We entered the brightly lit parlor with yellow and red floral wallpaper and antique furniture. On each side of the couch were two end tables filled with small porcelain animals, which reminded me of something in an old lady’s house. A tea cart sat next to the delicate couch with a heavy silver teapot gleaming in the light. I noticed a blue flame under the teapot, keeping the water warm. Like the dinner, the pre-arranged nature of the rooms appeared like he wanted to dazzle us with his planning ability.

“Do you mind serving?” Lees asked Adele. “My butler is cleaning up. Unfortunately, I have only one servant to handle such a large house.”

“That’s tough,” I replied with plenty of sarcasm as Adele went to the cart.

Lees took a seat on the couch as I continued to stand.

“Do you mind explaining more about your comment earlier? Adele and I are only interested in finding out more about Cora Elder’s disappearance as part of this script we’re writing.”

“Oh, come now. Let’s drop the pretense. You’re here to help Cora Elder. Do you think an outsider can escape my notice?”

Adele’s eyes caught mine when she handed a teacup to me.

“What is it with this outsider nonsense?” I glared at him. “That’s the second time I’ve heard it today.”

“Oh, you really don’t want to admit it. Is it because of your wife? Are you afraid of admitting the truth to her?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” my voice nearly growled out the words.

He had me by the short hairs, and it made me angry. How in the hell could I explain my arrival in Stull Junction and the things Cora told me? Yet, this man calmly sipping on his tea appeared unfazed by my reaction. Then, I realized Adele was staring at me. Her expression told me she had questions as well.

“Alright, let’s force the issue when you answer my questions.” Lees caught the looks between Adele and me.

“Tell me something, Lane Dagger. How is it you keep coming back to life? By my count, Lane Dagger has died at least four times, only to be resurrected by Cora Elder.”

He turned his gaze to Adele, who nearly choked on her tea at the question.

“Surely, you noticed the changes in your husband, Mrs. Dagger. I’m confident that his clothes probably didn’t fit. No doubt, your husband’s manner changed several times around you over the past year. No person can’t come back from the dead, not even in Stull Junction. How do you explain these inconsistencies? I know you’ve got questions buried you’ve never asked this version of Lane Dagger.”

Adele’s eyes widened, and her face paled in confirmation. I stood there like a dope, unable to reply. Lees’ expression turned stony, yet I noticed the excitement in his piercing eyes. Like we were his students, the man wanted to explain. He turned to me.

“I’ll give Cora credit. At first, I had no idea that she was using the form of a dead familiar to bring in an outsider. The changes were slight at first. When I thought we removed Lane Dagger, he would come back within a day or two to rejoin our community. Of course I blamed my allies for their lack of capability. Important people can’t be bothered by the movement of ants.”

“I’m not following you,” I lied. “I don’t know what you’re going on about, but why would you care about rumors? You’re a recluse sitting in this stupid mansion with no life.”

“Oh, that just shows how naïve you are. I see far more than you can imagine. Do you think the shadows you’ve seen come from only Cora? I can come and go wherever I please within Stull Junction.”

His toothy, condescending grin made me want to smack him.

“I’m taking her dimension from the inside. Didn’t Cora explain that to you?”

“L..Lane, what’s he talking about?”

Adele’s nervous tone interrupted us. I was at a loss for what to say. The reality was coming out, but I had no way of controlling the effects. Still, I’m a stubborn person.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Adele, remember, he’s a spiritualist. In the end, they’re like all the con men who’ll say anything to make you believe. He’s probably used that to get people to believe in him.”

I wanted to crush the cold teacup in my hand as I still stood in the middle of the room. Our host glared at me for the comment.

“I suggest you refrain from insulting me,” he stated. “While it’s true that such people undermine our profession, I’m far beyond a spiritualist.”

“Oh, you think that you’re a theurgist, or maybe an enchanter?” I said with plenty of sarcasm.

“So, you’ve done your research. That’s good. At first, I considered Cora to be another charlatan like so many others. Of course, my thoughts about how she formidable she was didn’t reach me until I returned from overseas.”

He paused, leaning back in thought.

“Yes, I was in New York when the headlines said she was dying. You can imagine the jolt to me. I needed to talk with her, to understand something in her writings. So, I went to her home. Unfortunately, I was too late when I arrived in Chicago, and I found an old woman in her eighties inside a coffin. That was in 1928.”

Adele nearly dropped her cup.

“Wait, Cora disappeared here about a year ago. It was in the papers and Judge Seabury told us about seeing her. She wasn’t that old.”

The man smiled with a knowing look.

“Your lady, Cora Elder, came into her dimension by leaving her dying body. My rival is a formidable opponent as an enchanter. She took the form you see from her younger life with the help of elementals. Granted, the dimension and her latest death limit her power, but she still wields considerable control over Stull Junction. But not for much longer. I’ve obtained her keystone and now it’s just a matter of time.”

“That’s crazy,” Adele interjected.

Lees grinned at her.

“Really? Tell me, what year is it?”

Adele glanced at me before answering.

“It’s 1940, of course.”

“When did Cora Elder disappear?”

“It’s...it’s,” she frowned, turning to me for help. “It was last year. I’m sure of it.”

“You should double check your source material. I think you’ll find she disappeared in 1940. There’s a reason each calendar and all the newspapers in Stull Junction continue to use the same year. Cora still wields significate illusion skill. However, time cannot progress inside this sphere. It always remains stagnant, like the familiars in this dimension. That’s why I’ve started adding outsiders. I want to spice things up a bit. We need to move forward.”

“I don’t understand,” Adele said, turning to me. “Lane, he said how much you’ve changed. It’s the same thing you told me. How could he know?”

Ignoring her question, I went after Lees.

“From what I’ve seen, you haven’t done anything but take over a house when someone disappeared. What’s the point of this conversation tonight?”

Trying to shut down a weird discussion which threatened to expose questions I didn’t want to answer, I moved to the tea cart. Lees frowned at my statement.

“I noticed you like to dance around the issues,” he said. “Let me put it clearly for you. Your presence in Stull Junction threatens everyone. Obviously, Cora wants to use you as a trump card. How else could you change the direction of my planned events so quickly?”

He looked at Adele.

“You remain confused. It’s not surprising that someone with implanted memories can’t see the truth. Did you know that he changed his relationship with Freddie Antonio and your boyfriend, Mr. Childress? Why the sudden need to damage the relationship with those who were his partners?”

“We talked about it, and I trust him,” she said as she blushed.

A grimace came to his lips.

“Yes, I guess you’re not smart enough. That’s expected since you’re nothing but a familiar. In the end your knowledge and actions aren’t relevant. My guess is you’re nothing more…”

“Enough of this. Come on, Adele. He’s talking like a madman.” I saw my opening to get out and took it.

Adele stood and put her cup down on the cart as I joined her.

“I’m afraid the evening isn’t quite over,” Lees told us. “I’ve invited another person to join us. Mr. O’Conner has waited for this moment from the garden. Please come in.”

Sure enough, when I turned around, I saw Shane O’Conner walk into the room. In his hand was a revolver, which he had leveled at me. Of course, I’m unarmed, so the odds really suck.

“Sorry,” Shane shrugged apologetically. “You’re a danger that we need to fix.”

“This makes me guess how Cora Elder got it that night.” I felt my mouth turn dry. “What’s the reason you and the judge work for this guy?”

“Well, it’s complicated. Mr. Lees spoke to a few of us that Cora brought into the city and we see the need for change.” He glanced at Adele.

“Since your wife likes gardens, why don’t we go outside? We can make this quick.” The man with the gun suggested with a grim smile.

Adele’s arm pressed against mine as Lees rose from the couch. He stepped next to the cart and put the cup down.

“Let Adele go. She has nothing to do with me coming here,” I told him.

“I’m afraid my goals don’t allow for a compromise here,” the bastard replied. “Besides, you knew she was a familiar. I believe in your time; you call them NPC or something. I’m told by people of your time that this place appears like a game. Everyone who’s not an outsider is nothing more than a figment of imagination in some manner. Familiars are easily replaced, and therefore, quite expendable. The dimension keeps the balance so no need to worry about your wife. It’s not like it’ll matter in a few moments.”

Hearing his words, I felt my rage quickly rising. However, my eyes remained on O’Conner’s gun as he came closer. I didn’t see Adele’s hand on the teakettle, and I certainly didn’t expect her temper to erupt.

Lees’ scream when Adele suddenly slammed the hot pot into his face caught my attention. O’Conner turned his pistol toward her as Lees fell to the floor. However, my reaction focused on O’Conner who pointed his pistol at Adele. Yelling while I flung a tiny cup at him that I snatched up, I rushed him. The gun went off right when my hand grabbed the barrel.