Wavering Moon

By Lisa Colodny

Have you ever considered how your life might be if magic was an everyday part of it? What if your heritage included a line of powerful “good” witches who battled demons and the powerful dark knights who threatened to disrupt the balance of power? Although Magna Joubert’s been aware of the White Witches who govern the Coterie, s

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kingston Publishing Company
• Release date: Sep 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645331957

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Copyright

Wavering Moon is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

WAVERING MOON: A NOVEL

Copyright © 2019 by Lisa Colodny

All rights reserved.

Editing by KP Editing

Cover design by KP Designs

Published by Kingston Publishing Company

The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means—including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

Table of Contents

Copyright

Table of Contents

Dedication

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

About the Author

About the Publisher

Extras

Dedication

To my little brother, Curtis,

I'm sorry we ran out of time. And I miss you.

1

The airport was exactly as she remembered it, an urbanized maze of steel buildings and runways camouflaged by oak trees whose trunks were so massive, they could have easily been mistaken for one of the airport terminals. The plane descended quickly, but not so fast that she couldn’t make out the edge of the Louisiana bayou, with its tall grasses swaying against the wind and canopy of lush green trees. If she was able to see through the thick shield of leaves and branches standing guard at the top of the big tree trunks, there probably would have been numerous fishing boats on the swamp, harvesting shrimp, fish, and crawfish as well as crocodiles and other endogenous animals of the swamp trying to find some refuge from the heat. From her vantage point at four hundred feet in the air, she couldn’t see any of those things, but Magna Joubert knew they were there, hidden in plain sight, just the same.

If she’d flown home at night, the area would have been lit up like a Christmas tree, its runway markers looking like fluorescent strands of lights strung tight around the airport. But the sun was still high in the sky, so high, she’d known it was lunch time even without the rumble of her stomach. She couldn’t help but consider what mouth-watering entrée Mrs. Abellard would have prepared for lunch.

Magna waited patiently for the older couple who’d been sitting in the seats in front of her, to collect their baggage from the overhead storage bay. She stepped into the aisle of the plane, and reached inside the cubicle where her carryon luggage was stowed.

She stretched her five-foot-six frame as long as she could, and thrust her hands and arms into the bin, standing on tiptoe to reach deep into the overhead and grab the black duffel bag she knew was there. Her fingers had just touched the hard plastic of the wheel, when a deep voice behind her asked.

Can I help you with that?

No, thank you, she answered, without looking over to him. I got it. She leaned into the bin thinking how close she was to pulling it to the edge, closer to where she could almost lift it out.

You sure you don’t want some help? he asked again, his voice tinged with impatience.

She felt, rather than saw him, motion behind them to where the other passengers were waiting to get into the walkway and exit the plane. Some of us have connecting flights?

Thanks, she said, as she crumbled her body back to its normal stature, motioned to the overhead bin, and leaned against the other row of seats, so that he would have better access to her overhead space.

In one swift motion, he collected the bag, set it on the floor, and pulled the handle to its full length before directing it handle-first to her. I’m sure no one will report you to the feminist council.

She knew he was trying to be funny, charming even, but he wasn’t and she didn’t smile, not even one in concession. Instead, she took the bag from him and pulled it toward the exit. Thank you, she called to him, once her back was to him.

Don’t mention it.

She supposed he would be considered good looking; tall with dark hair, trimmed fashionably around his neck and ears and longer strands on the top of his head parted to one side.  It would have been easy to get lost his eyes, if she were in the mood for a new adventure. He had a lite growth of dark stubble over his top lip and chin, she could only imagine how soft it would feel against the tip of her fingers. Stop it, she told herself. Where had that come from?

Although he was dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, the black, leather jacket he was wearing made him appear less casual. She didn’t see a ring on his finger or even a watch against his wrist. In fact, the only jewelry he wore at all, was a silver cross hanging around his neck, peeking out from the dark hair of his chest. Silky, she thought, wondering once again, how it might feel under her hand.

Magna silently admonished herself for the thought. The last thing she needed right now was to be involved with someone, anyone. She didn’t need the distraction. For the next few months, the only thing in her life had to be managing her mother’s estate and businesses.

She felt his steps close behind her, so close she could smell his cologne. Stetson, she thought, remembering the same scent worn by a male friend at school, long ago. The dark-haired stranger’s pace was quick, his strides long as he closed the distance between them. There was a tiny piece of her somewhere deep inside, that considered maybe she should be afraid, fearful he might hurt her. But, it was a fleeting thought, no one knew better than she did that she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

She followed the line of passengers to the baggage claim, taking note of how ant-like they must look from a bird’s eye view. She wondered if God himself might be looking down and chanting left, right, left, right. Left. Better yet, maybe it was her mother barking down at them as if she were a drill sergeant and monitoring their military maneuver. The thought made her laugh and she smiled at the young couple as they passed her in the processional to the baggage claim. They returned her silent greeting and she wondered if they’d been on her flight. She really wasn’t sure if they had been or not. Some she recognized; others were as nondescript as she probably seemed to them.

It wasn’t that she had a problem with crowds, she didn’t. In fact, usually, short of dancing on the tabletop, she was the life of the party with one interesting story or tale after the other. For whatever reason, people were drawn to her like a magnet, and most of the time she found that comforting. But today, she wanted nothing more than to find a calm, quiet place and wait for her luggage to appear on the carousel.

She closed her eyes, grateful for the serenity of the darkness and inhaled, hoping to catch a whiff of the familiar comforting aromas of home. Cajun shrimp, she inhaled. Fried chicken, she smiled. Stetson cologne, her eyes jerked open to find the handsome stranger from her flight waiting patiently for his bag to ride by on the baggage claim.

I thought you had a connecting flight? she asked, surprised how aggravated her words sounded, even to her own ears.

I said some of us, he smiled. Not necessarily me. He dropped his carryon bag to the floor, so that the sound resonated in the spaces between them. We got off on the wrong foot.

He offered his hand. I apologize for my rude behavior earlier. I’ve had an unusual week at work and I was anxious to get home.

She shook his hand, alternating her glances between the bags passing by on the belt and his face. No worries. She dropped his hand. I hope your weekend is better.

Me, too. He paused and she knew he was waiting for her to apologize as well.

She reached past him. Pardon me, she said, and grabbed both of her suitcases from the moving belt, unsurprised that he didn’t move to help her. Enjoy your stay in New Orleans.

Once her bags were stacked on top of the luggage cart, she tossed her carryon on the cart as well, pulled her purse high on her shoulder, and pushed the cart toward the arrival terminal. She thought about looking back, but didn’t. There was no need, the chance of ever seeing him again was nil. It just wasn’t worth the effort.

There wasn’t a need to hurry, even after the time it took to gather her bags from baggage claim, engage the handsome passenger from her flight, and stop at the restroom. She knew Egron would be parked at the curb of the airport terminal waiting for her. Magna pulled the baggage cart through the automated doors, and swept her long red hair into a messy bun with her free hand.

She knew New Orleans, like Los Angeles, was hot this time of the year, it was going to take some time to reacclimate to the humidity. She felt tiny beads of sweat slide down her back and collect at the waistband of her underwear, as if to validate her thought.

Magna! she heard him call out, before she spotted him and his truck parked alongside the curb. It was obvious he’d come straight from work even without the logo on the side of the old, worn truck that read Oak Valley Plantation. It was a dead giveaway just like the logo on the worn, longed sleeve denim shirt he was wearing.

Egron. She fell into his embrace, not bothered by the dampness of his shirt or the thick, pungent scent of his working day as it was transferred from his body to hers during their embrace. You didn’t have to come yourself, anyone at the Academy could have picked me up.

It’s not every day the prodigal child returns home. He grabbed her bags and heaved them one at a time into the back of the pick-up truck. It is good to have you home, Magna.

She waited until he loaded the last of her bags into the truck before walking behind the truck and sliding into the passenger seat. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone. Magna knew she probably should have responded with something more in line with Egron’s greeting, something like, it’s good to be home. But she wasn’t sure how she felt about starting the new chapter in her life. True, she’d grown up in New Orleans, spent the first twenty -one years of her life within the walls of the plantation and the Academy. Returning home had always been bittersweet even before her mother’s death last fall.

To say she wasn’t disappointed to give up the life she’d made away from Louisiana, would have been a lie. But, on the other hand, she was anxious to reconnect with her family and friends, as well as the familiar faces of the people who’d been running the Academy in her mother’s absence.

It only took a few minutes for Egron to navigate the truck away from the airport and through the New Orleans traffic and end up traveling on Highway sixty-one. Quickly, the landscape transitioned from urban to rural farmland and smaller communities. Forty miles, she thought, until she’d be back to where it all had begun, a place she wasn’t sure she wanted to return to.

****

This is a good thing you’re doing, Magna, Egron said, stealing intermittent glances between the road and Magna. He paused and waited for her to respond, when she didn’t, he went on. Halona has been trying to manage your mother’s load, but it’s taking a toll on her.

Magna smiled at the thought of Halona, one of her oldest friends since middle school. I heard Heath took over the responsibilities of being head instructor at the Academy, that must be helping some?

It is. He nodded, as if he needed to emphasize his words. But the Academy’s only a small part of the plantation’s business now. For years, we were sustained by the sugar cane, but now we’re cultivating semi-aquatic rice, as well, in the areas that flood consistently. He wiped his brow. Skylar and Amitola have worked well together to augment the farms working resources. With the extra hands, we’re producing substantial amounts of potatoes, tomatoes, and melons.

I’m surprised Skylar would have the time, isn’t he still teaching weather analysis at the Academy? Magna asked, smiling at the thought of him. He’d come to the Academy right after his thirteenth birthday, they’d become friends instantly. In fact, she’d gotten her first kiss not long after that.

The weather keeps him busy that’s for sure. Plus, since Amitola made detective, he works very closely with her on the outreach program.

Mom mentioned the plantation had partnered with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s office to rehabilitate non-violent first-time offenders.

Yes. Egron smiled, as if he’d just become a proud father. Amitola works with the sheriff’s office to identify young folks that need some help. When Skyler isn’t teaching at the Academy, he’s working with Wayne to help rehab the folks in the outreach program.

He paused and rubbed at his chin, making scratching noises as his hard skin of his calloused hand connected with the thick stubble left over from the morning shave. Seems after all these years, the Academy still just barely gets by. Wouldn’t you think at some point in time, you could take in more students and better affect the bottom line of the business?

Magna’s face contorted to such extent, it seemed as if she’d picked up a distasteful odor. The Academy’s mission has never been about building revenue or making a name. She contemplated her next words carefully. After a decade of hiding the magic Academy in plain sight inside the plantation, she’d hate for it to have all been for nothing and expose it. It’s always been aligned as a more humanitarian gesture.

He laughed and his face reddened as if he’d been drinking. I’m sorry. After thirty plus years, I never questioned your mother. I won’t start questioning you now.

It’s okay, Magna explained, thinking it would be easier sometimes if Egron knew the truth about the Academy, that the instructors and students were all bestowed with magical powers of one kind or another. The instructors had mastered their magical abilities while the students were just learning to use theirs. Magna wasn’t sure which group she’d be best represented by. There hadn’t been a need to call on her magical powers in a very long time.

Do you need to stop anywhere before we get to the plantation? His question was abrupt and Magna knew he was hoping her answer was no, he was anxious to get back to work.

No, once I get settled, Halona or Amitola can bring me out or I can use one of the trucks from Oak Valley. She fiddled with the seam on the hem of her dress and hoped she’d brought enough clothes with her. It would take several weeks for her stuff to arrive from Los Angeles and she hated buying things she didn’t need.

As you wish. He signaled that the truck was exiting the highway, slowed down for the curve, and paused at the intersection of Gramercy. I know you miss your mother, his words were soft, as he gunned the truck’s engine and headed closer to Oak Valley. She was a great lady, always very kind to me. I miss her, too.

Magna wiped at her eyes and leaned against the truck’s window waiting for Egron to continue. I know she was disappointed when you decided to go away to school.

She was, Magna answered. But she understood that I wanted something else. I didn’t want the life she had for wanted myself. And she supported my choice.

Nadelyn wanted you here with her, but as your mother, she wanted you to be happy, too. He smiled. She was so proud of you, you know. He licked his lips, biting against the bottom one where the skin was chapped and crinkled like a raisin. My daughter, the doctor, she would say, his words were happy, so joyful they hung as if by magic in the air between them. She never missed an opportunity to update the staff on what was new with you.

I didn’t know that. Magna looked away, tapping her head gently against the passenger’s windshield. I assumed my absence was a topic she avoided.

Never. He shook his head for effect. She hoped you’d come home one day, but had fully accepted that you might not, he laughed, as if she’d said something funny. She was proud that you were your own person.

I miss her, Egron, Magna said, with her head still perched against the glass. So many mornings on my way to the hospital, I grab my phone to call her. She swallowed back the tears that were threatening to fall. She’s still the first person I want to share the good news with.

Me too. He nodded. Did you know I came to work for her nearly thirty years ago?

She raised her head off the glass. I knew it was a long time ago, but I don’t think I knew it was that long. You two had quite the history together?

She was like family to me, as are you, Magna, he paused, looking intermittently at the road and Magna. Whatever you decide to do from this point onward, just know you can count on me.

I appreciate that Egron. She reached across the seat and placed her hand atop of his. I haven’t forgotten how after my father died, you stepped up and tried to fill the void left by his absence.

Your father was a good man.

I barely remember him. Her smiled faded. Sometimes, I think the memories I have are little more than stories I heard about him as I was growing up.

You were very young when he died, Magna. I’m surprised you remember much at all.

I know, but I want to hold on to all the little pieces of him for as long as I can. It’s all I have left.

If you cling to him in your heart, your mind will hold on as well and won’t let go, I promise.

****

Welcome home! Halona called from the doorway, before taking long strides down the steps of the massive front porch and opening the truck’s door before it was fully stopped. Halona was slim and petite, with long dark hair that had just enough curl in it to be worrisome. She had deep blue eyes that Magna used to refer to as guy magnets when they were younger. There had been many a late- night discussion over pizza and beer regarding how many potential suitors were lost in Halona’s crystal blue eyes.

Look at you, Magna answered, tapping at Halona’s name badge where in addition to her name it indicated she was the Academy’s executive administrator.

Well, Halona said, pulling away from Magna’s embrace. It was a temporary solution until you could find your way home. She locked her arm through Magna’s and pulled her up the steps and through the front door. I prayed this day would come. Her smile faded. I just wish Nadelyn was here with us.

Me too. Magna wrapped her hand around Halona’s arm where they were still connected.

Egron, can you see that her bags get upstairs? Halona paused. Just take them upstairs to Nadelyn’s room.

I don’t know if I want to stay in my mother’s room, Magna interrupted. I think I’d be more comfortable in my old room.

We converted yours into a dormitory room. We have a new student, a shapeshifter who’s challenged with controlling her migrations. We’ve had a hard time finding an appropriate roommate for her. Halona looked away, Truth is, there’s no room at the inn. Several of the other instructors have moved into refurbished quarters on the grounds.

You mean, they’re living in the old slave quarters? Magna asked, looking slightly fearful. I didn’t realize the quarters were livable.  She dropped her purse on the big chair just inside the foyer.

We had tons of work done on the quarters, but we really didn’t have any choice. There was no place else. Skylar was one of the first to move, but he hardly slept here anyway, she laughed. He always said he was allergic to the house, remember? She stepped aside enough to allow Egron room to pass by with Magna’s suitcases in his arms.

He made another trip to the truck to get the remaining bag and stopped on his way out of the door. I’ll have Jeffrey come over and see that there’s enough firewood in your room.

Jeffrey? Magna asked, once Egron had left and closed the door behind him.

He’s one of the young men with the outreach program, Halona explained. He’s a hot shot ballplayer who suffered an injury of some kind, and hasn’t been able to return to the game or his scholarship, she paused. And he’s very good lucking.

What kind of injury? Magna took a seat on the sofa and peered outside toward the barn where the outreach participants resided.

Something to do with his knee? Halona took the