Chapter 16
Life Goes On
"Pay it no mind." I meant the voices but waved David over to us just in case something horrible did happen.
David slid out from under Asher's head and met me at the foot of the bed with Patrick, and Bry. He handed me the bowl and we waited. It didn't take long before there was movement. Asher's body seemed to writhe and lift as though something was pulling him toward the sky. What I saw next brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. White feathered wings pushed out from beneath Asher and flopped lazily on either side. His eyes fluttered open and David nearly dove into the bed. He wrapped his arms around Asher's waist as though he might never let go.
Asher rested his hands against David's back and chuckled. "Silly thing, I am Slegna. We are not..."
The feathered weight pulling against his back started him as he sat up. It was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. It's not often a bird races away from its own wings, but Asher was trying to do that very thing. His wings jutted out and knocked over the bed side tables. It wouldn't have been so terrible, but the wooden tables and their contents topped down the granite steps and splintered into too many pieces to count.
The knowledge that they were indeed his wings seemed to settle into his mind and he wrapped them around David in a loving embrace. Asher shuddered and his wings moved in unison. It didn't take long before Asher ran his fingers across the feather covered ridges and stared back at us. Tears welled in his eyes and his chest heaved with heavy sobs. Since his arrival here on Earth, which I knew to be a long time, but not the number, he was whole.
I nodded to Bry and we approached Asher as he sat amazed and with a face full of what I hoped were tears of joy. We each trailed our fingers in the trail of his tears and brought them to our lips.
"Don't!" Asher stared in horror as we tasted his joy and sorrow.
The spell was complete. A halo of white shimmered around us and then faded.
"We've tasted your flesh, blood, seed, and now your tears, Asher." Bry spoke the words like some ancient menacing creature, but it wasn't the cold and detached persona that I had come to worry about.
His words were filled with the knowledge, that maybe he finally believed that death and killing for this one wasn't the answer. Asher studied Bry as though he was some foreign creature, but it was just my Bry. I could feel the caged curiosity building within Asher as he looked out into the distance and then down to David who was still clutching to his waist as though his every breath depended on the intimate contact.
"Please understand, Asher. We have given you your wings, not your father's forgiveness. That isn't ours to give. You cannot return. I'm sorry." I whispered the words and regretted not being able to hide the pity in my voice.
A warmth and tingling sensation was moving outward from my chest and now traveled down my arms. The spell was changing us as much as it had him, and of course I feared the unknown. There was no way for sure to know what this would do to us if anything, though I was certain we were now more than what we were just moments ago.
"So then, you had your way with me while I was... unconscious." Asher's voice was tinged with a hint of anger, but also humility.
I never would have thought it possible to humble a Slegna, but it seemed he was as imperfect as the rest of us, and that bit of truth helped to sooth my already fragile nerves.
"We only took what necessity required so we could repair the damage to your body and further our cause. The veil is weakening and, like it or not, we're all stuck here." Bry and I backed away from him and stood together at the foot of his bed.
"We have given you another gift as well." An uncontrollable smile curled my lips into a smile and I tipped my head forward in a bow so that my hair might help hide my expression.
"The sun will no longer burn your flesh." The suspicion in Asher's eyes changed to wonder. "We will leave you to other activities and to rest. Expect us again tomorrow after sunset." I nodded to Bry and we blinked our way back to the shadows of the alleyway where we first arrived.
The damp night air coated my skin and again I had to take extra effort to breath in the smothering pollution of the city.
"I think we did something good tonight." I pulled Bry into my arms and we shared a gentle lingering kiss.
He gave me a tight hug and his lips tickled my ear as he whispered. "Let's go home."
"Well.... Isn't that precious." Luseus hissed the words. I would recognize his serpent like voice anywhere, though I couldn't sense exactly where he was.
"Jealous much?" Bry answered in a chuckle.
"We don't have time for you Luseus, another time perhaps." I nodded to Bry and smiled. "Let's go home."
An angry growl drifted into the distance as we traveled the space between Orlando, FL and our sacred circle of trees. I placed my hand in the frost glazed grasses at my feet and closed my eyes listening.
"Don't you ever take a break?" Bry snickered as he nudged me with his knee nearly knocking me on my ass.
"Shhh... I'm just checking on them. I can't concentrate with you trying to tip me over." The reply was sluggish, the land was falling into its winter slumber, but finally my answer came.
They were fine. Images of them surrounded by music and merriment flashed through my mind as people danced around a fire and tossed gold coins onto Daniel's grave. Kevin and Aurora knelt in front of a sand stone obelisk that stood 20 feet high and the firelight gave their somber faces a pale yellow glow. I couldn't see any tears, but felt their sorrow. The Gypsy's would have someone stand watch at the grave for three turns of the moon to see that the body remained undisturbed. By the end of that time, it is said that the soul will tend to any unfinished earthly business and ultimately move onto the next world.
I was almost sorry I couldn't be there, but this was a private matter, and even this much prying was probably beyond what was appropriate. Still I worried.
"They're safe." I smiled at Bry as he held out his hand and helped me up off the ground.
A hollow ache filled my chest and my mind turned to thoughts of the uncles. We had already lost so much. This was always a special time of year for us, though in the past it had always been happier circumstances.
The frigid night air tingled against my skin as my breath burst out in tiny clouds from between my lips. I knew we'd find a thick frost covering the ground come morning. If we woke early enough, it would look as though someone had painted every surface with a thin layer of snow. There are a few precious moments during a fall morning as the frost melts and the sun rises that I relish. The world seems to come alive as the frost melts and the drops of water twinkle and catch the red and orange hues of sunrise. I wondered if Bry had ever taken the time to notice such things in his life before all this. It was something I wanted to share with him, at least before anything else stole our time.
"Come on... It's freezing out here." Bry gave my arm a jerk and drug me toward the house.
I wasn't sure how Shadow knew we were there, but she was hammering away at the back door as we approached. My baby was ready to do her nightly business and tunnel beneath the covers for a long nights rest, and so was I.
The cold seemed to speed Shadow on her way, and I didn't have to wait at the door long before she stood just outside looking up at me. The three of us trudged upstairs. A shower would have been nice, but our bed was calling, and I felt guilty for leaving Shadow alone again for so long. It had only been a few hours, but I knew she wasn't used to an empty house.
Even on the coldest of nights I leave my window open just enough to feel the cool air on my face. I snuggled deep into my blankets and now, thankfully between Ty and Shadow and drifted off to sleep watching the sheer white curtains wave goodnight.
"Help Me!"
I sat upright in bed, not sure that I heard the words. The dream was gone, but a feeling of dread sent a shiver down my spine and made me look around the room to make sure we were safe.
"You okay?" Bry's words were slurred with sleep, but he was awake. Or at least awake enough for me to goad him into watching the sunrise with me.
We left shadow in her tangle of covers as I rushed down the stairs like someone might on Christmas morning, looking for their treasure trove of presents. There weren't presents, but there was going to be a spectacular sunrise, and I wanted Bry to see it with me.
Sweatpants, thick cotton pull over shirts and our shoes was all that was required. I didn't want to stop at the bathroom, but nature has a way of demanding your attention, and I wasn't willing to expose that part of myself to the outdoors this morning. We finished up, clomped down the stairs and headed out to the sacred circle.
What I didn't expect was that there were others out and about this morning. I didn't recognize anyone as we crept up the trail. It was too dark and all I could make out were several figures. I hoped that they were friends, or at least figured that they must be or they wouldn't have been able to cross the wards that were in place.
We slowed our pace and as the first rays of sunlight peaked over the horizon, I recognized Aurora. She, Kevin, and what looked to be several other Gypsy, and even a few Fey were standing, staring at the rising sun. Kevin spun around and frantically waved us over to join them and my worries disappeared.
"I wanted you to see this." I smiled at Bry and chuckled as I saw how wild his hair had become during the night.
You wouldn't think those thin little hairs could defy gravity, but even as the wind made me shiver, I could feel my own hair protest and fight to stay in its current state of unkempt chaos.
A few snickers and side ways glances made me wish we'd taken the time to tame the rat's nests atop our heads, but I didn't care. The sun climbed over the horizon, and the view was just how I remembered it.
A glowing blaze of gold and red faded to pink as I felt the first rays arrive and warm my face. The sky seemed almost on fire, and in moments, the warmth crept down my body and caressed the earth. Bits of frost melted, and then the earth seemed to spring to life as little sparkles of fire surged across the land. Had it been any more breathtaking, I would have almost thought that the earth wept at its own beauty.
Bry leaned into me and I turned in time to receive a chaste kiss. "Thanks, I needed that."
"Kind of reminds you what we're fighting for doesn't it?" I stepped in behind him and wrapped my arms around his chest.
The touch was intimate, and threatened to awake other desires, but it was not without purpose. The melting frost soaked my shoes and my feet and ankles were freezing! I sighed and my breath tickled Bry's neck and made him shiver.
"Care for some breakfast?" I untangled myself from Bry and smiled at Kevin as he turned to look my way.
"I am STARVING! Come on Aurora!" He tugged against her sleeve with every intention of filling his stomach.
"Breakfast sounds great.. Thank you." She smiled and glanced back to the others that had come out for the sunrise.
"You're all welcome to join us if you like. Bry's cooking." I bit my tongue to keep from laughing as I felt his muscles tense.
Frustration rolled through him like storm, and then disappeared. He was trapped, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. Had Bry thought to say it first, he'd have probably stuck me the same way. A chuckle escaped my throat as everyone accepted and we walked as quickly as our legs would take us back to the warmth of the house.
"You start the coffee. I'll be right down." Bry nominated me to make the coffee as he ran up the steps to shower.
"Please have a seat in the living room or wherever you can find a spot. Coffee will be ready in a few minutes." A grin lifted my cheeks as the smell of coffee filled the air.
It was a small price to pay, and after all... I wasn't the one who had to do all the cooking, and... I was going to get the first cup of rich black consciousness! Well... that was the plan, but it didn't work out that way. A good host serves their guests first, and whether I liked it or not, with this crowd, my first cup was going to have to wait until the next pot was finished brewing.
After the second pot was done and I was sipping my first taste of coffee, Bry came thumping down the steps with Shadow close behind. There were people here, and this early in the morning that meant food. She was all over it. First things first however, I had to let her out for her morning duties as Bry gave me a menacing glance, and busied himself with getting the pans from the cupboard and food from the refrigerator.
I let Shadow back in, and she began her inspection of our guests as I went upstairs to shower. My feet had pruned during the wait, and the warm water helped to thaw my little piggies. Once I was sufficiently scrubbed and some hint of order existed atop my head, I dressed and went back downstairs. The smell of bacon and the sound of light hearted conversation met me at the bottom of the stairs.
I filled my plate with almost bacon and toast and joined the rest in the living room. The kitchen chairs had already been commandeered so I found me a nice piece of floor and landed. Bry must have just finished cooking, because his plate had barely been touched.
"So... how did you become a Druid? A young fey girl with ocean blue eyes and stared in awe as Bry chewed.
"Well... how did you become Fey? That's what you are right?" Bry asked back around a mouth full of food. I knew he had better manners, but I guess her enthusiasm demanded an immediate answer.
A subtle nudge from the older fey woman beside her didn't seem shake her curiosity. It was difficult to guess her age, though I would have guessed five possibly six years old. She was so petite and frail looking it seemed she might blow away in brisk winds that always raged on our hilltop. Her hair was such a weak cast of blond that it looked white when the sun shown behind her. Her face was like that of a fine china doll, with a pointed chin, but no so much that it gave her an odd appearance. It seemed to go perfectly with her pale skin and large oval eyes.
If she would have had a pair of pointed ears, she would have looked like what most people would call an elf; though to say it aloud would have been an absolute insult. The Fey are not elves, and the mere insinuation would have been a grave breach of etiquette.
"I was Fey when I popped out right mom?" The older Fey woman nearly choked on her food.
"Jenna, I keep telling you... you were HATCHED!" A young boy who could have been her twin, save for a moderately deeper voice and a good two years older, chimed in.
"Quin! Quit telling her that!" Her amber eyes surged with a subtle golden light and then faded as she gave a warning glance to who I assumed to be her son. "And yes Jenna, you were born Fey just like your brother and I were."
"Please excuse them, they take after their father, and aren't the most graced when it comes to social engagements. My name is Gwendolyn; it's a pleasure to meet you." Her cheeks flushed with an almost imperceptible shade of rose, that if I hadn't been watching, I might never have noticed.
Gwendolyn's every movement was deliberate and so graceful it appeared seductive and sensual. It reminded me of last nights encounter with Asher and David and I felt my cheeks burn with the memory. Her waist length hair was the color of white satin. It seemed to catch the light instead of reflecting it, like fresh snow in the morning sun. Her eyes were oval like her daughters, but a deep amber and gold color that I hadn't seen before. They devoured the light and then radiated it back again with a kaleidoscope of color. She was stunning in every way.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well Gwendolyn. This is Bry, Kevin, Aurora, and my name is Ty." I indicated each with a nod and gave a final bow to her as I introduced us. "Oh... and of course... the grey fur ball that everyone keeps feeding... is Shadow."
I know Shadow heard her name, but a small crust of toast was more tempting than whatever I might have had to say.
"Everyone, this is Montana, and her husband Jacque." Aurora stumbled over the French pronunciation and furrowed her brow.
"That's okay... you can call me Jack. Everyone does." Jacque, or rather...Jack, smiled at Aurora and winked. "It's a pleasure."
Montana, as well as Jack, both had the tell tale black hair of their culture and kind. While Jack's skin harbored a ruddy olive, more European tint, Montana, was as pale and fare of skin as Aurora and Kevin. From what I could sense from everyone here, without prying too deeply, these were all good people, and it was nice to have a house full of friendly voices again.
Shadow had made a glutton of herself, getting as much food as attentive petting and affection as she could stand, and finally lay down beside me. In moments I knew she would be sleeping, and snoring away as she always does when completely satisfied.
"Would anyone care for more coffee or a second helping?" Bry stood rose from the chair and waited.
"I'd love another cup of coffee, but no more food for me... I'm stuffed." Jack patted his over extended belly and smiled.
No requests for food, just coffee, and I was glad. It looked like we all wanted another round of something to help us face the day. Thank the gods for coffee. I had some serious questions I wanted to ask, and I didn't know how well they would be received.
"So....I hate to ruin the mood, but I need to ask. What if anything do any of you know of Lucif?" The room was so quiet I wondered if the oxygen had somehow suddenly been evacuated.
Jack cleared his throat and then took Montana's hand in his own and clutched it to his chest.
"The brother of Asher, Lucif, is known to the Gypsy, as the King of Lies. We do not utter his name lightly or in casual company." Jack stiffened and seemed resolved to let the discussion end there.
"To our people, he is known as the tortured soul and embodiment of sorrow and despair." Gwendolyn inhaled deeply and then let out her breath. "There are many tales that are told amongst the Fey about this... man."
She glanced at her children, and then to the floor beneath her feet. "Quin, Jenna, why don't you take Shadow outside for a walk."
I gave Shadow a slight nudge and she roused from her sleep. Her black eyes seemed to search mine before she stood and shook from head to tow to chase away her sleep.
"Ahhh man! We never get to hear the good stuff!" Quin wined as he stood and waited for his sister to follow.
They left with Shadow following close behind, and the screen door slammed signaling their exit.
"I'm sorry, I won't have my children hearing what I'm about to tell you." Gwendolyn's body seemed to relax as she leaned back and decided how to tell us her tale.
"When I was no older than Jenna, I overheard my grandmother tell a story. Lucif, the first to fall, was cursed. Not in a way that you might think however. He wasn't given boils, or bad luck, or the kindly things that a novice magick user might bring into being. He was cursed to live among us, and without love." Gwendolyn's gazed at something far away as she remembered.
"He was cast out from the others of his kind for his love of a human. He is an immortal, with the capacity to love and live forever. His object of affection however... was not. They lived together for many years, but as time passed, his love, Moses, withered and grew old and frail."
Gwendolyn trailed her fingers along the arm of her chair picking at the frayed material before she continued.
"Then, one day, Moses asked Lucif to take him outside so that he might see his final sunrise. Weak beyond measure, Moses passed on, and Lucif released his hold on Moses so that he might move on to the next world."
Tears welled in her amber eyes and trailed down her cheeks. "So you see... It wasn't that he couldn't give his heart to another. It was that he would have to watch everything he held dear, wither and die. That anguish twisted his soul in ways we are not able to fathom, and so... he became a creature of hate, and resentment, and sorrow."
Gwendolyn cleared her throat and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Or so that is the story I overheard. To be honest... it's too terrible to imagine, and if it is true... I pity the creature."
She was about to continue when the screen door slammed again, signaling the children's' return. Gwendolyn composed herself completely. Looking at her you would never have known she was in tears only moments prior, but I felt it. Her empathy and pity for such a thing was consuming. I had a feeling there was another story there; one that might explain her sympathetic view of such horror, but I knew we wouldn't be hearing that tale any time soon.
"Thanks for sharing that. I appreciate it." I smiled at her, but I knew the gesture was empty and without meaning. I didn't feel like smiling, and I might just as well have worn a plastic mask than to try and lift her spirits with false sentiment.
The children entered the room with Shadow close behind. "She wanted back in." Quin grinned at his mother and plopped down at his mother's feet.
"Well, I hate to impose any further. We really should be going. Thank you both for the wonderful breakfast. It's been a pleasure meeting you. These two have their studies and I've much to do as well." Gwendolyn stood and waited for Quin and Jenna to join her.
With a nod, they became transparent, and then completed disappeared. I had to admit, though we all seemed to have our ways of traveling from place to place, each intrigued me as I saw and met more of the magickal creatures in the world.
"I'm sorry if I've made you feel uncomfortable, but we need to know as much about Lucif as we can before we meet." Jacks face went from disapproval to complete shock as his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
"You intend to find this creature!?" It was more a statement than a question and his voice rose in volume as though he were scolding a small child. The golden deep timber of his voice held an almost violent edge and it made me shiver.
"We'll need all the help we can get when the creatures of darkness pierce the veil. So far we have been lucky. Only a few have managed to escape. Soon..." Bry laid his hand on my knee and the subtle gesture stole my voice.
"Soon...we'll be out of time, and we are far from ready. We have very little information regarding Lucif, and if there is anything that you can tell us, we would greatly appreciate it." Bry finished my plea for help.
"He has been the Boogey Man to our kind for as long as I can remember. He is the threat spoken to children; the make believe creature to frighten us. That was of course, until we grew older, and learned that he was real. I will speak with Esmerelda and see if I can arrange an audience." Jack sighed and looked at Aurora and then Kevin.
"He's real?" Aurora's eyes were wide with fear and Kevin seemed to cling to his sister for safety.
"Yes little ones, he is not just a thing of make believe to coax you into doing your daily chores, but do not worry, you have your family to protect you now. We will keep you safe." Montana's voice was gentle and sounded like music as she reassured Aurora and Kevin. It was the kindness reassurance you hear when waking from a nightmare and your parents are there to comfort and remind you that it was only a dream.
They had adopted the children by action if not by word. It is the Gypsy way, and I was glad that they would have someone to watch over them. We had put them in harms way, and Daniel's passing was still fresh in my mind. We had failed them. More precisely, I had failed them.
"Don't dwell on the past Druid. There was nothing you could have done." Jack seemed to know my thoughts and I am sure my surprise confirmed it. "One doesn't have to be an empath to see the pain in your face."
"We will need to meet with the leaders of all the clans. Do you think you could arrange this before the days end?" I knew it was a lot to ask of anyone, but we had too much to do.
There was no way Bry and I could manage our huge numbers alone. We would have to leave a good portion of the training and relay of information to the heads of the clans. If we didn't establish some form of hierarchy now, there was no way we were going to be ready in time. I only hoped that there wouldn't be problems within the clans with regard to who was going to lead them. Many of the clans have their own factions, and it's not uncommon for them to be less than friendly with each other. If they want to live they were going to have to work it out.
"I don't think I'm..." Jack didn't get a chance to finish. Montana's stern look and the pleading eyes of Kevin and Aurora made him pause.
"I will do what I can." The look of defeat was absolute but he recovered quickly. "Come... It seems I've much to do."
With that they stood. "Thank you for the breakfast and it's been a pleasure to meet you." Montana smiled and nodded as their forms wavered like ripples in a pond and they disappeared.
"Laundry and dishes... Or renewing the wards?" I asked, smiling at Bry.
Either chore was daunting enough, but I suspected he would take the house hold chores over renewing the wards. Knowing how it was done was something entirely different than performing the actual task.
"I'll renew the wards if that's okay. I need the practice." His choice surprised me, but I was glad. I had a lot more practice than he did, and it's one of the most fundamental uses of magick.
"Alrighty then... let's get to it." We stood and walked toward each other.
"I love you." I whispered the words into his ear as we wrapped our arms around each other and shared a chaste kiss.
"I love you too." Bry meant the words, but I could feel his fear and insecurity roll off of him like waves crashing against a sandy shore.