The Star-Fire Prophecy (11 page)

After Evan left them to go into his house, Lydia said, “Don’t worry about Melantha.”

“Why would I?” Danica tried to say lightly, but her voice rang false in her ears.

Chapter Fourteen

In the morning Danica told Amy that the lessons with Melantha would be resumed.

“Today?” Amy asked.

“This afternoon. How do you feel about it?”

“I have to learn more,” Amy said.

“We’ll have to let people know about you soon,” Danica said. “Galt, for one.”

“Please, not yet,” Amy begged, fear showing in her eyes.

“I’ll wait until you agree, but we can’t hide the fact that you can talk forever. I think Melantha knows as it is.”
And why hasn’t Melantha told anyone
? Danica wondered.

“Can I still stay in your house?” Amy asked.

“I hope so. We’ll see about moving you in with the other children, though, instead of here in my bedroom.”

“I feel safe here,” Amy said. “In your room.”

Danica smiled at her. “I like having you with me, but it isn’t fair to the other children. Jodie would probably like to be in my room, too.”

“Oh—her.”

After breakfast Danica brought Amy to Evan’s to join in with the group there. “I want you to be pleasant to Jodie,” she warned Amy before they left the house. “It’s your responsibility because you understand far more than Jodie does.”

“Oh, I know,” Amy said. “But I wouldn’t like Jodie even if she was smarter.”

“Liking has nothing to do with being pleasant.”

“It makes being pleasant easier,” Amy said.

Evan and Danica worked with the children until lunch.

“Do you want to eat here?” he asked.

“I’ll check with Lydia. I think she’s still doing lunches, but with the fire and the mess afterwards I’ve lost track of whose turn it is.”

“Send Amy down with a note.”

“Oh no, I’ll just run over and ask Lydia.”

“You’re going to spoil that child. She’s perfectly capable of taking a note and bringing the answer back.”

“I know. But I’d rather talk to Lydia myself.” When Danica returned to Evan’s, lunch was on the table.

She helped him clean up afterward and then it was time for Amy to go to Melantha’s.

“You’re a perfect example of the overprotective mother,” Evan said to Danica. “Melantha’s house is next door, Amy’s been living there with her up until now, surely she can find her way.”

“I want to take her,” Danica said stubbornly.

“Come and talk to me afterward?”

“For a few minutes.”

Danica’s impulse, as she led Amy down the path to Melantha’s, was to take the girl and leave, leave Star-Fire, go somewhere safe with Amy. She shook her head.
That’s nonsense
, she told herself.
No one is trying to hurt Amy here, not even Melantha
. But her feeling of leading the girl into danger remained.

She knelt by Amy at Melantha’s door. “Okay?” she asked.

The big grey eyes searched her face as though seeking reassurance, but Amy nodded. Danica knocked at the door.

Melantha appeared, and, as Amy went inside, the cat slipped out before the door was closed. Dido’s yellow eyes stared at Danica until she turned and walked slowly away.

“What does Melantha do with the children?” she asked Evan over coffee at his house.

“You keep asking. The same as the rest of us, I imagine. With her own interpretations.” He leaned across the table and took Danica’s hand. “Stop worrying.”

She sighed. Evan was right, worrying didn’t accomplish a thing.

“Are you serious about Galt?” he asked. “I know it’s probably none of my business—but are you?”

“I—I don’t know,” she answered, miserably aware that she did know, she was serious, if serious meant being in love with Galt. But she couldn’t bear to reveal herself to Evan. How did Galt feel? Yesterday she had thought she knew. Then last night…

“I care about you, you know,” Evan said. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be saying this. But you should be aware that Melantha spent the night with Galt.”

Danica caught back a cry, swallowed, and managed to say, “That’s their business.”

“I wasn’t spying, if that’s what you think. I happened to get up at dawn and walk outside, and I saw her coming home, still in her red dress…”

Danica said nothing. Underneath her distress was distaste for Evan because he was telling her and annoyance at herself for listening. What Galt did was his own affair, he had made her no promises. She’d imagined he cared for her, read emotion into a look between them—an emotion that didn’t exist on his part. It was foolish to be so upset.

“I know they’ve been close for a long time,” Evan said. “Since before I came. Of course Galt was attracted to you—what man wouldn’t be? But I wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”

Funny. That’s what Galt said yesterday. And now they both had hurt her. Danica blinked back tears.

“Don’t trust a dark man,” her mother had said.

Danica took a deep breath and looked around her desperately. She had to talk about something else or cry in front of Evan. A Gemini poster hung on the wall. Evan was a Gemini. All the zodiac signs curved in a circle about the Twins. Her eyes sought her own, the arrow. Carefully she examined the others, closing her mind to Galt.
Don’t think about him
, she told herself.
See—that must be Capricorn, the Goat, next to Sagittarius. Then
…

“What comes after Capricorn?” she asked.

“What?”

“I was looking at your poster. I know my sign is the arrow and I know Capricorn is next.”

Evan rose and went over to the poster. He pointed to the two wavy lines next to the Goat symbol. “This stands for Aquarius, the Water Bearer,” he said.

“Then Pisces.” He moved his finger around the signs as he spoke. “Aries is next, it’s really the first sign of the zodiac. Then Taurus and after that comes mine, Gemini.” As his finger touched the next one her eyes widened.

“What’s that sign?” she asked. “The one with the two nines?”

“Two nines? I never thought of the Cancer symbol in that way, but I guess it does look like one nine on top of another.”

All at once Danica was twelve years old and back on the Arizona desert.
Your fate the numbers nine on nine
, the old man was intoning.

Evan’s voice droned in her ears but she didn’t hear what he said.

…
the numbers nine on nine
… Cancer, the Crab. Galt was a Cancer. How was Galt tied to her fate?

“…and this is Scorpio, the Scorpion, and we’re back to your arrow once again.”

“Melantha’s a Scorpio,” she said. The thought of the two scorpions she had found in her room flashed into her mind. “I found another scorpion in my bathroom night before last,” she told Evan.

He laughed. “Don’t tell me you suspect Melantha of putting them there?”

It was odd that Evan said exactly what she was thinking. The scorpions were Melantha’s warnings. Warnings to leave.

“She doesn’t want me here,” Danica said. “And there’s something wrong with what she’s teaching Amy.”

“Oh, come on,” Evan protested.

“There is,” Danica insisted. “Amy is being drained of strength. And Melantha is responsible.”

Evan stared at her. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

“Yes. I’ve tried to convince myself it’s ridiculous, but I can’t. Whatever made Amy sick a few days ago was Melantha’s fault.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because…” Danica paused. Should she tell Evan about Amy? The temptation to share the responsibility of the knowledge was almost overwhelming. But, no, not yet, she mustn’t tell anyone yet. “Because no one seems to know exactly what Melantha does with the children. Her lessons are held in private. Who watches her?”

“But that’s no reason to…”

“And why does Melantha want to get rid of me? Lydia says it’s because I’m pretty…” To her horror, her voice broke on the last word and tears filled her eyes. “Lydia’s wrong. I’m no threat to—to Melantha that way. But Amy likes me, I’m taking Amy away from her and she can’t stand that, won’t have it—why? What is she doing with Amy that I might prevent?” She struggled to keep back her sobs.

“You can’t think Melantha is—is molesting Amy?”

Danica began to laugh and cry at the same time. “That
is
ridiculous. She—she’s after Amy’s mind, she wants to control her. Oh, what’s the use…”

Danica covered her face with her hands and sobbed hopelessly.

She felt Evan pull her to her feet and she leaned against him, tears running down her face while he held her close. She was conscious of nothing but her own misery.

Danica was vaguely aware of a door closing, footsteps, children’s voices. A man spoke. Galt? She pulled away from Evan, eyes wet, and caught a blurred glimpse of a man leaving the kitchen. After a moment the door opened and closed.

“Who…?”

“Galt brought the kids back from his hour with them.”

“Oh.”
What will Galt think
? she asked herself.
Finding me here like this with Evan …But then what does it matter what Galt thinks? He doesn’t really care about me, he barely noticed me at the meeting last night. No wonder, if he and Melantha
…

“You don’t believe me about Melantha’s harming Amy, do you?” she asked Evan as she dried her face with tissues.

“I believe you think something’s wrong.”

“But
you
don’t.”

“I can try and find out,” he said. “I want to help you.”

Danica looked at Evan. He was a handsome man, maybe some would think better-looking than Galt. As she watched him, he ran a hand through his blond hair.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked.

Danica took a deep breath. Evan would help her. Together they’d be able to discover what Melantha was doing.

“Ask Melantha if you can sit in on her lessons with Amy,” she said. “Find out what goes on.”

“I’ll try.”

“Couldn’t you pretend to be interested in her? After all, she’s very attractive.”

“Yes. Melantha’s a beautiful woman.”

Danica eyed him narrowly. He grinned at her.

“Do you think I’ll defect?” he asked.

She smiled reluctantly. “Are all you Geminis comedians?”

“No, just two-faced.”

Danica sighed. Evan couldn’t be serious for very long at a time. But she had to believe he’d help, that he was on her side. There was no one else.

Will that be the way of it
? she wondered.
Evan and I on one side and Melantha on the other
. And Galt? Did he stand with Melantha, right or wrong?
I should talk to Galt, I must talk to him
, she thought.
Evan could be wrong about what he saw. Why did I believe him so fast? Still, he has no reason to lie
.

“I have to get back,” she said to Evan. “Thanks.”

“I’ll report in soon, Chief,” he said.

Danica found Dave at the house with Lydia. They were planning to take the children horseback riding.

“Amy isn’t back yet,” Lydia said. “I’m sorry she’ll miss going.”

“I’ll do something special with her,” Danica said. “Have a good time.”

After they all trooped out, she washed her face and brushed her hair, then started for Galt’s with determination.
I’ll know how he feels when I talk to him
, she told herself.

When she reached his house, she knocked tentatively on the door and waited. There was no answer, but she thought she heard music coming from inside. She turned the knob and pushed open the door. Yes, a stereo unit in the living room played an old song, one her mother used to like. “…dreams I fashioned the night you held me tight…,” a woman sang.

Danica couldn’t recall the name of the song. She looked into the living room, the kitchen, then down the hall. No one was in the room with the files or the first bedroom. The next door was shut. She hesitated.

A woman laughed and Danica started, glanced behind her, then realized the sound had come from behind the closed door.

“Sometimes I think you don’t understand these children as well as you imagine.” Melantha’s voice.

“You’re sure about Amy?” Galt.

“Yes. Disturbed, I agree. But definitely disabled,” Melantha said.

Then Galt’s voice again, warm. “You’re usually right, Melantha, I won’t argue. She’s all yours.”

“Thank you.” Melantha’s husky voice, low, caressing.

Then silence.

Danica’s face contorted in pain. She was intruding on their privacy. Melantha and Galt in his bedroom. She shouldn’t have come. Evan was right.

It wasn’t until she was outside that the full import of what she’d heard came to her. Galt was giving Melantha a free hand with Amy! And if Melantha was with Galt, where was Amy now? Had the child gone back to the house and found no one there? Was she looking for Danica?

Danica ran down the path to the house, and flung open the door. “Amy,” she called. “Here I am. Amy?”

There was no answer, nor was Amy in any of the rooms. Could she still be in Melantha’s house?

Danica hurried back up the path. She hesitated a moment at Melantha’s door, then opened it and went into the house. She tried to call Amy’s name, but the word seemed to stick in her throat.
Be quiet
, something within her urged.
Move carefully, don’t make any noise
.

Danica tiptoed in and out of rooms, finding them all empty. At last she came to a closed door. Her mouth twisted as she leaned against it to see if she could hear anything. A listener at closed doors, an eavesdropper, was what she was turning into. She didn’t like the picture of herself, but nevertheless she opened the door a crack and peered in.

Amy sat in a chair, head back, eyes closed. At first Danica thought she was alone and started to push the door open and go in, when her eye caught a flicker of motion and she saw Melantha crouched at the left side of the child. Melantha spoke in a singsong.

“Now you must tell me what you see. I command you and you must obey. Tell me.”

Chapter Fifteen

Melantha! She was here already. Danica stepped back, startled, then realized what Melantha was doing with Amy. A form of hypnotism? Why? Cautiously she brought her head close to the crack of the door and peered in again.

She heard Amy’s voice. “Fire,” Amy said. “I see fire all around.”

“What else do you see?” Melantha asked.

“Someone in the fire.”

“Who?”

“I—I can’t tell who.”

“I command you.”

“The face is covered up—I don’t know who it is.”

“A woman?”

“I don’t know.”

“Shall I see for myself?”

Amy’s face contorted and she seemed to be struggling to awaken. “No,” she gasped. “No.”

“Then tell me.”

“But the face is covered.” Distress was in Amy’s voice.

Danica longed to rush into the room and carry Amy out, away from the strangeness, but she was afraid to break the trance so abruptly, if trance it was. She didn’t know enough about hypnotism to be sure.

“I’ll look,” Melantha said. “Be still.”

Amy quieted and stopped shifting in the chair; her face went slack.

Melantha was silent and Danica edged the door open a bit farther to see her more clearly. Melantha had seated herself on the floor, her head back against Amy’s chair, eyes closed. She held the cat on her lap and Dido’s yellow eyes were turned toward the door.

The cat knows I’m here
, Danica thought.
Does that mean Melantha will know, too
? She watched, not understanding, and a sense of terror surrounded her. She shivered and the hair rose on her nape. What was Melantha doing? The terror was Amy’s, projected outward like an invisible miasma. And yet Melantha was not touching the child in any way. Was she?

Danica remembered Amy saying she could see into people’s heads. Was Melantha able to do this, too? Was she inside Amy’s mind now, discovering for herself what Amy saw of the fire and the hooded figure? Danica grimaced in revulsion and fright. Such a thing wasn’t possible!

But neither had she thought it possible to see into the future as Amy apparently could. Precognition. Was Melantha sharing Amy’s precognition? Is that what Melantha wanted of Amy—to see into the future?

The lessons. Training lessons so Amy could develop her unusual talents? And at the same time Melantha would tighten her hold on the child. Would she soon control Amy completely? A chill settled inside Danica. Did Melantha already control Amy?

What can I do, what can I do
? Danica asked herself. She was more afraid than ever to break into what was going on. Maybe she’d cause permanent damage to Amy.

I must tell someone
, she thought. Galt? But she remembered his voice saying to Melantha, “Amy is all yours.” Did he realize what was happening? Was he—was he a part of it? Danica shook her head. Tears came to her eyes. She must do something.

Evan? Would he believe her? She saw his mocking smile in her mind’s eye. But he’d told her he’d help. And there was no one else. She took a last look at the motionless figures in the room. Was it safe to leave Amy?

All at once a voice came into her mind.
Run
! it screamed in terror. Before she could control her reaction she was outside Melantha’s house, hastening down the path. Her heart pounded in her ears and throat. Along with the voice in her head had come a dark malevolence, and she could almost believe Amy had warned her to flee while Melantha watched.

Evan wasn’t in his house. Danica stood in his kitchen for a moment fighting to control her panic. What had he said? Something about this afternoon, he was going someplace…

Horses. He was taking the children horseback riding with Lydia and Dave.

Danica hurried out of the house and ran toward the corral.

Dave was walking a pony with one of the children on its back around a ring within the corral.

“Danny, Danny, look!” the child called, and she saw it was Jodie.

“Where’s Evan?” she asked Dave.

“He and Lydia took the others out for a short ride.” Dave inclined his head toward Jodie. “She got too excited to stay on a horse.”

“Which way did he go?”

Dave pointed. “If you want to join them,” he said, “King is saddled, ready to go. I was going to ride him.”

Danica mounted the palomino. Riding out from the corral, she searched for Evan, but didn’t see him until she came up over the crest of the nearest hill. She urged King into a trot and soon reached the other riders.

“I have to talk to you,” she said to Evan. “It’s important.”

He looked at her a moment, then nodded. “Lydia’s over there with the stragglers,” he said. “Let’s take these kids back to the corral.”

She thought they’d never get there, what with the slow progress of the children. At last they were inside the fence and dismounting.

“Dave can keep an eye on the kids for a bit,” Evan said. “Shall we ride back out?”

Danica knew Lydia and the other children were still riding. “No, let’s just walk,” she told Evan, not wanting to see Lydia now.

When they were out of Dave’s hearing, Evan asked, “What’s the matter?”

“It’s Amy. I saw—oh, it was awful, I don’t know what I saw exactly. The lesson with Melantha. Amy seemed to be hypnotized and Melantha was—she was…”

“Was what?” Evan’s voice was neutral and Danica rushed on.

“She was controlling Amy, making Amy tell the future…”

“What are you talking about?”

Danica clutched Evan’s jacket sleeve. “You have to believe me. I think Melantha can take over Amy’s mind somehow. And then…”

Evan grasped Danica by the shoulders and she released her hold on his arm. “Look, Danica, you’re hysterical. I can’t make sense out of what you’re saying. Seeing into the future, controlling minds. Melantha?”

“But she is, she is. I have to help Amy. You said…”

“I said I’d help and I will. I’ll go talk to Melantha and find out what really went on.” His voice was cool. “You certainly must have misunderstood what you saw. I know you’ve been upset about Amy, were upset about that boy who died in the fire before you came here, so I can understand part of your problem. But all this nonsense about going into people’s minds! You sound like the locals who think we’re up to no good, witchcraft and all that.”

Danica pulled herself free. “Maybe some of you are,” she said, her voice as cold as his.

“Hey, look, don’t be so uptight. I’ll talk to Melantha; I’m sure she can explain everything.”

“I doubt it,” Danica said.

“Have you talked to Galt?”

“No. I came to you first.”

“Good girl. No telling what he’d do if he saw you like this.”

Probably ask me to resign
, Danica thought.
Certainly not believe me, no one will believe me
. She sighed.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have tried to come back to work so soon after that fire in L.A.,” Evan said. “Are you certain you’re not substituting Amy in your affections for the boy who died there? That would explain your over-concern with her, your feeling others are trying to harm her. It’s your own fear of something happening to another child you love that you’re projecting, seeing danger in every corner.”

Danica shook her head, but Evan’s words settled in her mind, confusing her. Could he be right? No, of course not. Amy…

“Couldn’t Melantha merely have been using the energy with Amy in a way you haven’t learned yet?” Evan’s voice was low and persuasive.

“No. Amy was afraid. She…”

“Amy has been afraid for years. Haven’t you heard her history? Of course she was attracted to you—her father had red hair.”

“Yes,” she said. “I read…”

“Then don’t you think her feeling for you would be ambivalent, a love-hate thing? After all, her beloved father killed her mother and then shot himself and left Amy to face the results.”

“But he didn’t…”

“What do you mean? Didn’t what?”

“Her father didn’t shoot her mother. The mother shot him. She was mentally ill, tried to kill Amy and…”

“Where did you get a story like that?”

“From Amy.”

Evan stared at her. “She couldn’t have told you that.”

Danica bit her lip. How could she now tell Evan that Amy wasn’t disabled, was only playing a role? He’d never believe her.

“Danica, listen to me. Why don’t you leave Star-Fire? Oh, maybe not permanently, but for a few weeks, maybe a month? I’m concerned for you. You seem to be imagining all kinds of impossibilities. You know how I feel about you. I do want to help, and the best help I know of is for you to get away from here. Something bad is happening to you, you need rest…”

“You think I’m paranoid,” Danica said. “And hallucinating. I’m not.”

“But you are disturbed.”

“Of course I’m disturbed. Amy is in danger, and no one will believe me.” Danica whirled around and began walking toward the corral. “There’s no use trying to convince you.”

Evan caught up with her and they walked in silence. Danica tried to think of what to do next, but her mind seemed to be misted over as though she was in the fog of the other morning. Her thoughts moved sluggishly, in half-formed distortions. She shook her head, trying to clear it.

“What’s wrong?”

“I…” Her voice trailed away. What was that beside the rock, there to her left? Coil upon coil—a snake? Yes, she heard the sinister rattle—a rattlesnake coiled to strike. She froze, trying to scream, but no sound came.

Evan’s hand was on her ann. “What’s the matter? Danica, speak to me.”

“A—a snake,” she managed to whisper. “Don’t move.”

“Where?”

“By the rock. To the left. A rattler and he’s ready to—to…”

At that moment the snake lunged at her and she threw herself backward, knocking Evan down, falling herself. She screamed, and fought to get up.

Evan was holding her. She must get away from the snake. She struggled against him.

“Danica. Listen to me. There’s no snake. Please listen.” He shook her until her hair whipped around her face. “Look,” he commanded. “There’s no snake.” He let her go.

Fearfully, Danica examined the ground. She saw no rattlesnake. “It’s gone,” she said. “Thank heaven.”

“There never was a snake,” Evan said, his voice flat. “I looked where you said you saw one—to the left, by the rock, and there wasn’t a thing there. Then you knocked me over, screaming and carrying on. I tell you—you saw something that wasn’t there.”

She stared at him, speechless. His face was white, and beads of sweat had formed on his forehead despite the cool breeze.

She couldn’t believe him. And yet—where was the snake? It had struck at her. Struck and missed? She stepped warily over to peer behind the rock, look between the bushes, but saw nothing.

Evan took her arm gently. “Let’s go,” he said. “You need to rest.”

“But I saw—there was a…”

“Don’t think about it,” he said soothingly. “Everything’s all right now.”

He thinks I’m crazy
, she realized.

The corral fence was ahead of them and they walked along it to enter the gate. Melantha stood just inside with Amy.

Danica halted abruptly.

“I heard that Amy missed a horseback ride with your children,” Melantha said to Evan. “So I brought her down to at least see the horses.”

Danica stared at Melantha, then looked at Amy’s pale face. The grey eyes were lifeless, and didn’t meet hers.

“And wonderful news, Evan,” Melantha went on. “I was just telling Dave about it. Amy can talk! I’m sure Danica will be as excited as I am.” Melantha’s dark eyes gazed into Danica’s. “Isn’t it wonderful?” she asked.

“I—she—yes, of course.” Confused, Danica dropped her eyes. Melantha was putting her in the wrong. Now she couldn’t say she knew Amy could talk without being accused of hiding the information from the others.

“And do you know what the very first thing she said to me was?” Melantha’s husky voice was triumphant. “Amy told me she wanted to come back to my house and stay with me.”

“Oh, no…” Danica said involuntarily.

“Tell them what you said, Amy,” Melantha commanded. “They want to hear you talk.”

Amy spoke with jerky pauses, the way a marionette moves. “I want to—to live with—with Melantha.”

Melantha’s controlling her, making her say it
, Danica thought. She crouched down to Amy’s level.

“Are you sure you want to go to Melantha’s house?” she asked.

Amy’s grey eyes met hers, hostility flaring in them. “Yes. I want to.”

Danica stood up, surprised and taken aback by the hostile look. Melantha smiled.

“Do you want to see the horses?” she asked Amy.

Amy shook her head. “No horses,” she said.

“Well, we’ll go and see if Galt’s back yet. He hasn’t heard the good news.” Melantha took Amy’s hand and they turned and started up the hill, away from the corral.

“That’s how I knew about Amy’s father,” Danica said lifelessly. “Amy told me.”

Evan glanced at Dave, then took Danica’s arm and pulled her with him up the hill. “Why didn’t you tell anyone Amy could talk?”

Danica shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, does it?”

“But concealing something like that…”

Danica hardly heard Evan’s words. She moved like a zombie, not seeing where she was going, putting one foot ahead of the other without care. What did anything matter? Evan was right, she’d have to leave Star-Fire.