Page 60 of In Her Bed
“Cleanse this space of deception and lies,” she chanted, her voice growing stronger.“Shield these walls from prying eyes.Return to me my sanctuary.”
The smoke curled around her silver hair, catching in the feathers and beads woven there.As she completed her circuit of the store, Diana placed the still-smoking sage in an abalone shell and set it on the counter.Her breathing had steadied somewhat, but her mind raced.
They weren’t ordinary police officers.The woman—Jenna Graves—had an energy Diana had rarely encountered.Split, fractured, as if existing in multiple planes simultaneously.And she had known about Midnight Voice.That information wasn’t public; Diana had been careful to separate that identity from her current life.Only a handful of people knew the connection.
Government agents, perhaps?The pattern fit.For years, Diana had known that certain branches of the government monitored frequencies that could alter consciousness.Astral Waves had come too close to revealing truths about sound and interdimensional communication.That’s why they’d been shut down in 1998—not for the mundane broadcasting violations cited officially, but because they were accessing knowledge too dangerous to share.
Diana moved to the front door and flipped the “Open” sign to “Closed.”She drew the blinds on all the windows with methodical precision, transforming the store into a dimly lit cocoon.Even with the sage cleansing, she felt exposed, vulnerable.Her gaze darted to the phone behind the counter.
Zephyr would know what to do.Zephyr always knew.
She had never met him in person.Their connection had begun with a phone call three years ago.By the end of that call, Diana had felt a kinship with the mysterious caller that transcended ordinary connection.He understood.He knew about the work she had done as Midnight Voice, about the frequencies that could pierce the veil between worlds.
Over time, their conversations had deepened.Zephyr revealed himself as a guardian of sorts—someone who monitored those who monitored others.He had warned her about surveillance, about people who might come asking questions about her past.And he had promised protection when the time came.
Diana picked up the phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.It rang three times before connecting.
“I need you,” she said without preamble, her voice quavering.“They’ve come.”
“Diana.”Zephyr’s voice was exactly as she remembered it—deep, resonant, with an almost hypnotic cadence.“Tell me what happened.”
She sank onto the stool behind the counter, suddenly exhausted.“Two police officers just left my store.Or at least that’s what they said they were.A Sheriff Graves and Deputy Hawkins.They knew about Midnight Voice, Zephyr.They knew my radio name from twenty-five years ago.”
“Breathe, Diana,” Zephyr instructed, his tone soothing.“What else did they ask about?”
“They offered protection, said they’d have officers watching the store.I refused, of course.I told them I had you.”
There was a brief silence on the line.When Zephyr spoke again, his voice had taken on a new urgency.
“You were right to call me.The timing of this visit is no coincidence.First the threatening email, now law enforcement asking about your past.Dark forces are closing in.”
Diana’s free hand went to one of her pendants—a small vial containing herbs and crystals that Zephyr had instructed her to create as a personal protection talisman.
“What should I do?”she whispered.
“I think the time has come, Diana,” Zephyr said, his voice both gentle and firm.“We need to meet face to face at long last.You need to seek shelter where it all started.”
A weight seemed to lift from Diana’s shoulders.She had been anticipating this moment, preparing for it in small ways.“The station.Where we broadcast from.You think I should go back there?”
“Yes.The building has been abandoned since the station closed—no one will think to look for you there.You remember our contingency plan?About traveling undetected?”
“Yes,” Diana said, glancing toward the back room of her shop.“I’ve maintained my disguise kit, just as you suggested.I have the short brown wig, plain clothes, glasses.Nothing like my usual appearance.”
“Good.”Zephyr’s approval warmed her.“That disguise has worked for you before.You’ll need to use it now.There will likely be plainclothes officers—or at least people posing as officers—watching the store despite your refusal of protection.”
Diana’s heart skipped.“They’re already outside?”
“Almost certainly.But they won’t be looking for a plain, middle-aged woman in unremarkable clothing.Your usual appearance is quite...distinctive.”
Despite her fear, Diana smiled.Her carefully cultivated image—the flowing kaftans, the adorned silver hair, the multiple layers of jewelry—was as much a part of her business as the crystals she sold.The severe bob wig and beige clothing she kept for anonymous errands was its perfect opposite.
“I can take the back exit through the alley,” she said, planning aloud.“There’s a bus stop three blocks south that runs to the old industrial district where the station was located.”
“Excellent.I’ll meet you there.”
Diana’s breath caught.“You’ll come in person?After all this time?”
“This is the moment we’ve prepared for,” Zephyr said, his voice now filled with what sounded like anticipation.“It’s time we combined our knowledge of the frequencies.Together, we can finally complete what Astral Waves began—accessing the vibrations that allow communion between dimensions.”
