“What is it this time—broken bone, sprain, cut, or sore throat?” he called out as he strode down the hallway to the reception desk where Anne was sitting.
“None of the above. Marty from Yachats State Park just called to say he is bringing in a woman he found on the beach. She appears disoriented and shaken,” she said, looking at the note she had scribbled.
They both looked up when headlights flashed through the front window. At least he didn’t have to wait long for them to get here.
Marty slid out of the driver’s side of the white pickup with the Yachats State Park emblem on the door and hurried around to the passenger side. Before he reached the passenger door, however, it opened, and a young woman slid out. She leaned against the truck for a moment, her body language telegraphing that she needed the support, likely due to dizziness, pain, or nausea.
Kane couldn’t see her face yet, but she was wearing a dark green Ranger’s jacket. She was of average height, her skin was pale, and her hair was long and dark. Marty placed his hand under her elbow, though it looked like she was steadier on her feet now.
“What do you think? Drugs or alcohol?” Anne dryly inquired.
“Could be a head trauma, hypothermia, or worse—an assault,” Kane absently murmured.
Marty opened the clinic door for the woman, and she murmured her thanks as she walked through the doorway. She looked up into Kane’s eyes, and he suddenly felt uneasy. She slowly walked toward him.
Marty wasn’t far behind. “I found her walking on the beach. Her name is Tonya Maitland,” he said as they reached the counter.
“Maitland? Isn’t she…?” Anne started to ask before she curiously looked at Tonya.
“I need to speak with you,” Tonya said, ignoring Marty and Anne.
“Anne will need you to fill out some paperwork,” Kane started to explain.
Tonya shook her head. “What do you know about the Sea Witch?” she quietly inquired.
Kane tensed. He looked at her for a moment, his mind racing with possibilities. Then he nodded and opened a door that led back to his office. He nodded politely to Marty.
“Marty, I’ll take care of this. Anne, didn’t you have to pick up Bobby from your mom’s early this evening?” Kane asked.
Anne looked at him with surprise. “Yes, but—” she faltered, looking at Tonya.
“I’ll take care of things. You don’t want to be late,” he said.
“Okay—if you’re sure.” Anne didn’t sound like she was sure.
“I’m sure. Magna and Gabe are here if I need help,” he replied as another set of headlights flashed through the window, and Kane noticed it was Gabe’s truck turning into the parking lot.
“Oh, good. Okay, I don’t feel so bad leaving you then,” Anne replied.
Kane and Tonya eyed each other warily as Anne gathered her purse from the drawer next to the desk and stood up. Marty had sauntered over to the door and opened it for Magna and Gabe as they approached.
The moment Magna walked into the clinic, everything inside Kane lit up. She smiled at him as their eyes met, and his lips quirked involuntarily in response. He tore his gaze away to look at Gabe, feeling more capable of handling this situation already now that his best friend was here.
Kane smiled reassuringly at Anne when she gave him a questioning look as she bid him and Tonya goodbye. She smiled back and walked toward the exit.
“Hi, Magna. Hi, Gabe,” Anne greeted them.
“Hello, Anne. How was your day?” Magna responded in a pleasant voice.
“Same old, same old. Colds, stitches, coughs, asthma,” Anne remarked.
Yeah, it makes you wonder why he went to school so long when most moms could do it,” Gabe teased.
“I’ll remind you of that the next time you need stitches, and I don’t numb the area first,” Kane shot back.
“Good one, Gabe. Are you still coming by next week?” Marty inquired.
“Yeah, next Thursday if that works for you. The weather has been pretty good lately. I want to do as many tests as I can before it turns bad again,” Gabe responded.
“I’ll see you then,” Marty said with a nod to Kane and a brief smile to Magna. “Have a good evening.”
“We will. The new movie everyone has been talking about is at the theater now. We’re going to drive either to Portland or maybe even Seattle to see it. We haven’t decided yet,” Gabe commented.
“I hope you plan on going to the late show. You’ll have to let me know how it is. I don’t often go to the movies anymore,” Marty said.
“I will,” Gabe replied.
Kane waited until the door closed all the way before he released the deep sigh he had been holding. Tonya was now staring at Magna with a look of awe, curiosity, and a large dose of wariness. He cleared his throat when Gabe looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
“I think we should all go to my office,” he suggested. “Gabe, can you lock the door and turn out the lights in the waiting room?”
“Sure,” Gabe responded, looking curiously at Tonya.
Kane motioned for Tonya to go ahead of him. He reached out and touched Magna’s hand when she walked by him. She looked at him with a troubled expression.
“It will be alright,” he murmured.
Tonya turned and stood to the side. He realized that she wasn’t sure where to go, and he pointed to the door at the end of the corridor.
“Straight ahead,” he instructed.
She nodded and walked down the hallway. He followed Magna, resting his hand on her lower back. Tonya warily watched him pull out one of the two chairs in front of his desk for Magna. He motioned to the second chair for her, but she shook her head. He sighed and he walked around to sit in his chair on the other side of the desk. She remained standing with her back against the wall. She felt less vulnerable and more in control this way.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Gabe asked.
Kane took a deep breath. “Ms. Maitland is one of the missing people that has been in the news. She has a question about the Sea Witch,” he stated in a deceptively calm tone.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” Gabe muttered, his eyes fixed on Tonya’s pale face.
Tonya studied the two men with the Sea Witch. Each man was unique in his own way. Gabe was a large, muscular man with short black hair, tan skin, deep brown eyes, and a forbidding expression. Kane was his polar opposite with his lighter build, sandy-colored hair, and paler complexion. His bright blue eyes were kind—and concerned.
While the Sea Witch’s two men were gorgeous, Magna was the one who fascinated Tonya the most. Her long black hair was a little wild, and her slight frame belied the strength in her gaze. Her dark green eyes swirled with color, and if Tonya stared at her from just the right angle, it was as if she were looking through a hazy mirror.
“I went to your world,” Tonya began, the words unexpectedly difficult. “I don’t know how, but I wasn’t here—on Earth—anymore,” she forced out.
“You were with Ruth Hallbrook when she made her wish,” Magna stated.
“A wish—yes,” Tonya repeated softly, absently rubbing her brow.
“The spell I gave Ruth became corrupted. She misspoke the words she heard. She said she heard a shout and lost her concentration,” Magna explained.