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The Cardinal Will Tell All
Carol R. Smith
Copyright © 2020 Carol R. Smith
All rights reserved
First Edition
NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING
320 Broad Street
Red Bank, NJ 07701
First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2020
ISBN 978-1-64801-061-3 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-64801-062-0 (Digital)
Printed in the United States of America
Table of Contents
A Time for Guidance and Protection
To the Mathew Blair Dukes (son) and Lorita Green.
To Grace Huang, who taught me that being unique is a privilege wear well.
To the students, past and present, Bill J. Priest and El Centro campuses, who taught me it’s okay to achieve and fly.
To Robert W. Young who showed how large and small our world is.
Bettie L. Kool-Olomola, I quote, said, “No daughter of mine should ever be ordinary.” (You got your wish.)
And to all the ones who came before me (ancestors).
Introduction
I can’t believe I have a flat tire, and the birthday party for the Johnson’s is less than half an hour. No spare tire. I forgot to buy a damn tire. And the toolbox is not in the truck either. But at least the cake is intact. Let me make a call.
“Hello, Mrs. Johnson? This is Mrs. Lee. I am stuck on the edge of Brisbane county near the Briarwoods. I have a flat tire. No spare tire. Can you please call me back? I tried to call my husband but no answer. Thanks. This too much.”
“Hi, Mrs. Lee. Hi? Do I know you?”
“Yes, I was one of the volunteers at the Stop the Hunger food drive at the Brisbane Community Outreach Center.”
“Oh yes, I remember, and your name was?”
“G, just G.”
“Uh, okay, G—”
“Umm…I am glad you came up. I have a flat tire and no spare, and I need to deliver this cake. I have a spare…looks to be the right size. The man says let me get a wrench.” Ms. Lee says ok. He walks back with the wrench.
He raises the wrench and says “I think there will a change of plans Ms. Lee.”
“What?” I raise the wrench. “No! What?! Why?!” Ms. Lee screams.
Phone is ringing. It’s my husband.
“Hey, honey? I got your call. I was with a customer. Call me back. Love you, bye.”
Chapter 1
The Gift
The gift of flight—it’s funny how that works. I never thought I would master flying on a broomstick. If someone had told me that I would be doing this, I would have said they were crazy! Plus someone who has always been afraid of high places wouldn’t even be flying high on a broomstick, but here I am, enjoying the night sky, feeling the power and the joy, and this is where I feel the most comfortable.
A gift from Paralda, the ruler of the element of air, using long-ago winds known as Zephyr.
Hi, my name is Kitten Lang. How shall I describe myself? I am a witch, and I am five foot five, about twenty six years old, I have long jet black hair and brown eyes with cinnamon brown skin. I am a bit quiet but, will speak up when I need too, and I love cats! I’m flying to my workplace known as Just A Cup. It is a meeting place with a library and coffee shop, as well as healthy meal varieties for all palates. It is where my small coven of four—well, eight, if you count our cats—is located.
I am going there to make plans for the spiritual Sabbat of Mabon or fall or Autumn Equinox, which is fitting since my friends (Tom and his wife, Serena, and Cybelle, my friend and sister-in-law) all met each other around this time.
This time has special meaning for us. Plus, we have lots of fun at that time. Fall is the time to enjoy the cooler days and longer dark nights. It gives me time to fly around before it gets too cold to be so high up in the air. Yes, I know flying about on a broom is so cliché, but that is half the fun, and no one knows that part of the fun too.
It is just me and my two cats, Jade and Triton, who fly in their basket with me. And tonight, I have a lot on my mind that I want to talk with my friends about these dreams, dreams that I have been having for the past few nights. Feels like haunting and the places seem so familiar and so does the man in the dreams, but I only get to see the back of his head each time. But it is the other stuff in those dreams that…well, I must get it off my chest. And my friends can do that for me.
I have known my friends for a long time. I have known Tom and Serena Bluing through Cybelle who is my best friend since grade school. She married to my brother, Keith.
Serena is fifty-nine and has an olive skin with lovely long gray hair. When it is down, it is just above her ankles and quite thick. She brings excitement every time she walks into a room. She is an elegant old hipster who is quite a powerful fire witch, who works with that element. She is also superb when it comes teaching, and students love her classes. She is a clairvoyant and herbalist. She really knows her stuff. Tom, her husband,
