Cinderfella

Story: Cinderfella 2: A New Life

Chapter: 37 Caleb

Author: Eric McQueen (mcqueen.richarderic@gmail.com)

Mature Readers only due to sexual situations and graphic sexual content

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Erik is learning how to use his new abilities and desires more information about a mythical history? Is it myth or reality? One person in the past would know...if he can be trusted. Erik wants to find out.

Caleb

I tried to use my abilities when I could just to be sure I could and it didn't fade on me. It quickly became just a part of me. I caught myself doing it absentmindedly and played with a spoon or fork absently. I don't imagine any of you ever twittered your fork.

My attention was brought back as Seth put his hand on my hand. The fork in my hand was spinning rapidly, but I wasn't really touching the fork. The metal made contact with my skin only lightly. The driving force for the spin could not be seen. Any person near me would swear it was a great trick I was doing somehow. How was I doing that? It just looked like it was spinning, right? The trick was it wasn't a trick. That was the trick. The fork was spinning. Everyone at the table knew the truth of any of my tricks. Knowledge didn't always help even here.

There were several staring eyes at me. Here, no one was pointing a finger and shrieking, "Witch!" That happened in the Northeast where these Puritans were coming from. It still was, but now they were coming across the country? For what? These men were going to burn people at the stake! What I was doing with the fork would get me executed for practicing witchcraft, but it wasn't witchcraft. I looked at Seth and smiled at him and kissed him quickly. That could get me burned at the stake, too.

Seth just smiled and squeezed my hand gently and lowered both of our hands to the table. "So, when do you want to try to contact Caleb?" Seth asked me.

I shrugged, "It's a weekday tonight and tomorrow."

"How do you schedule a week where every day is Sunday?" Seth asked.

I shook my head in a little frustration. "I don't see Caleb putting up with too much of that." I chuckled. "He was in love with books. By doing what he does, he has access to those books." I smiled. "I know he would put up with a lot to be allowed access to those for a while." I sat back thinking. "I think he was the one that got me interesting in the Old Scriptures and other testimonies. My professor taught me about a few, but...He used to send me portions he was working on to show what he was looking at. He said languages were not the problem. Most of the old scriptures were written in Hebrew. There is even some Egyptian. We wrote, but it took two and a half weeks or longer for letters to get there and two half weeks on longer to get a reply. An entire season lost..."

"What kind of person is he?" Demetrius asked. "Is he easily scared or startled?"

I shook my head and chuckled, "No, I think Caleb Dupont takes after his French father, more than his English mother."

Seth grinned, "Why do you say that?"

I began to motion to the space in front of me. "He's always been a little guy." I smiled at them both and stopped the objection that might be coming, "Not that there's any reason you can't be short, but...he was..." I struggled with the word, "sort of tiny. I wasn't huge at thirteen, but he just broke five feet. I always wanted to get him something to eat from the kitchen! His mother worked there, for God's sake. Didn't she feed him?" I asked everyone. "He was not undernourished, he had muscle under his shirt. It was just...compact."

Demetrius rolled his eyes, "I mean, would he scream and run away from you if you suddenly appear."

"Oh," I said. "Naturally, he'll be suspicious at first."

"We can simply walk up to him in Vatican City." Demetrius said simply. He looked for something that told him I got what he was saying. "We can go this evening!" He again was waiting and getting a little irritated. "Now, I ask for a sign that tells me you have something. I mean this night, tonight. At eleven in the morning here, it will be eight in the evening there in Roma. They have endless services there all day!"

Seth sat back from Demetrius and me as his eyes widened. "No!" Seth said with serious doubt in his voice.

"Yes," Demetrius insisted looking around me nodding, he frowned, "was it you?" He pointed at Seth, "or you," he said to me. "That said, you didn't want to sit around strumming a harp! These people have services for priests and bishops, services for monks and friars, nuns, for just men, for just women..."

"Demetrius," I didn't stop the laughter as my eyes rolled, but I couldn't really comment. I didn't go to mass or services, no Rosary, and they had a prayer service where that prayer had been going on for hundreds of years!! Nonstop! A group started it, joined by others that had to attend to other things, the others sat and began the voices and took the prayer forward! It never ended!! That was their job! They had to go to services! I didn't. Here I did appreciate my titles. No one dared to come up and ask me about going to Church. Neither my Dad nor Seth's Dad could tolerate them long. "Don't say there wasn't time. It's been there over a millennium."

"A few times," Demetrius said with a smug smirk. "Do you know how many churches, chapels, prayer rooms, and all those things they have there?" He asked for an unexpected number because it was incredible. He shook his head, "Neither do they!!"

"You," I laughed harder at him, "are making this up!"

"How do you know?" Demetrius looked too offended. More than he would be if he really was, so he wasn't. "And how are you going to prove it? You have to go and show me."

"I plan to!" I asked. "When?"

"If we're there at noon, it will be nine in the evening there and we'll just be walking with them." Demetrius shrugged.

"Walking up hungry," Ceto said firmly. "You sat down, but haven't eaten or drank a single thing!"

I grinned as people were looking at us and nodding to us.

"You were having such a good time," Max said, "I almost said not to remind you."

I held my hand up to them, "Sorry. It's been an eventful few day."

They even had some more of the special island coffee that had the word danger in the name for Seth! If I drank too much, I'd stay awake for days!

Then, I knew it, no one was stressed, anxious, but now I voiced my realization. "No one's scared here."

Demetrius nodded looking about the hall. "No, they aren't. There is no threat, until a new one shows up."

I nodded and asked where these approaching men were now and how long we had. Then I knew! I almost dropped my coffee! It was still very hot, freshly poured and would have burned me if I had dropped it! Seth was alarmed, but Demetrius was trying to hide the humor he saw and doing a terrible job of doing that. I'll describe it to you, but...it was so fast! I was a bird maybe? I saw what had to be what a bird would see from the air and I rose high above the trees. There were the many spheres that were sunken because that was construction in Gitichi. What was also interesting was now there was actual snow! Those little delicate white things that fell from the sky, up higher they were lasting longer! It was lovely. I flew away from and coastal area and flew quickly across many evergreen tree tops. I got an impression about the distance. A day away, two? I was still going, but not long. I never dreamed of this! Any of it! I never considered it was possible! Maybe I was sick and was dreaming this. Yeah! That's it! Delusions! "Why hadn't I thought of that sooner? It makes sense!" I saw men moving in one direction. I knew they were a week and a half away. How did I know this!?

"Erik!" Seth put had one hand and was looking worried at me and he tried to get me to sit up again as he took my coffee and set it down. "What's wrong?"

"What makes sense, Erik?" Demetrius asked holding the other hand.

"My fever must have broken! That's it!" I chuckled, "Having those little warriors doesn't mean you won't get sick. Somethings hit you've never had and they help defeat it, but have to work on the defense."

"What are you TALKING about?" Seth asked in a loud voice. "Your fever!? You don't have a fever."

We were still in that hall for breakfast, but now my son and nephew were looking on concerned as were all the others that gathered for breakfast.

I frowned, "Why didn't you tell me about some of this..." what do you call it? "Stuff?" I bellowed at Demetrius. "No warning, just suddenly I'm some crazy bird flying I don't know where," Demetrius began nodding as he smiled, "to see the men heading this way! I wasn't ready!!"

Demetrius sat back a little, "You got to that already?"

I looked at Demetrius, "It was longer for you?"

Demetrius nodded, "Much," he chuckled, "We can use it a little after birth. We learn to reach that toy or ball, but learning to bringing it to yourself takes time. Sometimes our manual dexterity works so well, we ignore magic and have to be reminded to use the magic." He shrugged. "You seem to be getting a rushed course."

Martha was near me with Lukus and Dara. "That's the way it goes."

"It does?" Seth asked. "How does that follow?"

"He'll be doing advance things in just a few days," Martha explained. "He'll need to know how to use it."

Demetrius laughed, "You hoped this was a due to a fever instead of being real?"

"Yes!" I said flatly. "You have these?"

"It's similar, but unique." Martha nodded. She turned her head slightly and laughed, "You still can't explain sweet, but we both know now."

"No," I agreed, "but I can describe cold. That was very cold!"

Dara nodded, "You felt it or just knew it?"

There was a difference? Yep, there was.

Demetrius said we needed to stand out by being what we are.

"The first man legally married to a man?" I asked.

"It's the Church!" Seth shook his head, "They'd stone us!"

"Not that!" Demetrius rolled his eyes and groaned. "The whole Royal Family thing." He put a hand on my arm. "You both were born as a prince. Two rival kingdoms, but a prince. Erik had it longer than you did, Seth...even if you were king a little while, but..."

I touched Seth and smiled. "Take this as I intended it. You will stay here."

"What!?" Seth's eyes widened, "Why?"

"Safety." I said instantly.

"You did fine when you took us to Demetrius' home..."

"That's right," I nodded. "I will go, see Caleb who you don't know and who doesn't know you. Nothing should happen. I visit Caleb, see where he is on all this and introduce you later. If he's amiable. He is working with the Church. I can't believe a person raised in A'Dore taking the medicine the Church is handing out every day."

"And" Demetrius leaned in, "You two have giveaways." He said in a loud whisper.

Seth's eyes grew hearing that and said, "We do not!"

At that same time, I asked Demetrius, "Do we?"

He shrugged slightly, nodded as he spoke and pointed down. I know I didn't give it much thought on any level. We were partners in life, but we were also best friends. We enjoyed spending time together and we often joined hands, looped a finger in a belt, an available pocket...anything for contact. It was kind of cute. That wasn't our message, but it was well received now. At home. Not the heart of the Church itself. I looked down at the two pinkies we had locked together. My smile was sincere, but the whole thing was cute. I would understand the sudden need to brush teeth after something this sweet. Cavities hurt, but pulling teeth hurt a lot! Don't risk it. It still doesn't tell what sweet is. I waved the thoughts away physically, "Anyway, I will go..."

"I have to go," Demetrius boasted. "I have to show him where."

I walked with Demetrius down a street and I was the one starring at the sights. I was in Roma! It was early evening, but busy. We had lamps even in Royal Valley, but there were many street lamps lit here with reflectors to increase the light. One steady flame became three, five or more in reflection. I was overdressed! I wore something Demetrius put out for me. I didn't wear clothes like this in Blethos or A'Dore. Colors were very hard to make, especially blue and purple. To have it come out right and the same hue was very hard. One end can't be darker than the other! I wore a purple shirt. All one hue. Here there were a lot of black robes, but also red and white robes. Some layered over the other, like the white over the red. Some were pressed and looked almost regal. The crucifixes were shined and gleamed! Others had the look of having been worn a while. Monks, Abbots, Friars, Priests, nuns, sisters (brides of Christ?) and this was one of the only times I saw more clergy that were regular people. We were scattered around here and there.

"How do we..." I was about to ask when I felt him. Caleb. He was in no great hurry, but I sensed he wanted to return to his room for more research. How did I know? I don't know, but I felt him approach at brisk pace that said he didn't want to waste time! At a market, Caleb got a little bit of cheese, gave a quick shout to a man who knew him, nodded quickly who handed a small loaf of day- old bread someone put aside and a little something stick-like and Caleb gave a coin to the man there who took the money. The Vatican had its own shop? Even fasting ends and then where you get what you need? This was prearranged. With as many going to and from something at this hour, you had to.

I got in behind Caleb who turned and ran into me. Caleb was wiping me off before he saw me. "Mi dispiace tanto, non ti ho visto..." He did have a growth spirt to sixty-five inches or five feet and five inches. He was in his late twenties! There wouldn't be any other growth spirts. He looked fine to me.

"That was great, Caleb!" I said, "But shouldn't that be et ego paenitet, ego non video?" I watched as his jaw dropped open as his eyes widened. "It's been a while since I took Latin, but I think that was right."

Now he was making a sound as a slow inhalation allowed air in. Yes, I was a prince, but I was in a part of this world he didn't know I would be. I recognized him and but not so full of my own sense of importance to think everyone would know me on sight. He was from A'Dore and I counted on that, and the part we did know each other. So far, so good! The whole world knew the story and about my marriage. We had more than a friendship once. Now, you know me and my family's history. Seth was and is the only man for me.

I watched a few emotions cross Caleb's face as the look of shock was getting old. Surprise, happiness, then confusion, realizing what was happening and then kicking himself for not doing it. Surprised and happy to see me, at first, he was going to hug me, stopped. Should he hug me? I could almost read his mind!

"You still aren't eating!?" I asked him as I held one of his arms out. "I know you took a vow of poverty? Or was it a vow of silence?" I grinned. "There's a vow for everything, so it seems! We parted as friends..." I held my hand out. "Are we still?"

"You're Hi..."

I quickly held my hands up, "Please, none of that! You left A'Dore just before my marriage and..."

"I was trying to remember if I could touch you!" Caleb said back. "Yes, we're still friends!" He threw his arms around me and we hugged.

He was eating. How I knew this was during the hug, I felt his frame. He was compact. He wasn't thin or emaciated and the muscle under the robe was fit and firm. He was not ugly. There were a few people...female and male that would find Caleb nice looking. The big wooden cross took up nearly half of his chest! I admit, it was a big cross and the only adornment worn.

"Why are you here?" Caleb asked. "It's great to see you, but...why?"

"To see you," I smiled and saw his eyebrows rise, "I'm not joking." I assured. "Do you know what's happened back home?"

"Home." Caleb repeated, "Do you mean A'Dore or Blethos?"

I looked at Caleb seriously, "Here it is. There is something happening in A'Dore, Blethos, and Creid...Creid, who is now our strongest allies and friends...good friends to both A'Dore and Blethos who are incidentally one kingdom now..."

Caleb nodded, "Because of you."

"Is the fact that I married a man going to be a problem?" I asked, "I'm still happily married to that same man."

"Do you love him?"

I knew my face showed it before I even smiled. "Oh, yes. Very much."

Caleb grinned, "I guess he loves you."

"Very much," Demetrius answered for me. "It just oozes out of..."

"Thank you, Demetrius." I interrupted to stop him.

"You look very happy." Caleb smiled. "Is he the reason?"

I nodded instantly, "Yes, he is." I saw Caleb look at Demetrius. "Oh, this isn't him. Sorry. This is Demetrius, good friend, and member of my family now. In fact, Seth and I wouldn't be married without him!"

Demetrius looked around quickly. "Isn't there a little some place as you head down Belvedere? Near Pellegrigrino. It was called L'angolo once."

Caleb grinned, "You've been here before?"

"I've heard," Demetrius said. "That's Italian for the corner and it was hopefully still is!"

The place was not more than a hole in the wall. This was the Vatican! There were no holes in any wall here. Here they served...men. I saw no nuns in those habits or wearing anything else. I don't think a female was allowed in here. To get here...well, when they were renovating the area, sort of remodeling what was there and this sort of dark recessed area was there. The buildings were old! One section had two of the buildings less than a foot apart. Not enough for a person. But they could sit. In booths, men visited and were just men. Human beings who socialized. It's what we do. We found a place to sit.

"You traveled thousands of miles to see me?" Caleb asked and ordered all of us a drink. "Why?"

We spent the next few minutes to an hour or more explaining what happened, my marriage to Seth, our sons, and the more recent attacks by Wahkooha. Explaining Demetrius was more difficult. The problem all of miraculous things couldn't be seen now.

"What can you tell me about Lilith?" I asked. "Adam's first wife?"

"Lilith?" Caleb asked, surprised. "That depends on which version of Bereisheet you use."

"Bere..." Demetrius began repeating.

Caleb nodded quickly and chuckled, "Sorry, that's Hebrew for Genesis."

"There are two Genesis?" Demetrius asked.

"Why are there conflicts?" I asked. "The Church wasn't around back then."

Caleb gave men an "are you sure" look. "The first account of Lilith was in the first one, tells us God created man and women making them in His Devine image. The second version of the Yahwistic, God puts Adam in a deep sleep and makes Eve from Adam. They put the two versions together and they referred to the first Eve. Lilith. They got get rid of her long before there was a Pope anything." He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder and shrugged. Where Caleb pointed was where the Pope lived. He was probably taking some of his robes off to end the day! I could drop by!!! (You know, I wouldn't do that to anyone.) "The wording of the day tells of two separate women, but Lilith is considered a myth."

"You didn't sound like you thought she was a myth," I said.

Caleb shrugged, "I've read too much." He chuckled. "I don't believe she was ever a demon. She was created Human!"

Demetrius nodded, "She never was a demon and she still is very Human." He smiled at Caleb. "She's my mother."

I kicked Demetrius under the table! "Jesus help us, Demetrius." I muttered the real supplication and let my head fall forward a bit. "Just say come right out and say it!"

I watched Caleb sit back a little as his eyes narrowed. "She lived thousands of years ago!"

"She certainly did," Demetrius agreed and looked at me confused, "Coming right out and saying it. isn't that what I just did?" He waved at Caleb. "He either helps or steps aside, those paladins are just little more than a week away! Is he going to help or not? There's not a lot of time."

I sighed, "True, but scaring him off will not help..."

"What's going on?" Caleb asked. "You are Prince Erik of A'Dore." He looked at Demetrius. "I don't know you."

"Quit coaxing!" Demetrius stated. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," I said replied quickly and simply.

"Let's speed this up," Demetrius said taking my hand and pointed at Caleb's hand. "Follow me, but you don't forget Caleb."

I took Caleb's hand and our surroundings changed. It was no longer the dark recesses of any Corner. This wasn't dark. We were back in Gitchi. The weather had been a bit cool in Roma, at about fifty degrees. Here was cold. I was that big entryway in front of us. Behind us were the doors to take us out in the cold city. Left and right were corridors that led to rooms, stairs, and other rooms. Traveling this way was going to take time. Usually, my traveling partner knew what was going to happen and we were both standing. I had been sitting at a table and stumbled to my feet now. I had Caleb's hand to bring him here and if I hadn't, he'd be on his ass!

"Che diavolo!?" Caleb blurted out in shock. "What just happened?"

My language professor was right. French, Spanish, Italian and other romance language were easier after taking Latin. Latin was the parent language for all of them. Diavolo meant devil, which meant hot, so Caleb said, what the hell? Normally, it would have been funny.

"Where am I?" He demanded from us. "How did I get here?"

I held my hand out toward Caleb, "You're in a village in the northwest portion the continent you were born on.'

"Where!?" Caleb asked. Not because he needed to hear it again, but it was impossible to believe!

"Where some tribes of Natives call Maȟpíya Wókičhuŋze." I said cautiously. "Or Gitchi for short." I shrugged at Demetrius. "How is this a good idea?" Caleb looking at me and Demetrius, but at the same time looking at his surroundings. He had never seen this before and couldn't know where to run. "We're scaring him!! How is that helping?"

"He has nowhere to run!" Demetrius said loud. "If he did run, where would he go? It's freezing out there!"

I frowned, "This isn't a way! You need to keep his confidence up. This won't do."

"He'll come around!" Demetrius insisted. "They always do. He has to."

I shook my head. "You guys never knew what it was like to be just Human with no magic to bail you out." I tapped my chest. "This Child of Eve will use it, but it's not the first consideration." I approached Caleb who increased my distance from him by stepping back.

The sun could be seen as the door to the front opened. Caleb took off toward the outdoors.

"You don't want to lose him," Demetrius said. "You have to take him back."

I tapped my head at my temple. "He can't get away." I sighed. That bird-like view came back. I was over head as Caleb ran for his life and at the same time, tried to figure out where he was. This was not Italia. Some mountains rose around him. Hardly anyone was outside because it was freezing. He looked frequently behind himself but raced on. He hands were getting numb from the cold.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a disappointed voice that was already tired of looking. "What are your plans?" I asked him. His eyes widened and he turned to leave, only I was there, too. "Think, Caleb. Do you believe I'd hurt you?"

He turned again and was about to do it again and he did, but I appeared in his path when he turned a corner again.

"STOP!!"

"What are you?" Caleb asked.

"The same guy you met when we were children," I said. "I'm no demon, witch, or any evil creature." I said firmly. "You're better than this! I need your help, Caleb!"

"My help?"

"I never thought you were the kind of man to run around in a blind panic simply trying to get away! What are you wanting to do?" I asked.

"Get away," Caleb said. "Get home." He shrugged. "Give me a break, this will only happen once in my life. I'll have a reaction."

"I told you where you were," I said hugging myself against the cold air. "You are almost six thousand miles from Roma. The Pacific Ocean is right over there."

"That's..." he struggled with a word that fit, "impossible!"

I pointed at the sky, "The sun says it's just around mid-day. It was evening where we were before."

"How?" Caleb asked.

I stuck my hand out. "I'll do it again. I'm freezing. Trust me?"

Caleb slowly took my hand. I knew the cold was affecting him, too as he was shivering.

We were back in the gathering room, where we ate and met. Demetrius and Seth were in discussion that was just under a heated one.

"...you can take us there!" Seth insisted. "They didn't leave Gitchi..."

Only he and Demetrius were there. It was mid-day and everybody was busy. Seth raced over and hugged me.

"Thank God, you're alright."

"I'm fine, Seth," I looked at Caleb and smiled. "Caleb, this is my husband Seth...."

Caleb was relaxing. "That story says you were scarred." He looked at Seth. "I see no evidence."

"Thanks," Seth nodded shaking Caleb's hand. "Are you going to help us?"

Caleb frowned, "What can I do to help you?"

"Have you read the Book of Enoch?" I asked.

Caleb's eyes widened. "Enoch? Of course, I have!" Caleb said, "It was in the Ethiopian Bible and originally in Ethiopian Ge'ez language. I had to learn that language, too. There are other portions I've come across, but the Church tried to regulate what goes in so it remains consistent."

"Or sayings something they don't want out," I muttered.

Caleb nodded and laughed with no humor, "That's right."

"Have you read about the Watchers?"

Caleb's brow wrinkled, "Yes."

"Can you tell us about them?"

Caleb pointed at Demetrius, "Do I get told about Lilith and your friend here?"

I nodded. "That's fair."

For the next hour or so, we caught things up with Caleb and Demetrius. Don't misunderstand. Caleb sat and listened with a clear path mapped out for him to get away. If he needed to. Where could he go? I was little concerned about where he sat and what he wore to sit in. It screamed with its lack of fashion! The color was red...sort of. It wasn't burgundy. Crimson? I am no slave to any fashion, but... I knew there were some in the Church that took time to look...what's the word? Superior? The crimson they wore was clean, pressed and re-enforced their opinion of themselves as others who would cower away from them. I'd love to have a one-on-one with some of them. I was hoping that in the end, they would see they were not better than anyone else. In many cases, they were way worse! False humility and piousness of a saint and fake! How would their notions stand against evidence? Would they accept the evidence? Caleb's robe was a step above a sack! It didn't improve how he looked. It wasn't designed to. Every time Demetrius or I moved, he'd jump a little. We'd been all through this. I walked over to him and sat in a chair right in front of him. Caleb sat back in his chair for distance.

"You were the most unique friend I ever had," I held my finger up to make a point, "Friends in the guard or in the service sort of had to be." I shrugged. "I hope I was an approachable sort of person. I tried never to be demanding or impatient. People working at the palace were busy! Then you came around and..." I waved at Caleb, "at first you were there because someone accidently broke your mom's arm." I sat back. "How dare they!?" I said indignant. "A little tidbit of my own wisdom, get in the good graces of anyone that cooks for you." I pointed at Caleb, "I find out your mother is the baker of choice!! Jackpot!! Cakes, rolls of all kinds, any loaf of bread, biscuits, cookies, parfait, pie," I was getting exciting remembering as I told Demetrius and Seth, "and she made them just a little better because she knew me and liked what she made! I was also her son's friend! She made these what did she call them? They were baked on the outside and soft when you bit into them. I think I made a meal or two off of those alone!" I saw two of them looking interested and one smirking at me. Caleb knew the tasty tidbit I mentioned well.

"The ones that had the pepper jelly?" Caleb asked me with a small smile.

"God, yes!!" I pointed at Caleb happily. "Before her I had never even heard of pepper jelly."

"Pepper jelly?" Seth grinned.

I nodded, "Yes! It could be hot, sweet, savory, and any combination you could imagine! At twelve, I was determined to try all of her pepper jelly! Those..." I sat forward a bit, "what did she call them?"

Caleb was relaxing as he nodded, "Cheese Parfaits. They were in those little cup crusts..."

"Yes! And there was cheese in those flaky crusts!" I added.

Caleb chuckled, "the name changed with what she put in them."

"Maybe I'll get Grace to try it one day and try to get her to makes some." I looked at Caleb. "Your mom is still at the palace kitchen. She's a head baker now. I'm certain if her son asked her to, she'd make some." I tapped his forehead. "I," tap, "will," tap, "not," tap, "hurt," tap, "you! It was your brains that won you over with my professor. Your love of knowledge and your gift for languages that moved you to Roma."

"Which you didn't even ask about," he looked at me and then Demetrius, "Did you?"

"Ask about?" Demetrius questioned.

"He was going on his way to do something," Seth pointed out. "What was it?" He shook his head, "You don't even know!"

"I sort of sort of forgot that part," I admitted. Seth smiled and threw an arm around my shoulder. "We are descended from Adam and Eve." He put a hand of Demetrius' shoulder. "He descended from Adam and Lilith. His wife was Ella's Fairy Godmother and used magic to get Christian and Ella quickly together."

"There was a Fairy Godmother?" Caleb said more to confirm.

"I was!" Ella said appearing by Demetrius. Dressed more like a fairy or angel or...white, silver, and light reflecting clothe and blonde hair cascading down and she sort of shimmered. I noticed that Caleb didn't shrink away.

I reached over and pinched Demetrius lightly. "Why didn't you think of wearing something like that!?" I waved at Demetrius.

"It never occurred to me to put you in a dress!" Demetrius explained as loud.

"Not the dress!!"

"Wait!" Seth said quickly holding his hand out. "Where did you leave from?"

"From a lovely pub known as L'Angolo sarcastically." I said, "That's Italian for corner." I nodded, "Because, it is a corner."

"Two buildings so close, but only room for a child to make it through the gap..." Demetrius admitted with a nod.

"There were people there!?" Seth bellowed in horror! "Was there anyone who knew you, Caleb?"

"I stand by what I said!" Demetrius said firmly pinching me back. "I knew he would run and he did." He pointed at the surrounding building. "He didn't run far as he has never been here. He knew in Vatican City!"

"And I could keep up with him!"

Seth smiled as he came closer to Caleb, "Don't worry about them," he waved me and Demetrius away. "They adore each other, I swear."

"He has a life, Demetrius!!" I said pressing each syllable on his chest.

"And?" Demetrius said. "You two own this huge vineyard!! When was the last grape you tended?" He asked Seth and then pointed at me. "The last bottled you labeled, was it red, white, a burgundy...what. His life is not over." He turned to Caleb, "Was there anyone that recognized you there?"

"Especially the bartender," I added in a grumble. "They see and remember everything. Did you recognize him?"

"No," Caleb admitted. "I think I've been there five times in the past decade. It's where you go not to be seen."

I held my hand up. "If there were simply three men that disappeared," I began. "If they know who, we plan something else," I placed a hand on his arm, "I return you to your little room and what cover you want to use is up to you."

"Just like that?" Caleb nodded irritated. "You waltz up in Roma out of nowhere after ten years, you say some wild stuff, grab my hand and we're thousands of miles away." He threw his hands up. "Now you just want to take me back and say, sorry!?"

I inhaled and then slowly nodded, "Sorry."

"No!" Demetrius blew up. "NO!" He stood angrily and stomped a foot, "No, no," he turned to me. "No!" He waved at Caleb, but looked at me. "He's supposed to be here! It's not a coincident that a school friend from your past has learned to read the ancient languages! He's studied them. It's getting better, but a few decades ago or more, you'd have to search the streets to locate someone that could read English! Their own language."

"Yes," I said. "He was the one to spark my interest in the scriptures and testaments."

"Coincident?" Demetrius asked. "Please." He began to say loud in an a near rant. "This isn't even a hard to follow trail, this is a marble, landscaped paved path leading up to the front door saying here! It is so obvious! He is supposed to be here!"

"We didn't ask him," I said simply. "It's common curtesy." I smiled at Demetrius. "Please, sneak a peek at A'Langolo. Check his room..."

"You've been in my room!?" Caleb gaped.

"I had to," I explained to Caleb, "To prove to myself I could find you. We sort of popped in last night."

"They must trust you," Demetrius said. "All those translations lying around. The biggest thing is that table. All those scrolls and other letters and..."

Caleb nodded and chuckled, "I'm always getting fussed at about that." He absently scratched his ear. "You were there. I was there?"

"Sound asleep," I said. "Demetrius has had his abilities almost from birth. I got mine just recently."

"That's not what Deme..." Seth interrupted.

I barely glanced behind me at Seth, "Well, yeah, but, I didn't know about that then, did I?" I threw my hands up. "We all can do it! Children of Lilith and Eve can."

"HOW!?" Caleb blurted.

"I DON'T KNOW!!" I said as loud. "I don't know how I do it, but I can. I might could teach others if I did know! I don't."

"There was a bit of confusion at L'Angolo's." Demetrius said appearing out of nowhere. Caleb jumped again, but not as badly. Two gentlemen there said we just vanished, but one was very drunk and...another mystery at the Vatican. No one knew who was in the group of three."

"Well, this isn't the usual stigmata of a bleeding Christ or Blessed Virgin," I reached out again for Caleb, "I'll take you back."

Caleb pulled his hand away and where I couldn't touch him, "Not so fast." He pointed at Seth, but walked away from me. "You guys have been dealing with this more than a day. I need more than a few hours."

"Fine," I nodded. "You have to be cold." I pointed at the ceiling. "Freezing water out there. They heat the floors, but what you have on can't be warm."

Caleb grinned looking down at himself, "It is a little drafty." He admitted and the shrugged. "Which was no problem in Roma. Must of the meeting places are heated even if it's by other bodies there for the same thing."

Really, I didn't pay that much attention to what anyone with the Church wore. It wasn't an attractive garment. I knew there was a ranking system, but Caleb only had that one robe on. I'm not shy. "You've been in a while," I said, "but you look like a novice."

Caleb smiled and grudged a nod, "That's because I still am." He held his hand up to stop the questions. "I'm not a Priest or a brother, I don't want to make vows for life giving up things like comfort, sex, and other things. I didn't want to make vows that tied me to the Church for life." He shrugged. "I like what I do and I'm good at it." He looked up, crossed his arms, and scowled. "You want me here to do something more. Are you going to ask me?"

I chuckled, "Would you help us?"

"To do what?" Caleb asked, "Exactly?"

I held that finger up, "First, let's find something warm to wear."

I went to get some clothing for Caleb. I cut to the chase and asked for some. Men don't, except at the last effort. While I there, I changed my clothes. Those deerskin pants and shirt were warm. Caleb was about the same size as Toby. Upon my return, Seth and Demetrius had gotten Caleb to sit and talk. He really was cold as his hands were between his knees.

"...and none of them have been able to sire or conceive a child in two hundred years!?" Caleb asked in amazement.

"Have you spoken about the Watchers?" I asked as I held up deerskin pants.

"Not yet," Demetrius answered.

I tossed the pants to Caleb. "Try these." I sat by Seth. "I have a lot of problems with the book of Genesis. When the first humans were here," I began, "were they in the garden?"

Caleb shook his head, "I don't know. It's possible there were two worlds, this world and the garden." He slid his legs in the pants' legs and pulled them up, under his robe. "Why?"

"Because the Watchers were made to watch people," I said. "About two hundred of them did more than that. They married some of those first people," I pointed at Demetrius, "who were these people! The Children of Adam and Lilith. The angels were sent to watch the shepherds then." I shook my head. "If it was in the Garden, shepherds wouldn't be needed. The sheep would never be attacked. They might scatter, but they were safe."

Caleb slowly nodded, "Maybe." His answer was given as he would to anyone would question his belief in the Church or its teaching. He fastened his pants and pulled his robe off.

"They were Ben Elohim," I said to confirm. "Weren't they?"

"There were two sets," Caleb said nodding, "the Grigori and the Irin..."

"And here we go again," Seth hung his head and moaned.

"He's just not liking the names," I explained.

Caleb chuckled at Seth, "It's not Bob, but when you learn it, you never forget them."

"So, what's the difference?" Seth asked.

"We can't prove any..."

"We know!!" Seth, Demetrius, and I said at the same time. Caleb to pull back, but there was humor in it this time.

"Okay," Caleb chuckled as he tried to appease me. "Jewish Mythology and..." he saw I was going to say something about that and he went on, "Okay."

I waved at Demetrius, "He is not like anyone you ever met. In ten years, he has hardly aged a day!! He does things very few can do." I put my arm around him. "Whatever proof, he's here!"

"And he's not alone!" Seth added. "There's Dara, his wife and Ella's Godmother, Lukus, who is a good guy, but...long story," he shook his head, "His wife Martha and Ceto..."

"Don't forget Eabha." I told Seth.

"They are all here?" Caleb asked. "Why?"

"We were to help man's transition to an age where we are gone." Dara said simply and was just beside Demetrius. She wasn't here before. She held her hand out in caution, "I keep forgetting. Children of Eve don't undress or dress where others can see." Then, she just wasn't there. "I'll be back."

Caleb had seen Dara, so was not as shocked. "Not wasting time, because you've explored all the natural means to stop pregnancy. Do you want these Watchers to have children with them?" He shook his head. "That wasn't a good idea in the first place."

"Why?" I asked.

"These Watchers were not allowed to interfere with Human Development." Caleb argued pulling the robe off. He was a small man, but I saw muscles that had been worked and was fit. I had Seth, so just like with Yannick, I appreciated what was there and even thought he was attractive, but I never...look, those in marriages of man to woman sees a pretty woman, but not his wife, knows she's pretty and doesn't mean he wants to have sex with her. He might! That is a whole other topic. This was not a rabbit or wild hare. Seth has more chest hair which I loved. Caleb had a little hair in the places I could see on his chest and under the arms. "The Grigori were elite special angels. They were angels so high up in the top levels of Heaven they were superior."

I nodded. "If you peeked under those glowing robes of theirs, they had manhoods the same as all men do!" I waved at the sky, and then shouted, "Why would You do that!? It doesn't make sense!" I threw my hands out helplessly. "The Watchers..." I waved at Seth, "The Grigori were angels! They were, I have no doubt, just stunning to look at. Beautiful! They fell in love with the daughters of Lilith! They should! Every Child of Lilith is beautiful! You're seen Dara! Even Le Nah was beautiful when not on her mad rant."

"We saw Lilith," Seth said softly to Caleb whose eyes grew.

"Seth," I groaned. "We don't know..."

Seth shook his finger at me. "Oh, yes you do!" He argued, "We both know it. She didn't deny it when you asked her and you know it was her!"

"It doesn't matter!" I turned to Seth as I grinned. "Some handsome, viral males came to watch, fell in love with the daughters of Lilith and had children. That's what we do as Humans! I don't blame the Watchers. Were there other angels these Watchers were compatible with? Can regular angels have relationships? There is a whole lot of time missing! There were two worlds! Weren't there?"

Caleb looked uncomfortable, "I don't..."

"Tell me what you think!" I pleaded. "We need to remember Father Markham is leading this group." I shook my head. "He doesn't scare me. I've dealt with him before, but that man with him.' I shuddered. "I don't know what he is, but he's not all Human." I pointed at Caleb. "He's from the other Earth."

"The Church threw it out," Caleb said.

"The Church burnt heretics when they said the world was round," I pointed out, "We know it is. I don't give a damn what the Church says. It left traces in Genesis about what in the book of Enoch! According to them Adam and Eve sinned, got cast out. Those Watchers were mating with the daughters of Eve way before that. There were cities. Whoever this whatever is, he has something that could hurt or harm Demetrius and the other Children of Lilith! I know it!"

"It will bring the progress that the Sons of Adam have made to a stop," Demetrius said.

"Those testaments you've studied," I said smiling, "we written, having been passed by a people with lifespans of almost a thousand years! Written thousands of years before the New Scriptures when it was fresher on their minds. The answers are there!"

Caleb smiled and nodded, "You're right."

Seth jumped at that. "He is? Which part?"

"Most of it," Caleb said. "There was just one Earth, though. The Garden of Eden is gone. If it ever was. The Grigori had children and those children had children."

"They were evil?" I asked.

Caleb's eye squinted, "The ones that were evil outshone the ones that weren't."

"Great!" I said in triumph, "I feel victory heading our way!"

"What happened with us?" Seth asked. "We lose the ability to use magic and our lives got really short."

Caleb shrugged, "This is a guess, but the flood happened."

"Flood?" Seth asked. "You mean the Great Flood, Noah, and the animals gathered two by two, the Ark and..."

"Yep," Caleb smiled, "before the flood, most of Human lives were as long as others. After the flood, the life spans became what we're familiar with. Enoch was Noah's great-grandfather."

Seth's eyes grew when he heard that.

"You think that God's decision to put angels capable of fathering children with Human women is a mistake?" Caleb asked me smiling slyly. "It's like putting a tree with fruit we can't eat from and telling them eat everything, but the fruit of this tree. Why create the tree? Maybe to shape Humanity?"

"And Angels? They sin and they make bad decisions," I said.

"Just like some other beings I heard of," Caleb chuckled. "Nobody's perfect."

I smiled at him, "Caleb! Making friends with you was a great decision!" I hugged the man.

The door opened and Toby came in with Val.

"Dad!" Toby bounced once and came over hugging me. "I came a while ago, Daddy said you and Uncle Deme went on another trip."

Not to bore you, but again, new people had to notice Toby's speech was a little...off. The glutaral stops and pauses were there because Toby learned to put them there to be understood. Caleb was not stupid. He grinned, curious as he looked at me as I hugged Toby.

I held Toby back a little so he could see my face, "Everything's alright, though?"

"Oh, sure," Toby chuckled, "Daddy was about to wear a path into the floor for you to get back." The floor beneath us was stone.

"Your Daddy worries," I said explaining simply. I waved at Caleb. "This a very smart friend of mine, Caleb Dupont." I held Toby slightly forward. "This is Toby. One of Seth's and my two brilliant sons. He has a brother, Dennis waiting back in A'Dore." Now telling people was just a manner of course. "He's been deaf at six months of life. He reads lips, so he needs to see your face."

As it was normal now, Caleb's reaction was delighted surprise, "You must be brilliant!" He said and shook Toby's hand. "I knew your smart Dad a while and I know he's smart. I just met your...Daddy was it?"

Toby nodded, "I have two, so I call that one Daddy," he said as Seth walked over.

Caleb nodded, "My impression of him all good and he's a very happy man. I have no doubt he is brilliant, too."

Toby put his arm around my arm that held him securely. Not to push my arm away, but pull it more securely, "this one is Dad. For both of them, it's Dads."

"It's nice to meet you, Toby." Caleb greeted shaking Toby's hand.

The novelty of what was going on was wearing thin. With the time difference, it was late, or early, in Roma. Caleb had relaxed a whole lot. We quickly introduced him to everyone. Told him that Max, Reese, Beau, and Val were Creid. He reacted as anyone who didn't know them would, but they eased Caleb to relax. The other Children of Lilith were also introduced. My nephew Thomas and Hana and Dakotah.

The energy the adrenalin gave had abated and I saw that on Caleb's face. We had traveled a long way before, but the time of day wasn't that much. By the calendar, it was almost a day apart, but our body clock didn't care if it was Wednesday or Thursday. The sun was up and we were awake. With Caleb, back in Roma the sun had gone down and it was time to sleep. Here in Gitchi, the sun was still up! Everyone stuck to a day cycle! Since the very beginning!

Seth and I got Caleb away from everyone and I smiled at him, trying to be sensitive to what he might be going through.

"I asked Dakotah," I smiled at him. "There's room here and we have one for you."

Caleb smiled as he looked around the room, "I've never seen architecture like this before."

"I don't think anyone has before," Seth said. "It's unique."

Caleb chuckled, "I've had some crazy dreams before, but nothing like this. It has to be real."

Ceto came over, smiled at us, and handed Caleb a steaming cup of something. "Drink this as quickly as you can. It's hot, so it will take a little time." She stood up, "After you are done another cup will be brought and you drink that one slower."

Caleb sniffed the steam. "It smells like hot tea."

Ceto shrugged, "Yes, but it has a few other ingredients that will help you sleep well."

"Can we ask?" Seth asked grinning.

"Sure!" Ceto said brightly. "It's not a secret, but we've known how much to add to the chamomile tea. The tea alone will relax you, but we add Passionflower, Lavender, and Valerian root. It's not something that will knock you out for few hours, but even out the natural desire to sleep and keep it to a steady amount. I don't give it more than three nights in a row. Your body will adjust to it." She bounced. "If you do, you will sleep, but not like this time. It becomes your normal. The first cup will get the tea in your system and the second one encourages your natural sleep impulse to increase. I won't be surprised if you get groggy." She walked away and back to Beau.

"Wow," Caleb said sipped the tea and held it back, "It is hot!" He nodded. "It's good!" He leaned in to say something in private. "She's a Child of Lilith?"

Seth and I laughed, "Yes."

"She's a Native!" He shook his head, "That sounded bad, but Demetrius and the others, even Eabha looks...like us!" He looked as Ceto began speaking with Beau and laughed at something he said to her. "She's very, very beautiful!"

I leaned in to speak as privately, "We know. It sort of makes me wonder what the original race of man was."

Caleb grinned, "What do you say to that woman you say the race that Lilith was?"

I had to sit back and thought. "Black hair, very beautiful..."

"Did she look like she came from Europa or Britannia?" Caleb asked.

"Not really." I admitted. "Maybe from a country on the Eastern side of the Mediterranean."

Caleb nodded again. "Could be. Jesus was, too. He wasn't white."

I had thought that before and heard some say it, too.

"No one knows what the original Humans looked like," Caleb shrugged, "It's doesn't require that much thought to figure what was there." He sipped the tea a little more and looked at Ceto and Beau. "So, she and Beau?"

I chuckled again, "Yes, she and Beau."

"I'm getting an impression of you two," Caleb said sipping again. He pointed at me with his tea cup. "You just confirmed my initial impression of you."

"What have you seen?" I asked.

"You like the unusual," Caleb said. "You're a prince, but don't like to be seen different than anyone else. You marry." He waved his cup at Seth, "but marry a man! Stay married, not just in name after Seth is made king! You bring the attention of the world to you saying you are happily starting a life together even when Seth abdicated! You get two large kingdoms to reverse their stance on same gender marriage and it pretty quickly accepted now. You have two sons; I know there's a story there. Toby is ten?"

Seth chuckled. "Soon to be eleven."

"We can never forget that part," I laughed, "Dennis will be nine!"

Caleb chuckled with us, "Toby is deaf, but talks and brilliant?"

"Talk to him," Seth waved at Toby who was in a deep discussion with Val. "Having Val who is willing to speak with Toby has been so wonderful!" Seth sighed. "I love and like my son, but he has question after question!"

I chuckled, "He can't talk Val to death."

"You both like the odd ones." He shook his head. "The ones no one else sees a point with."

"My taking you from the Vatican?" I asked. "Your plans for the future weren't interrupted?"

"No," Caleb said. "I stayed because the scrolls and writings were there." He sipped again. "I want a life." He pressed his chest. "My life. I should marry and have children..."

"You can't at the Vatican!" Seth stated quickly.

Caleb laughed sipping again, "Tell me something I am unaware of!"

"Do you have someone in mind?" I asked, but was laughing with him.

Caleb nodded, "I do! There's a woman named Lia. She started working for a group of priests."

I frowned, "Don't they use the novices for any cleaning or things?"

Caleb nodded, "Yes, and it is what you think. She is in her mid-twenties, was married and even had a child. Her husband and child died. She was being groomed for sex."

"But she's still there?" I asked.

"And working for the nicest couple of priests you hope you could meet." He chuckled. "They hired her from under these other priests."

I grinned, "You've never dated?"

"Did we?" Seth said indignantly. "Did Ella date Christian?"

Caleb downed the rest of his tea. He was about to get more when a new steaming cup appeared before him. He didn't jump, but was surprised.

"You get used to it." Seth said simply.

"What were you going to do?" I asked.

"I was allowed to stay even as a novice when they realized I could do the translations." He shrugged, "I have to give it up."

"Why?" I asked.

"I am not a brother, abbot, friar or priest. They won't let me in if I leave the Church and marry."

"A locked door can't keep me out," I grinned slyly. "I can get you in."

Caleb began drinking the next cup slower. He shook his head, "Why not?"

"You've been there a decade!" Seth said. "How much more is there you haven't seen?"

I leaned away from Seth, "You assume he's been wasting time?"

Seth rolled his eyes, "No, but how much more is there?"

I shook my head, "Even the scriptures said, if everything Jesus did were written down, no room would hold them all."

Caleb looked helpless, "That is so right! Not to mention all the languages!! I could read them the rest of my life and still not ever be done!"

"No one ever told me that," Seth whispered. "Or about that!"

"This old world," I began. "It goes back a good length of time?"

"Hundreds, if not thousands of years." Caleb nodded. He held his hands up. "I have to say this. I am not an expert! No one knows."

I nodded, "I know, but someone remembered enough to pass it on and it got written down. Something happened. Those Grigori taught men to mold shields of metal, swords and they fought a war!" I looked at Caleb. "Len Na began with using illness to attack. Did she get it from back then?"

"Demetrius couldn't even kill himself," Seth said. "Was that always true? Was there something they had to hurt or even kill the Children of Eve?"

"Would that kill the Children of Eve?" I asked. I shook my head. "No, I don't want to lose Demetrius or any of the others, but if this man with Father Marcus is still part Grigori, will it kill the angel part of him? Tomorrow, I want to take a scouting party to see where these men are. We need a plan. Will you help us?"

"Absolutely!" He sipped the tea. "Good tea!"