In Moonlight - Ch 23 - Questions and Answers

"This always looks easier on TV," Genie grumbled.

Her mother's computer still stubbornly refused to unlock. She knew she had to take her time, think though every attempt. Too many failed passwords would lock the system entirely, and probably alert her mother. How many attempts was too many, she wondered. How long could she sit here, trying to puzzle out the right password, before her mother came home? How long until Stephens came upstairs and discovered them in here?

"On TV there's a script and we only have about forty minutes to resolve everything," Jenny pointed out. "You really don't know who this lady is? Because your mom sure has a lot of paintings of her in here..."

"Jenny, I need to think," Genie said, only half listening. "Mom's pretty savvy, but it's like Mariah said... most people reuse passwords. Mom always uses the same sequence of numbers for her PIN. It's not that simple... but I'm sure those numbers figure into it somehow. Maybe I'm just not remembering them right..."

"You'll figure it out," Jenny said brightly.

"I have to," Genie said. "We need to know what she knows..."

---------------------

 "I didn't know," Bess groaned. "Knox, I swear to you, I didn't know they were going to kill anyone."

Mariah shook her head quietly. She hadn't been sure that inviting Knox to this meeting with Bess was a good idea, but Miranda had pointed out that he deserved to be there. He, more than any of them, deserved answers. 

Etta and Demarco were already there, sitting in the same back room as before. The bartender, evidently an old friend of Demarco's, had agreed to rope it off for them. It wasn't like the Caboose had a huge brunch crowd anyway.

"What the hell did you think was going to happen when you brought in gangsters to strongarm people?" Knox demanded.

"OK, first, I didn't bring them in," Bess insisted. "It was Mr. Hand who brought in Mr. Grey and Grey brought in Cletus. I just thought... I thought they'd intimidate people. OK, I admit that. It occurred to me that maybe, maybe, they'd rough someone up a little... but I never thought they'd kill anyone."

"Take a seat, Bess," Demarco said firmly. "Knox, you too. Come sit down and we'll hear her out."

"Is she alone?" Etta asked, looking at Mariah.

"You guys don't think..." Bess said as she took the open chair. "I'm not trying to trick you, or trap you guys. I just..."

"One of Cletus's guys was tailing her," Mariah cut her off. "The guy who was with him the other day when they jumped Clay and Knox."

"What?!" Bess gave a startled gasp.

"Don't worry, I hexed him," Miranda said with a little smile. "He won't remember anything. I mean, he won't remember following Bess here or seeing any of us. He'll remember his name and stuff like that... eventually."

Smirking at Bess's confused look, Mariah said, "You're a little scary sometimes." 

---------------------

"Genie, what do you know about your grandmother?" Jenny asked.

She'd been wandering around the office, looking at various things, while Genie struggled to think of what her mom's password might be. Out of the corner of her eye, Genie noticed that she kept pausing to look at the paintings hung on the walls.

"Jenny, what are you talking about?" Genie groaned. "Really, I need to..."

"Humor me, OK," Jenny insisted. "What do you know about your grandmother?"

"Not a lot. Mom never talks about her," Genie said, distracted. 

"Well, this is a picture of that lady, Genevieve Henriette Von Windenburg, with Baron Henry and that cute Lord Karl," Jenny said. "Baron Henry is your great-grandfather, right? And Lord Karl was your great-uncle? So, Henry's daughter would be your grandmother... Genevieve Henriette Von Windenburg."

Slowly, Genie lifted her eyes from the screen and looked around the room again. 

"My mom never talks about her," Genie repeated. "She never even says her name. There are no pictures of her anywhere."

"Except in here," Jenny said meaningfully. "Her picture is on every wall big enough to hold it. What if, when Gwen said you needed to understand your mom's relationship with Genevieve, she didn't mean you? She meant your grandmother. Your mom's mom.""

"Jenny, what were those dates you said before?" Genie breathed.

"January 14, 1960 and October 31, 1998," Jenny said.

"Mom's PIN number is 103198," Genie said, turning back to the computer. Fingers shaking slightly, she typed in GENEVIEVE103198. 

Without fanfare, the computer unlocked. 

---------------------

"What is Crossing, Bess?" Miranda asked in a soft voice. "We know it's a land development deal... a planned community around some kind of research center, but what is it really? Who is behind it and why is it so important to them?"

"I... I guess I'm not sure," Bess said. "I thought it was about money."

"It's always about money with you," Knox grumbled.

"Tell us what you know," Miranda pressed, gentle, kind and as irresistible as gravity. 

Mariah knew her wife well enough to hear the magic whispering behind that voice. Bess Stirling never stood a chance.

"Crossing was supposed to be a huge opportunity. It was going to revitalize the mountain communities," Bess began. 

"Drop the sales pitch," Knox scoffed. "You were buying up protected land, forcing people to sell property that had been in their families for generations. You killed Shannon. Why? Who's behind it?"

"I was approached by a representative of the Von Windenburg Bank," Bess said. "He arranged a meeting between me and one of the bank's directors, Luna Elderberry. She had a group of investors, backing a tech company that wanted to build a research and development center, with support facilities, on the mountain. They wanted to work with us, with Evergreen Development, because we were in the area and had local connections. It... it seemed like a great deal."

"But there were problems," Miranda said.

"The tech company, Gateway Technologies, insisted the facility be at a certain location that was on protected land," Bess said. "I tried to suggest another location, but the guy in charge was adamant... and Mrs. Elderberry said it wouldn't be a problem. Her husband is Representative Rohan Elderberry. He was able to... ummm... help us around some of the regulatory and legislative hurdles."

"Who is this guy in charge? Mr. Hand?" Mariah asked.

"No, Mr. Hand is... he represents the investors," Bess said. "It's a private investment group called Brighter Future. I don't know who's in charge there. I only ever dealt with Mrs. Elderberry and Mr. Hand. Then there's Gateway Technologies. The brains over there is a scientist called Dr. Key."

Mariah shared a quick look with Miranda as Bess confirmed their worst fear. The svartalf scientist behind Section 6 was also behind Crossing.

"Anyway, after Mr. Elderberry started taking care of regulatory stuff, things got... easier... for a while," Bess said. "Then we ran into the problem of people not being willing to sell the land we needed. So, Mr. Hand brought in Mr. Grey and Cletus and..."

"What about Shannon?" Knox asked.

---------------------

"I never would have thought I'd be happy about my mom's obsessive organizing," Genie added a few minutes later. "Here's a folder labeled Crossing. We've got spreadsheets, project plans, documents, emails. There are even recordings of video calls."

"Jackpot," Jenny grinned.

"Wait, here's a call labeled Speak for the Trees. That's the environmental group Knox and Shannon worked with," Genie said. "Let's see what we have here..."

"We're here to discuss the matter of the Speak for the Trees protests," Mr. Hand said coldly. "We had dismissed them as a minor nuisance. However, our associate in Evergreen Harbor is now suggesting that they are drawing attention to the Project which could endanger success."

"We have conducted a psycho-statistical analysis of the situation based on this additional data," another hairless man, this one in a white turtleneck, said. "The outcomes support this conclusion. We are currently projecting scenarios for the dissolution of the Speak of the Trees organization."

"Even if you could do that, which I doubt, that would take time we don’t have," Luna Elderberry said calmly.

"The timelines proposed by Researcher Book’s recent projections support that assertion," Mr. Hand agreed. "Our associate offers the alternative suggestion of focusing our efforts on individuals. In this case, the leaders of this specific protest initiative - Knox Greenburg and Shannon Charm."

"We have generated profiles of both individuals using all available data," the man in the turtleneck, who Genie guessed to be Researcher Book, said. "Knox Greenburg is a well-known environmental activist and social agitator in Evergreen Harbor. Shannon Charm has only recently become involved with the Speak for the Trees organization but has risen to a trusted position. She is also the genetic progeny of Baron Darrel Charm, a member of Upper House. More significantly, according to Agency files, she is a Delta-level Psychokinetic Active."

"I’m well acquainted with the Charm family," Luna snarled.

"We should direct one of our agents to sanction Knox Greenburg," Mr. Hand said, suggesting murder in a tone usually used to suggest ordering more office supplies. "Acting against Shannon Charm risks attracting the attention we seek to avoid."

"I disagree," Luna said hotly. "Knox Greenburg is one of countless minor agitators. He’d be replaced quickly. Shannon Charm is the real danger. As a witch… an Active… she might recognize the significance of Crossing and, through her family connections, she could easily bring it to the attention of both the government and the Council.

"On the other hand, I know Darrel Charm," she continued. "The death of his daughter would enrage him, and he’s already predisposed to direct that rage against the Dark Court. With one move, we remove the real threat from Speak for the Trees and increase tensions between the Court and the Council, further distracting them from our plans."

"Sanctioning a Delta-level Active is not an easy task," Mr. Hand said.

"You have people trained to do just that," Luna replied. "What about your little pet Mallory? She did an excellent job with those activists out West a few months ago."

"Agent Mallory Errant does have the necessary training," Mr. Hand said. "However, I have concerns about your analysis. You have a history of animosity with the Charm family. Perhaps your emotions are clouding your judgement."

"Mr. Hand, for someone who disdains assimilation into our culture, you have a number of distinctly masculine biases," Luna sneered. "My emotions regarding the Charms do not cloud my judgement. They reinforce my resolve and my commitment to our shared goals."

A brief silence settled over the call. Finally, the man who had been sitting silently in the shadows the whole time spoke. 

"I accept your recommendations," the shadow man said. "Mr. Hand, you will assign Mallory Errant to sanction Shannon Charm."

"Jenny, my mom murdered Shannon Charm," Genie said softly, a sob escaping her. 

"Well... umm... I think this Mallory person did that actual, you know, murder part," Jenny offered.

"My mom murdered Shannon Charm, Jenny," Genie said firmly. "Why!? Why is she doing this?"

"I... I don't know," Jenny said softly.

"She murdered Shannon," Genie said, unsure if she was trying to convince herself or deny what she had heard. "Miranda said someone named Villareal murdered Baron Charm's father. Mr. Hand said my mom has 'a history of animosity' with the Charms. Do you think.... Did she...?"

"I don't know," Jenny said again.

"Can this get any worse?" Genie sighed.

---------------------

"They're going to WHAT?!" Demarco snarled, her voice ragged enough that Mariah thought she might be about to witness her first werewolf transformation.

"Mr. Hand is talking about bringing in people to... to deal with Rory, the Wildfangs and the Volkov and Moonrunner families," Bess stammered. At least, Mariah thought, she had the grace to manage to look ashamed about it, even if she continued to blame other people.

"Like you dealt with Shannon?" Knox grumbled.

"I didn't know," Bess insisted again. "I swear to you... I'm here, telling you about it because... because I can't, I won't be involved with... with," she took a deep breath. "Murder. I won't be responsible for any more murders."

"How long?" Etta asked. "How long until Mr. Hand's people are in place?"

"Two weeks, maybe less," Bess replied. "He's trying to hide what he's doing from... someone. I don't know who."

"OK, an attack on Moonwood Mill is bad," Mariah said. "We can assume Mr. Hand and his svartalf friends know who they're dealing with, but we still have an advantage. We know it's coming now."

"I'm calling Rory," Demarco said firmly. "She and Jake need to be warned. If I can't get through..."

"Then you go back up the mountain and tell them in person," Mariah said. "The dark elf men in black will be in a for a rude shock if they try anything."

"It might not come to that," Miranda said. "With Bess's testimony, we have proof now."

"Wait... testimony!?" Bess squeaked.

"It sounds like Genie will find more, lots and lots more, on her mom's computer," Miranda continued undeterred. "We may be able to put a stop to all of this soon."

---------------------

With a shaky breath, Genie slotted a memory stick into her mom's computer. As the Crossing files slowly copied, she realized that she just couldn't sit still. Rising, she found herself standing in front of one of the portraits of a grandmother she'd never known.

"Gwen said, if I wanted to understand my mom, I needed to understand her relationship with Genevieve," Genie said. "Mom never talks about her mother. There are no pictures of her."

"Except her private office is full of pictures of her," Jenny said.

"She never even says her name," Genie said.

"Except, she says it every time she talks to you," Jenny said. "Because she named you, her eldest daughter, after her... and she only ever calls you by her dead mother's name."

Genie took a deep breath. "OK," she sighed. "Murderous conspiracy and possible alien invasion first, then we figure out my family drama."

 

In Moonlight - Ch 22 - Gathering Clouds

"Damn it," Genie cursed as her lockpicks slipped again.

The night train from Evergreen Harbor had brought them back to Windenburg in the early hours of the morning. Rather than heading directly to the Elderberry estate, Genie had led Jenny to a small coffee shop for a long, quiet breakfast. They'd waited there until Genie was sure her mom and Kassidy would have left for the day.

Now, in the dark hallway of her parents' suite, Genie knelt, testing the lockpicking skills she'd learned from Mariah back in university against the door of her mom's private office. It occurred to Genie that she had never actually been through this door.

"I'm thinking of showing your butler my boobs," Jenny said brightly.

"What?!" Genie gasped as she started again on the lock. "We don't need to distract him, Jenny. He's downstairs polishing things. He'll be at it for hours."

"I wasn't thinking of distracting him," Jenny said. "Just, you know, showing him my boobs. I mean, seriously, you're telling me you never wanted to just grab that man's ass? That is a seriously fabulous ass."

"No. Eww," Genie said. "Also, aren't you dating Orange."

"Well, yeah, but I was thinking about your mom being with your dad, and Gwen, and Cassie..." Jenny mused.

"Jenny, are you trying to break my brain? I mean you're talking about Stephens's ass and my parents' weird sex lives and... hey, I got the lock," Genie blinked.

"Wow, that worked," Jenny laughed. "You were overthinking things, so I distracted you."

"OK, there is so much wrong with that that I have no idea how to respond to it," Genie said, pushing the door open. "Why is everything boobs with you?"

"Boobs are my superpower," Jenny said cheerfully, following her into the office.

"Well, I guess in a bizarre way they got us into the villain's inner sanctum," Genie admitted, looking around.

"Who is she?" Jenny asked, looking at the portrait hanging prominently on the wall in front of them.

"I have no idea," Genie said, barely looking at the painting.

"There's a little plaque here," Jenny said. "Genevieve Henriette Von Windenburg, January 14, 1960 to October 31, 1998. Wow, she was only 38 when she died? That's sad."

"Yeah, I guess. Mariah says that most people reuse passwords," Genie said, turning on her mother’s computer. "So, I just need to figure out what mom’s password is. I can do this.” 

------------------------

"Is everything OK?" Mariah answered her phone, sounding a bit breathless.

"Better than OK, Mary! Everything is wonderful!" Missy said brightly. "The doctors say Clay is going to be just fine. He's up and he knows who he is and who I am and what year it is and who the Chancellor is and he's going to be just fine!"

"That's wonderful," Mariah laughed, only just managing to follow Missy's rapid words. "Give him all our best."

"I will, I will," Missy replied. "They want to keep him here one more night, just for observation... but then he can come home. Oh, Knox says to say hi. He's OK too. They're letting him go home today."

"Great, say hi for us," Mariah said.

"They say hi," Missy said. "Oh, Mary... do you know how to get ahold of Demarco?"

"Yes," Mariah said, suddenly coming cautiously alert. "Why?"

"Well, I tried calling her but it goes straight to voicemail," Missy said.

"I think she's back up on the mountain," Mariah said carefully. "Bad reception up there."

"Oh, yeah, that's what Knox said too," Missy said.

"Well, I'll tell her Clay is OK as soon as I hear from her. I know she'll be happy to hear it," Mariah said. "Was that all you wanted to tell her, Missy?"

"Yeah, that... and also, you know Bess from Clay's work?" Missy said. "She was here yesterday. She's just great. She offered to help out with the hospital... you know, money and bills and stuff. Anyway, she said she wanted to talk to Demarco. She gave me her number and asked me to tell Demarco to call her, to set up a time they could meet. I didn't even know she knew Demarco. It's funny how everyone knows everyone, isn't it?"

"Missy, why don't you give me Bess's number," Mariah said gently but firmly. "I'll pass it along when I see Demarco. Then you can get back to Clay. OK?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Missy said happily. "Thanks Mary."

------------------------

"Are we good?" Etta asked tensely.

Knowing there were so many different questions behind those words, Demarco decided to deal with the most immediate one first. "I think so," she said. "She followed me but..."

"... you lost her?" Etta said, her words hovering between a statement and a question.

"I think so," Demarco repeated. "I'm not entirely certain. She did a good job staying downwind of me. Too good."

"She knows," Etta said. Demarco could see her keen mind working behind those dark eyes, adjusting to this new information.

"I've got the pack keeping a lookout," Beardy Bill put in. "If there's trouble coming, we'll know it."

"This woman and the people she works with are dangerous, Bill," Demarco said. "They know who I am. They might know about you and your pack too."

"You telling me to be careful, girl?" Bill asked with mocking severity.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Demarco grinned. Hell, yes, I'm telling you to be careful you stubborn Old Wolf, she thought privately. 

Bill's answering grin made her wonder again if elder werewolves could read minds.

"We should get in touch with M & M," Etta said, grinning slightly at the nickname she'd picked up for the pair. "We need to let them know what's going on."

"Right." Demarco took a deep breath. 

She realized she hadn't turned her phone back on since last night. She always turned it off when it was a full moon. Running around as a Wolf was a bad time to take calls. Turning it on now, she discovered a startling number of missed calls from Missy. Hoping everything was all right with Clay and Knox, she dialed Mariah's number instead. One crisis at a time, she thought.

"Demarco, parli del Diavolo," Mariah answered. "I was just about to call you."

"Yeah, I think we need to talk," Demarco said. Why did words have to carry so many meanings?

------------------------

"You heard about Clay, right?" Jay, the receptionist at Evergreen Development, asked.

"I did. I spoke with his girlfriend at the hospital last night," Bess Sterling replied, putting everything she had into keeping up her 'strong but approachable boss' look. "Oh, if anyone is thinking about passing the hat around, let them know not to worry about it. The company is going to do everything we can to help them out. What's the point of a discretionary fund if we can't use it to help our people, right?"

"That's real good of you," Jay said. It hurt a little, Bess thought, to see him hiding his obvious surprise at this generosity. "I know some of the guys were talking about making a collection, sending a card and stuff."

"Well, make sure I have a chance to sign that card. Is there anything else I should know?" Bess said.

"Just that Mr. Grey and Mr. Hand are here," Jay said. "They signed in about ten minutes ago, said they were going to use the upstairs conference room."

"Terrific," Bess said, putting on her brightest smile. She hoped like hell that Jay didn't see the screaming terror it was supposed to be hiding. 

Bess crossed the office with a confident stride, nodding greetings to the people in the cubicles. She waved off a couple of attempts to start conversations, politely but firmly. She'd talk to them later. She was busy right now.

At the top of the stairs, she hesitated. Then, quietly, she crept up to one of the partitions that separated the upstairs conference room from the rest of the upper level and listened.

"According to Mallory, Demarco and her partner went up to Moonwood Mill last night and returned this morning," Grey said in his dispassionate voice. "They'll have shared their suspicions with Oaklow and Moonrunner. With your people two weeks out, that could be a problem."

"The timeline could be accelerated if necessary," Mr. Hand replied, cold and calculating. "Doing so risks drawing unwanted attention, and possible opposition, from within the Leadership. However, it could also resolve the situation before such objections could interfere with the project."

"We also need to consider Ms. Sterling," Mr. Grey said. "We may need to deal with her sooner than expected..."

Shit, Bess thought as she tried not to run back down the stairs. 

Shit, shit, shit. There has to be a way out of this. I just have to be smart. There has to be a way. Stepping out the side door, she took a deep breath to settle herself. There was always a way. She just had to be smart, collected, confident.

She literally jumped when her cell started ringing. 

Forcing herself to look and sound calm, she pulled the phone from her pocket and accepted the call.

"Bess Stirling," she said in her very best 'I am confident and in control' voice. "Oh, Lux! Wonderful... Missy gave you my message? Good. Yes, I would like to speak you. In fact, I have an opening in my calendar this morning. Are you available? You are? Excellent. The Caboose? Yes, I'll meet you there in thirty minutes. I guarantee it will be worth your time." 

See, she told herself, there is always a way. She just had to be smart.

In Moonlight - Ch 21 - Worry and Doubt

 "Gwen, do you have a minute?" Genie asked.

Seeing Mr. Grey again had stirred up bad memories. Then, learning about the likely connections between the svartalves and the Axis party, and through them to her parents, Genie found herself forced to confront a question that had been lurking in her mind, ignored, for too long. From things Miranda had said, she'd wondered if Gwen might know the answer. So, when Cassie had declared that she and Gwen needed to go before they were missed, she'd followed Miranda's moms outside. 

"I've never been very good at holding onto time," Gwen replied with a strange smile. "I can't seem to get a grip on it."

Genie blinked, suddenly unsure how to deal with Gwen's nearly legendary strangeness. Forcibly putting it aside, she said, "I wanted to ask you about my mom."

"Of course, dear," Gwen said, sobering.

"You were... friends... at university, right?" Genie asked, suddenly unsure quite how to begin.

"Your mother and I were very close once," Gwen nodded. "We were friends and lovers. We shared... so many things."

Genie took another deep breath. From the way Miranda talked, Gwen would be more than happy to tell her all sorts of things she didn't want to know about her mom's sex life. She absolutely did not want to know what her mom had gotten up to with Gwen, and apparently Cassie and her dad, at university. Realizing that she was distracting herself, Genie forced her mind back into line. 

"Yeah, but you knew her... and you liked her. So, she wasn't... I mean... was she always so..." Genie stammered. "I mean... was she always evil?"

"Oh Genie, no," Gwen said sadly. "No, the Luna I knew was certainly not evil."

"Then what happened?" Genie demanded. "Why is she like this now? She launders money for gangsters. I know she's been meeting with Mr. Hand and I'm sure she's involved in this whole Crossing business... Alien invasions and world domination? She might even be involved in Shannon's murder. Why is she doing this? Then there's my Uncle Max and Grand-père Jacques... and a Villareal killed Baron Charm's father! Gwen, is there just something evil about my whole family?"

Is there something evil about me, she screamed silently.

"Oh... oh my dear child, I'm so sorry. No, I don't believe there is something inherently evil about your family," Gwen said, pulling Genie to her. "If you really want to understand why your mother is doing these things, you need to understand her relationship with Genevieve."

"It's Genie," Genie corrected her reflexively, "and my mom and I don't have a relationship."

"I know your name, dear," Gwen said gently. "You should talk to your uncle. He can explain better than I ever could."

"You know, I always thought Miranda was exaggerating when she talked about how cryptic Gwen was," Jenny said, coming up behind Genie as they watched Gwen and Cassie walk away. 

"If anything, I think she was understating things," Genie grumbled quietly. "If I want to understand my mom, I need to understand our relationship? Our relationship is her ignoring me, belittling me, drowning me in unreasonable expectations and calling me Genevieve all the damn time! What's to understand?"

"I guess you should ask your uncle," Jenny offered.

"Uncle Max shot me," Genie snarled. "He pulled out a gun and literally shot me. The next time I see him, the only thing I'm planning to say to him is 'enjoy prison.' Ugh. Miranda's right. Gwen's nuts." 

"... and she just disappeared," Jenny said. "Like... poof... they completely disappeared into thin air. I will never get used to that."

"OK, is that more weird or less weird than the time I watched Miranda fly away on a broom?" Genie mused. "Like an actual broom. Flying."

Jenny seemed to think about it for a moment. "I'm not really sure," she said at last.

"Well, I can't fly or... you know... poof. So, you up for another train trip tonight?" Genie said, squaring her shoulders. "If we hurry, we should be able to catch the last run back to Windenburg."

"Ugh, another night sleeping on the train?" Jenny groaned. "Sure, why not. We should really see about getting those rail passes though."

---------------------

"I'm worried about Genie," Mariah said.

Miranda was washing the breakfast dishes. The rented house seemed quiet with just the two of them. That was odd, Mariah thought. She'd gotten used to the house being a safe, quiet place for Mary and Mandy. Now that they were Mariah and Miranda again, it seemed more right for it to be full of friends. It was even more surprising for her to realize she was counting a snarky werewolf and a certain emotionally problematic ex-witch among her friends.

"Hmmm," Miranda prompted.

Focus on one problem at a time, Mariah chided herself.

"This business with her mother... her whole family really, but I think it's mostly her mother," Mariah said. 

"Luna always seemed... distant... to me," Miranda replied thoughtfully. "A bit snobby and superficial, but distant under that. Still, even knowing what we know now, I have a hard time believing how deeply she's involved with the crime families and everything else. I can only imagine what Genie must be feeling."

"I have a pretty good idea," Mariah sighed. "She keeps looking at me like I'm some kind of role model."

"Listen to me," Miranda said gently. "Leaving aside her obvious crush on you, Genie respects you and you've been through something like this. No, you didn't handle it well, but you've learned from those mistakes. You can help her. We both can. We'll be there when she needs us."

"Not if we have to go back in hiding from the Altos or the Dark Court or the svartalves or whoever else is after us," Mariah groaned.

"We'll be there when our friends need us," Miranda said, a sudden flare of Power crackling in the air around her like chained lightning.

There were many times, Mariah thought, when she forgot that her wife was a powerful strega. There were other times when it couldn't be ignored. 

"You know, you can be a little intense sometimes," she said, forcing herself to smile.

And just like that, the great witch was Miranda, the woman Mariah loved again, grinning sheepishly.

------------------------

"Would you just tell her already," Demarco said hotly.

Usually, after the catharsis of running as a Wolf under the full moon, Demarco felt calmer. She wasn't feeling calmer. The jealous tension that had been building in her since she'd found herself actually face to face with the Great and Glorious Miranda Goth was reaching a breaking point. The rational Woman in her realized that she'd been hiding that jealousy by snarling at Miranda's wife, Mariah. Now, it seemed, the Wolf in her had grown to like Mariah too much to snarl at her.

"What am I supposed to tell her, Lux?" Etta replied, her own temper flaring. "You're the expert on my feelings. What do you want me to say?"

"You know what? You're right. I have no idea what you feel," Demarco groaned. Not about Miranda, she thought, and certainly not about me.

"Lux," Etta groaned, obviously struggling to reclaim her calm.

"But I do know a couple of things," Demarco said over her, determined to approach this as rationally, if not calmly, as possible. "I know that you divide your life into before and after you met Miranda. I know you still hold back in every... friendship... you have because you feel that you betrayed her."

"I did betray her," Etta insisted.

"I also know that you turned your back on everything you were raised to believe, and you did it for her," Demarco continued, inwardly pleased that she didn't hear the snarl of her Wolf in her voice. 

"Raised by an evil warlock," Etta pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," Demarco insisted, wishing Etta would just listen to reason. "Right or wrong, it was what you knew. You gave up everything that you had defined your life by... for her. You know what that all sounds like to me? Love! Just admit it. You love Miranda Goth."

"What about..." Etta started softly.

"Us?" Demarco asked bitterly. The tension in her threatened to snap. It was good, the reasonable part of her thought, that they were having this conversation now, after the full moon. She needed to have this conversation as a Woman. "What about us? What are we? We used to be 'just friends' because you said you weren't ready to offer more than that. I was OK with that. Then, we both nearly got killed by some big hairy monster..."

"Troll," Etta sighed. "It was a troll."

"... and we kissed. We made love... and then... what?" Demarco continued. "We've never defined what we have. You've never been willing to. So, what are we, Etta? Friends with benefits? Fuckbuddies? Lovers? You keep saying that witches aren't monogamous."

"But werewolves are," Etta pointed out.

"What? The whole Wolves mate for life thing? We both know that's bullshit," Demarco snapped, tasting the lie on her lips. True, she'd known one who definitely wasn't a one-woman-werewolf, but Kiril was also a treacherous, scheming scumbag. Every other mated Wolf she knew was fiercely monogamous. "Just... just tell her what you feel."

Tell me what you feel, the Woman in her screamed silently.

"Lux, I... I..." Etta took a deep breath. "I think we're being followed."

"What?" Demarco blinked. Startled, she tasted the air but found nothing. Irritated, she was about to turn and call Etta out when the wind shifted and she caught a familiar, threatening scent. Damn it, she cursed herself. She'd been so distracted, thinking with her Woman's mind, that her Wolf’s instincts had been blinded to the danger. "The woman in black."

"How do you want to play it?" Etta asked calmly. Whatever emotional turmoil she felt, she'd set aside to deal with the threat. Demarco always envied that about her.

"Split," Demarco said, her voice thickening as the Wolf rose within her. "You go straight, I'll break right. We'll see which one of us she follows."

"It's too open. Too many people around," Etta said. "We should try to shake her."

"So, if she follows you, shake her. I'll do the same. We meet at Beardy Bill's," Demarco said. "It's remote enough, if we can't shake her off, we can confront her there. You know we're not done with this conversation, right?"

"I know," Etta smiled. "We'll finish it. I promise."

 

In Moonlight - Ch 20 - More Information

"Genie, Mariah, get down here!" Jenny called.

Pounding down the narrow staircase, hot on Mariah's heels, Genie's imagination treated her to all kinds of terrible things. Gangsters. Vampires. Alien dark elf men in black kidnapping squads. She was completely unprepared to find an international superstar and a slightly mad witch. 

Blinking, Genie watched as Cassie Goth pulled her daughter, Miranda, into a fierce hug.

"Mom? You're here?" Miranda laughed.

"Hush, let me hug you," Cassie said.

"... so that's what where we are," Genie said.

They had moved to the couch and explained everything they knew about Shannon Charm's murder, the worsening conflict between the witches and vampires, the Crossing project and the possible involvement of the svartalves.

"We were hoping you could tell us more about the svartalves," Miranda said. "All I know about them is what you two told Mariah and me, about your encounters with them when you first met."

"We'll tell you what we know," Gwen said serenely.

"Though really, Bella knows more about them than we do," Cassie said. Bella Goth, Cassie's stepmother, was a retired secret agent who had become regrettably famous after taking down the Landgraab Syndicate several years ago. "Unfortunately, we probably can't ask her since she dropped off the grid years ago and... unlike some people... she knows how to stay hidden," Cassie continued with a teasing smirk. 

"Anything you can tell us would be helpful," Genie said. "According to Etta, the svartalves were magical craftsmen and friends of the original witches, but they disappeared during the Century War. Miranda says you told her that they are aliens..."

"Yes. That seems a good place to begin," Gwen said, her eyes taking on a distant look. "The svartalves came from another Realm, just as my people, the alfar, did. 

"Wait," Jenny said, her eyes wide as they moved quickly between Gwen, Cassie and Miranda. "Witches are aliens too?! You guys are aliens?"

"Cassie and Miranda both have more mortal blood than alfar," Gwen said with a smile. "Even I was born in this Realm, if only on the very edges of it. Only a handful remain, the oldest of the high alfar, who were born in the Otherworld... but, yes, our ancestors came from another Realm. One known by many names - Alfheim, Tir Na Nog, the Realm of Eternal Youth, the Realm of Magic."

"The svartalves," Cassie prompted, reminding her wife of the topic at hand.

"Ah yes, the svartalves," Gwen smiled. "My ancestors were explorers. They sailed the Sea of Stars in  silver ships, and crossed the Void between Realms. In another Realm, like but unlike their own - a Realm we call Myrkheim, Nidavellir, or the Realm of Night - they encountered another people, like and unlike themselves. The svartalves.

"As Etta told you, the svartalves were talented craftsmen, even in those ancient days. Much of what my people accomplish with our Will and Words of Power, they accomplish through Knowledge and Craft."

"In other words, science and technology," Cassie put in.

"Perhaps," Gwen said, "But svartalf  'science and technology' was much closer to magic than it was to your cars and computers. They also have another magic of their own. A magic of the mind that allows them to look into the hearts and memories of others, and to influence them.

"So, when our peoples first met, the svartalves looked into the hearts of alfar and recognized fellow seekers of knowledge. 

"Together, alfar and svartalf learned much from each other, sharing secrets to deepen their understanding of the Universe. Some of them joined my ancestors on their silver ships, and set out to explore the other Realms.

"Eventually in their travels, they found a Realm that was fair and green - this Realm, that we call Midgard. Some of them - alfar and svartalf alike - weary of travel, chose to make a home for themselves here."

"I wonder what the locals thought of that," Mariah muttered.

"Some of the mortal people of Midgard, your ancestors, welcomed them," Gwen said. "They saw my ancestors as gods and heroes. Still, not all mortals did. I will not pretend the alfar and our allies did not take by force what was not given in friendship. Nor will I excuse their actions. 

"By means good and ill, the alfar and svartalves built their castles and cavern-holds. In time, their domains grew into kingdoms."

"As their strength grew, the most powerful of the alfar and the most skilled of the svartalf came together for a great project. Combining alfar magic and svartalf craft, they constructed the Gates - portals connecting Midgard to the other Realms. With these Gates, one could travel between the Realms as easily as crossing a threshold.

"One Gate, connecting Midgard to Alfheim, was raised in the kingdom of the alfar - where the town of Glimmerbrook now stands. Another, connecting to Myrkheim, was built in the hidden cavern-holds of the svartalves.

"Reunited with their home Realms, the kingdoms flourished and eventually joined to form the First Empire."

"Arrogance has ever been the greatest weakness of my people," Gwen sighed. "Even as the First Empire grew, it became decadent and corrupt. In their pride, a cabal of alchemists made homunculi - duplicates of themselves, created by alchemy and nourished by blood - to be their immortal, tireless servants."

"They tried to make perfect slaves," Miranda said coldly. "Instead, they created the first vampires."

"They did," Gwen agreed. "The draugr, the first vampires, turned on their creators. They fed upon the blood that had created them and, in doing so, absorbed the magic within that blood, growing stronger themselves.

"Under the rule of the first of their kind - a draugr known as the Pale King - the vampires attempted to destroy all those with alfar blood, and all of their allies. Mortal history remembers this as the Century War and the Fall of the First Empire."

"The svartalves, dear," Cassie prompted again.

"I'm providing some needed context," Gwen said serenely before continuing. "As I was about to say... the svartalves found themselves caught in a war not of their making. The vampires' hatred for the alfar was foremost in their cold hearts, but the part the svartalves played in the First Empire was not forgotten or forgiven. 

"Above all things the svartalves valued peace, order and stability. They wanted no part of this war. The vampires, however, were unwilling to make peace with them. Their war host marched on the svartalves' cavern-holds, intent on wiping out the alfar's allies. 

"The svartalves' leadership made their choice. While a handful of those brave, foolish, or still loyal to their friends in Midgard, remained behind to hold off the vampire host, the rest of svartalves retreated through their Gate... and destroyed it."

"They would not be seen again in Midgard for more than a thousand years."

"A thousand years is a long time," Cassie said, taking up the story. "The svartalves, the aliens, live longer than humans, but they aren't immortal, and Myrkheim isn't timeless in the way Alfheim is. When they returned to our world, they had changed.

"For one thing, they had developed their own ships for traveling the stars and crossing the Void between Realms. What Gwen calls their Craft, they had turned into what we would consider some very advanced technology."

"The difference between svartalf technology and alfar magic remains, in many ways, a matter of approach and perspective," Gwen commented.

"The aliens' perspective on a lot of things had changed," Cassie said grimly. "When they arrived in the late 1940s, just after the Second Great War, they didn't try to contact the Witches' Council. They made contact with humans."

"Wait, so those stories about aliens crash landing in the Great Western Desert and the government covering it up.... that's true?!" Jenny gasped.

"Pretty much. They came in peace," Cassie continued with a slight chuckle. "Like Gwen said, the aliens value peace, order and stability above all. They offered to share their science and technology with humans, and to help us achieve our own peace, order and stability. You can imagine how that might be appealing, after the Second Great War.

"The aliens learned how to disguise themselves, to appear human and work within human institutions. Bella said she thought they were actually involved in the formation of the Strategic Intelligence and Multinational Security Agency. They were certainly deeply embedded in the Agency when we encountered them, twenty five years ago. They even had their own division within the Agency - Section 6, a covert group dedicated to 'monitoring and containing extraordinary threats to peace and order.'"

"That sounds kind of ominous," Genie mused.

"Well, it seems that they had come to believe that witches - or to use their term, 'psychokinetic actives' - were potentially serious threats to their idea of peace and order," Cassie said. "Section 6 was tasked with keeping these 'threats' under control. They don't much like vampires or werewolves - they call them 'infected' and 'aberrations' - either, but Section 6 was particularly interested in witches.

"You see the leader of Section 6 - a scientist called Dr. Key - had a secret agenda. By capturing and studying witches, Dr. Key was attempting to understand our powers and to recreate the legendary devices that combined alfar magic and svartalf craft... including the Gates.

"There was a faction among the aliens - including Dr. Key and Section 6 - who planned to bring 'peace and order' to this world... by conquering it," Cassie said. "The first step in that plan was to recreate the Gate and bring through an army of so-called Protectors - their warrior caste. We're guessing that their accounts of the First Empire and the Century War have led them to believe that witches are erratic, corrupt and dangerous and that humans are weak and need to be controlled.

"Twenty-five years ago, thinking he was close to a breakthrough, Dr. Key sent his chief enforcer - a Protector called Agent Hand - to abduct Gwen," Cassie continued. "That's how we became involved in all of this. Dr. Key believed that, because Gwen has a connection to the Glimmerbrook Gate, he could use her to finally create his own Gate."

"He failed," Gwen said with a pleased smile. 

"Well fortunately, and this is important, not all of the aliens agreed with Section 6. With the help of those friendly aliens..."

"... and a little help from us," Gwen pointed out.

"... and a little help from us," Cassie agreed with a smile, "Bella was able to put a stop to the invasion plan. In the end, she got the Agency to shut down Section 6. Dr. Key and his faction fell out of favor with the other aliens, and we haven't had any trouble with them since... until now, it seems."

"Your family is so weird," Jenny said, looking at Miranda.

"You don't have to tell me," Miranda chuckled. "So, I guess the question is, are we dealing with Section 6 again... or at least the faction that was behind Section 6?"

"You said the aliens lived longer than we do... humans, I mean," Mariah said, obviously recognizing that 'human' only described half the people in the room. "Could the Mr. Hand we saw at Evergreen Development really be the same as the Agent Hand who worked for Dr. Key twenty-five years ago?"

"It seems likely," Gwen said, considering. 

"But why would aliens, even alien dark elves planning world domination, be interested in a shady land deal?" Jenny asked.

"Etta said it... the Moonwood," Miranda replied. "It's a nexus of natural magical power... like a hot spring would be for geo-thermal power... almost as strong as the nexus at Glimmerbrook. If they're still trying to combine our magic and their technology, it's a perfect location for their research. They might even be trying again to create their own Gate."

That all sounded very important, Genie thought, but her mind was stuck on a thought that had been circling in her mind since something Cassie had said.

"You said the aliens value peace and order, stability and tradition," Genie said.

"That sounds familiar, when you say it like that," Jenny said.

"It should," Genie breathed. "It's the Axis party agenda."

"Wait, are you seriously suggesting the aliens are behind the Axis party?" Mariah scoffed. "That's crazy... isn't it?"

"Actually, it's a possibility," Cassie said. "Just like they infiltrated the Agency decades ago, it's not that much of stretch to imagine they would infiltrate other organizations, even the Lower House. With their powers to read and influence minds, it wouldn't be that difficult for them."

"Are we seriously talking about mind-controlling aliens in government?" Jenny asked, looking around the room.

"Why not? We've already know there are witches and vampires in the Upper House," Miranda shrugged.

"OK well, the crazy history lessons and alien conspiracy theories are... crazy and all, but if we're going to stop Baron Charm from making the whole shadow war worse, put a stop to the Crossing project and bring Shannon's killers to justice, we still need proof," Genie pointed out.

"I bet my mom knows something," Genie continued. "Jenny and I have seen her meeting with Mr. Hand. We know she's dealt with Mr. Grey and laundered money for the Alto family. Throw in the fact that my dad is a member of the Axis party, and she knows... and fundraises... for them," she sighed. "I know she's started to keep files of all her shady deals, like my grand-père Jacques did. If I can get into her files, I can find the evidence we need. I'm sure of it."

"This sounds familiar," Mariah smiled, remembering another time they had attempted to get secret files from Genie's family. "When do we leave?"

"We don't," Genie said firmly, looking at Miranda and Mariah. "You guys stay here. Update Etta and Demarco and see if you can find any more evidence from Evergreen Development or that Cletus guy."

"Meanwhile, Gwen and I can try to keep a lid on things with the shadow war," Cassie said, though she sounded doubtful. "I have a few contacts who might be able to help, and Gwen can talk to the other members of the Council." 

"At the very least, I can try to keep Darrel Charm from doing anything foolish," Gwen said. "I've known him since we were children. He'll listen to me."

"Sounds like we have a plan," Jenny said brightly.