Chapter 14

The friends ordered and ate in silence, while the old witch watched them closely. Once they were done and she cleaned up their plates she said,

“So you aren't the Four. Are you?”

Troy said, “No Ma'am. We aren't.”

“Well, you're their kids, aren't you?”

“Uh...we...well, I mean...”

“Aha! I knew it, you look just like your parents. They were here you know. Years and years ago. Back when they still had wands.”

Stephen said, “Really? You knew them?”

“I met them. I was working as a nurse and I think it was Ruth that was injured. They came to the clinic where I worked. Of course, they are gone now...you must miss them. I'm surprised you aren't wearing their old robes.”

Rose said, “We don't have time to chat Mrs. Whoever you are. Thanks for the food, but we've got to get going.” The witch waved them a sad goodbye as the walked out of the pub. Troy said,

“Jeez Rose, you didn't have to blow her off like that.” Rose looked at him and said,

“Do you want to find Andromeda or not? Let's go Stephen.” Stephen nodded and returned his suit to normal. He put his helmet back on, checked his coordinates, and blasted into the sky. The other three followed quickly behind and soon they were traveling at supersonic speeds. Soon, they were flying over the Siberian tundra. Stephen checked the temperature outside his suit. He opened a link with the others and said,

“The temp outside is dropping quickly. We need to get there soon, or find somewhere to dig in for the night. I don't know how fast these things can really go, but we have about 200 more miles to cover in about 25 minutes.”

Rose said, “Well then let's just see.” She summoned all the energy she could muster and then released it. The suit automatically multiplied her power, causing her to accelerate to near luminal speeds. Light, color, and sounds melted together into a frightening mixture and Rose could barely see out of her visor. She stopped and looked around, realizing that she was in a completely different place. She turned around in midair to find nobody around her. Back with the others, Stephen said,

“Oh my god.”

Tika said, “What Stephen? What happened to her?”

“I think she just reached something near light speed.”

“What?”

“It has previously been impossible to reach those kinds of speeds without disintegrating completely, even for wizards. But from the flash of light, it looks like Rose may have just done it. Come on, summon all the power you can.” They did as told and then released. A similar effect happened, causing them to shoot forward at unmeasurable speeds. Rose suddenly found Troy, Tika, and Stephen in the air next to her. The other three reeled from the shock and Rose said,

“Guys, look.” Above them towered the massive peak from Ginny's photo and below then stood the little log cabin. They began to drop toward the ground and touched down in the snow quietly. Their suits changed to a stark white, blending them perfectly with the surrounding snow. They peeked through the window. A woman sat in a large chair in front of the fire. She was reading what looked like an old, leather-bound volume. Her jet black hair fell at shoulder length, and the firelight flickered off her pale skin. Zooming in with his visor, Stephen saw the freckles on her skin and that she wore glasses. She looked up and out of the window, obviously not spotting them, and then back down at her book. One of her eyes was electric blue, and the other a striking green. Stephen whispered through the comlinks,

“Alright guys, I suggest we go in. White robes.” He moved to the door and took of his helmet. His suit shimmered and became clean white robes. He pushed the door inward and the woman shot out of her seat. She held a wand high above her head and said,

“I knew you bastards would find me someday.”

Stephen said, “Andromeda, we're not with the Dark Warlock.”

“How do you know my name? You're not? Who are you? Why should I believe you?”

“I'm Stephen Dorman, these are my friends Troy Phillips, Tika Allman, and Rose Dunn.” Andromeda looked contemplative and said,

“Hmm. Those names. Dunn, Phillips, Dorman. You all are the New Four, aren't you?” The friends nodded. Andromeda lowered her wand and said,

“Even all the way out here I've heard of your story. Children of the Four, inheriting their status and power. What are you all doing here?”

Troy said, “We wanted to let you know that your daughter-in-law is dead. But you granddaughter is safe. We also came to ask for some information.”

Andromeda said, “I heard about Alyssa's death. But if you're here for information, then they can't be far behind...” Andromeda pulled out her wand just as the entire roof tore from the cabin. Two figures floated above the cabin, clad in billowing black robes. Andromeda yelled,

“Fools! You will NOT take me alive!” A green jet of light shot from her wand and slammed into the second figure. It tumbled limply to the ground. The first just let out a mirthless laugh and began to hurtle toward them.