire for him worse. That would be pure torture for both of them so she decided to text him to tell him to stay away for a couple of days. He would know why without her having to be graphic about the reasons why.

She was kind of hurt when he replied so quickly that he would stay away if she wanted him too and she was in the middle of texting him back when he texted that he didn’t want to but would honor her wishes. His next text saying he loved her not only took the sting out of his willingness to stay away but replaced it with a warm feeling that put a smile on her face. She replied that she loved him too and then hugged her phone to her chest and curled up on the sofa to watch the movie.

She woke up to the sound of knocking on her front door several hours later. It was Cindy and she was carrying a covered plate that smelled wonderful. It was Mrs. Pence’s homemade muffins.

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?” Cindy said as she hurried inside, out of the cold. “Oh!” She said and then blushed. “That time of the month, huh!?!”

“Oh, goodness. Does it smell that bad?” Carolyn said as she began to blush too. “Help yourself to something to drink. I’ll be right back.” Carolyn said as she hurried into the bathroom. She changed her tampon, added a pad before washing her hands and returning to the living room.

She took one of the muffins off the plate sitting on her kitchen counter and curled up on the sofa again and hugged a pillow to her stomach. Cindy asked if she wanted something to drink and when Carolyn said just water, grabbed a bottle out of the fridge and handed it to her as she went to sit in one of the two easy chairs in the living room.

“What’s up?” Carolyn asked.

“It was getting intense at home and I needed a break. I hope you don’t mind my coming over. I also wanted to talk to you about your wedding.” Cindy said.

“What’s happening at home, if you don’t mind me asking?” Carolyn asked.

“Oh, just my parents trying to show their love, I guess. It’s hard for them to let go of us and Ralph has decided to move in with his girlfriend so they are not only losing him but me as well. I’m going back to school in a few days and Ralph is packing his stuff as we speak.” Cindy said, sounding older than her 18 years.

“Wow. Sounds like your parents and mine are going through the same thing. Kevin has told my parents that he wants to move into town too but they are hoping he will wait, save some money and in the summer they are going to start building him a cottage on his own land but he’s going to have to pay for the bulk of the materials. He’s thinking about it but I’ve got a feeling, knowing Kevin, he’s going to have to exercise something he doesn’t have much of and that’s patience.”

“Oh wow. I had no idea.” Cindy said. “So, what have you decided about your wedding?”

“Well, other than the colors and location, not much else. Oh, Cindy, your mom should sell these muffins! She would make a fortune! They are delicious!” Carolyn said as she finished off hers.

“My father would never allow that. So what colors have you decided on?” Cindy was obviously wanting to avoid talking about her family all together and Carolyn decided to let it slide, even though her natural cat curiosity was at full alert with Cindy’s comment about her father.

“Blue and white, most likely.”

“And you said you’ve decided on a location?”

“Yeah, Colin took me to see it this morning. It’s on the north side of the mountain. A big field next to a pond surrounded by woods.”

“Oh that sounds perfect. Did you find out how many men will be standing up with Colin?”

“Still not certain on that yet. But I’m pretty sure he’ll be able to come up with 3 men. I’m having Tammy, you and my sister, Donna. I know he wants Stuart and his brother and I’m not sure who the 3rd will be. Perhaps Ralph? They have been friends for a long time.”

“Hmmm. He hasn’t said anything about it but maybe so.”

“So when do you leave to go back to school?”

“Next couple of days, if not sooner. The tension at home is so thick right now, it makes me want to go even sooner than I had planned. My dad really has a hard time with change.”

“He loves you and is afraid of losing you.”

“I know but I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m more than ready to move on to the next stage of my life.”

“I know but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished I could go back to being my daddy’s little girl and not have to deal with some of the “grown up” issues I’ve had to face since I moved out on my own. Don’t be in too big of a hurry to grow up Cindy and whatever you do, don’t lose the relationship you’ve had with your parents. They may try our patience but they are the only ones we’ll ever have and they won’t be around forever. I’m lucky to still have mine.”

“I know. I just wish my dad wouldn’t be so hard headed sometimes. Why can’t he welcome our mates as new members of the family instead of acting like he’s going to lose us?”

“Maybe you need to make him see that! Bring Kyle with you when you come home next time and introduce them.”

“Oh, lord! What you are suggesting is like throwing gas on a big fire!”

“Hey, if you two are going to have a life together, they are going to have to meet sometime! Better to get it all out in the open and find out how everyone deals with it and hopefully before you totally give your heart to him only to find out that he won’t stick around for the long haul.”

“True but that doesn’t make it any easier.”

“You can handle it. You are a full grown woman after all and being a grown up means dealing with the hard stuff all the time, ready or not.”

“Wow, you really don’t pull any punches, do you?”

“Sorry, just telling you like it is. But I’ll also say, I have confidence in you. You can do this.”

“Thanks, Carolyn. So glad to know that at least you believe in me.”

Cindy left not long after that and since they would not be going out to dinner that night, Carolyn decided to find something to eat on her own. Her cupboard was not exactly well stocked but she managed to find a can of soup and had enough bread left for two grilled cheese sandwiches. “Not exactly the steak dinner I was hoping to have tonight but it should fill me up.” She thought as she sat down at the table to eat.

She quickly ate her food as she thought about her wedding and wondered if she was going to be able to wait until spring. Her emotions were making her feel like a fish out of water. She kept flip flopping around, not only because she was having her cycle but because she wanted Colin so badly. She couldn’t help but wish that Colin would ignore her about staying away as she washed up her dishes and tidied her kitchen.

She decided to go on her patrol early and stepped out onto the back porch just as the sun was going down behind the mountain. She transformed as she jumped down off of the back porch. As she landed in her backyard, she stood listening and held her head high as she smelled the scents in the air. She couldn’t say what but something seemed out of place. She couldn’t put her finger on it at first and prayed that they were not going to have another incident like they had had with Sebastian and Armand.

Carolyn slowly walked into the woods, her senses on full alert as she made her way through the trees. Something was out of place but she didn’t see, hear or smell anything. It was more of a feeling. Like a sixth sense, that she had long ago learned to trust. She slowly walked through the woods, being careful of where she stepped so that she would not make any noise or find a hunters trap, stopping frequently to listen and sniff the air.

Suddenly she froze and realized what it was. “Smoke!” Carolyn froze and tried to determine where the smell was coming from when she realized it was coming from the direction of Pence’s place. She turned and began to run towards the Pence homestead when she heard the sirens of the fire truck coming from town. She lengthened her stride and broke into a full out run, not caring anymore if someone saw her.

Suddenly she heard something big coming through the trees. It was her father in his bear form. “The Pence place is on fire!” He thought to her as she joined him. Together, they ran through the trees as fast as they could, the smell of the fire getting stronger as the light from the fire began to show through the trees as they ran towards it.

They transformed as they hit the tree line to find the Pence family trying desperately to put out the flames quickly consuming their home with the only two garden hoses they had but they were losing the battle. The fire truck from town pulled up about the same time and the firemen quickly set to work and while they were unable to save the back of the house, they did manage to save the living areas and the front bedrooms from the fire but not the smoke or the water the firemen were using to put out the fire.

“That old stove finally gave out on us. I was pulling the plug when it sparked and a few minutes later suddenly caught fire inside the wall.” Mr. Pence explained to Daniel Masters and the fire chief. “We didn’t realize it was already burning the wall from outside when it started smoking inside and then the flames came through the wall.”

“It’s lucky that it happened while you were all awake and downstairs. If it had happened a couple of hours from now, you might have all been asleep upstairs.” Daniel said, as he patted his friend on the back. “Don’t worry, we will help you rebuild.”

“Yes, I’m very thankful that no one was hurt.” He said as he hugged his wife who was leaning heavily on his side, quietly crying as she clung to their youngest child and watched the firemen work to be sure that they had put out the flames that had been consuming her home.

“Why don’t you come up and stay with us tonight? You can’t stay here. We’ll come back in the morning and see what needs to be done to fix it.” Daniel told him.

“Cindy, you can crash at my house if you want.” Carolyn offered. “We’ll go up and help your family get settled in and then tell Donna to come down here. We’ll have a girl’s night of wedding planning. OK?” Carolyn knew it was best to get people away from the tragedy and back to normal life as quickly as possible. It often helped people get past it all together.

Daniel watched his daughter with Cindy and when she glanced over at him, he nodded that he understood and as soon as the firemen left, they all transformed and went up to the Masters house. Cindy saw her parents and siblings settled and made sure they were ok with her going with Carolyn before she and Donna followed Carolyn back home.

As they climbed up onto the porch, they heard the phone ringing. Carolyn rushed inside and answered it.

“Are you OK?” Tammy greeted her.

“I’m fine. Cindy’s house caught fire. We’re going to have a wedding planning party at my place tonight. Can you come?” Carolyn said, hoping that her tone would convey that she needed her to be there.

“Before you can blink.” Tammy said and then the phone went dead. Five minutes later, she was knocking on Carolyn’s front door.

“Now that is cool!” Cindy exclaimed, as she opened the door for her. “I wish I could do that!”

“Oh, Cindy! I’m so sorry to hear about your house. Is your family OK?” Tammy said, as she entered the cottage and gave Cindy a friendly hug.

“Yeah. Just the old stove died, along with my mom’s kitchen. But my dad has been promising her for years to remodel it and now he won’t have a choice.” Cindy explained with a lopsided grin. “At least it will give them something to focus on besides me.”

“See, there is a bright side to everything.” Carolyn said. “Who wants something to drink?” Carolyn popped some popcorn and passed around some sodas and they all gathered around her dining room table to talk. They spent the next 2 hours discussing the wedding and making lists before they were all yawning. When the clock struck 10 pm, Carolyn finally called a halt to it. “Hey, we had better get to bed. We all need to be up early in the morning to go see what we can do to help Cindy’s family reclaim some of their belongings.”

After taking turns in the bathroom, Tammy bunked in with Carolyn, while Donna and Cindy slept in the room that Tammy usually used.

“Thanks for coming tonight. I really think it helped Cindy to get her mind off of her problems at home. Plus I’ve missed you so much!” Carolyn said as they climbed into the bed.

“I know what you mean, I’ve missed you too. I mean, I’ve been enjoying getting to know my parents but I feel like I can barely move without one of them jumping up to see where I’m going or what I’m doing.

And they are so worried about me using magic, even in the house with the curtains closed. I feel like I’m suffocating. I thought they would be anxious to teach me how to use my magic, to follow in their footsteps but it seems more like they want me to forget my magic and live like a normal person. I just can’t do it, Carolyn.”

“When are you coming back?” Carolyn asked.

“I had to promise them to go back tomorrow but I’ll be back to stay next week. I’ve got appointments set at work and I need to come back and get ready to go back to work.” Tammy said as she snuggled down under the blanket and tried to cover a big yawn with her hand.

Carolyn laid down next to her with a smile on her face. “It will be good to have you back.”