Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction, which will include t/t and m/m relationships, and probably some sex too. If it is illegal in your area to read this, or if you are not old enough to read this (you know who you are), stop here. Otherwise, please enjoy.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is a companion story to "A Light in the Darkness." The story lines are related and the characters occasionally interact, and the frequency of this will be increasing. My sincerest thanks go out to Tarton and Robert Redstorm who kindly edited this chapter. And thanks to everyone for writing such encouraging emails.
I am now posting my stories to a Yahoo!Group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jaygordon_1981/ as well. I'm putting them up there a little in advance so I can make final edits before submitting to Nifty, so if you are interested, you can check it out. It's closed membership to avoid spams and flames, so just let me know!
Things That Go Bump, Chapter 21
"Fear"
Saturday afternoon, Sebastian and James returned from Richmond, drained and tired, but also bolstered, from their morning training with the boys and the angels, Raziel and Gideon. The power they had seen in Chase was magnificent and emboldening.
Sending James upstairs to check in with Chris and Steve, who were playing pool with some of the younger wizard warriors, Sebastian settled into his office and logged on to the shadow network, sending Americ, Christen, Musa, and Pedro invitations to join him for dinner on Tuesday night for a "very special meeting."
Then he checked his system for an update about the explosion that had rocked the Buddhist temple in Chaing Mai overnight. He had already seen photos of the brutal murders of the monks, a sickening display of rage that would soon be plastered over airways and electronic media outlets around the world.
When he had the temple booby-trapped, he also had it wired for surveillance, and the images were now available. While he could see that Sammael and his minions survived, he could tell they were all severely injured in the explosion, offering him no small measure of satisfaction. Sammael and his network would be weakened, perhaps delaying the plan, giving Sebastian time to counter. Sebastian logged off the network with a smile for the first time in a long while.
Sebastian and his friends enjoyed the rest of a peaceful day relaxing, playing games and talking. Avery and Sarah disappeared for a stretch in late afternoon, reemerging later with a distinct flush in their cheeks. Peter and Richard, however, were not to be seen, as Peter brooded alone under Richard's constant care. Peter was beginning to feel restricted, restrained. He needed an outlet for his feelings, something more ... dramatic ... than a mercy-killing in the park.
Ever since he had first overheard conversations about Sammael, he had been intrigued, and had made a habit of snooping. Something dark and massive was congealing in his brain, an inchoate idea he did not yet dare to form but that was already flirting with the darker corners of his consciousness. 'Sammael,' he thought to himself. He didn't even realize that a dark smile flickered at the edge of his mouth. If Richard had seen it, he would have been chilled. But he missed it, as his affection for the boy caused him to miss so much that could have been crucial, early on.
Sammael's fury was somewhat abated by his decision with regard to dealing with William and his friends. He was rather pleased with what he thought to be a most elegant solution. But his pleasure was short-lived.
Andrew returned. "The priests are ready, sir. They'll begin the ritual shortly, if you'd like to observe?"
"Why not? I haven't seen one of these in ... ages...." With an evil grin, he led the way down to the ritual space adorned with all the implements one would expect from every tradition of dark magick known to man and many long forgotten.
At Sammael's nod, the oldest priest began to chant an ancient Babylonian incantation: "Powers of darkness rise, through the earth and across the skies.... Darkest heart and bloodiest intention call you hear at this auspicious hour, to bring forth your long dead beloved child, Resheph! Bring in the sacrifices!"
Dark robed priests led in thirteen nude boys and girls in their early teens, mostly twelve to fourteen, all virgins. As symbolically powerful as a virgin sacrifice is, it pales in comparison to the ritual murders of virgins who have been brutally deflowered. Sammael's face looked blissful as the breathed in the cries of the tormented children. Their pain and degradation was like new life to him and he felt his power swell, just a little. He needed more, so much more, but it felt ... orgasmic to him.
In short order, only the sound of thirteen quietly sobbing teens could be heard, and that sound was silenced at a motion of Sammael's hand as the priests drew their blades across the tender necks. The blood was collected and poured into the metal coffin holding the assembled remains of Resheph. The old priest chanted a few more words and all looked expectantly toward the coffin. It's contents remained motionless and silent.
"What's going on," Sammael demanded, suddenly more furious than ever.
"I ... I don't know," the old priest stammered. "Something isn't right...."
Sammael had the guards drag the captive Streghe priests over. "What's wrong, what's missing? Why the hell isn't it working," he demanded, almost shrill.
"Nothing," the younger priest spat. But then a smile spread over his face, a smile of contempt and loathing, "Unless...."
"Unless what," Sammael demanded again, striking his beautiful, dark-skinned face.
With a widening smile, the young priest taunted, "Unless you're missing a part!"
Sammael looked at the old priest, who shook his head, emphatically, No! Sammael's eyes narrows. "Did you look inside? Organs, bones?"
"Well ... no...." Sammael struck the priest hard and fast, and the old man fell dead to the floor, his throat in Sammael's clawed fist.
"Check him," the ancient demon hissed at the younger priests. After a careful examination, they reported that they could find nothing missing.
Sammael thought and smiled a grudging smile, walking up to the casket and prying open the rotting jaw. "Damn you, Sebastian!" Still, he laughed his evil laugh. He had to give it the upshot -- he had taken him for a ride and not even broken his word. Sammael got the head, but Sebastian kept the fangs.
He was too weak to retaliate, and he needed to think. How could he get what he wanted. He knew, eventually, he'd have to hit his foe much closer to home, where his weakness was magnified: James. That could be fun, he thought to himself. But then he reminded himself that Sebastian had shown himself a more capable foe than he ever imagined. He needed more power before he'd go after them directly. And power meant drawing on fear, chaotic overriding fear, and pain. And his best tools for spreading that fear and pain were fairly injured themselves. Damn it all!
By Sunday morning, Sebastian had all the arrangements made for his advisors and a couple of others to arrive Tuesday evening for William and Chase's "coming out" party. He thought of asking Richard to prepare something nice, but the man was very distracted by Peter, so Sebastian decided not to bother him.
Instead, he pulled Jean-Philippe aside. The vampire had joined his household, silently helping out wherever he could and keeping his head down. "Jean-Philippe, I'd like you to do some shopping and preparation for a dinner part on Tuesday night, if you don't mind...."
"Whatever you require, master," the man said diverting his gaze subserviently.
"Jean-Philippe, I'm afraid I've neglected you since you joined us," Sebastian said, looking cross. "Otherwise you'd know. Call me Sebastian.... I know that you are bound to my service, but I do not consider you a threat, or a former enemy. You were mislead and a hapless accomplice, thinking you were doing the right thing. I don't blame you. You are part of my household," Sebastian said. "You were at my side for some very ... difficult tasks and I appreciate that...." Sebastian projected his kind feelings through his hands, which grasped the man's shoulders. "In time, I hope we'll become friends...."
The young vampire didn't raise his head to meet Sebastian's gaze, but Sebastian could feel his gratitude. It would simply take a while for Jean-Philippe to forgive himself and open up to them. He gave the man some instructions and a shopping list and sent him out with a small contingent of wizards. After Peter, he was taking no chances with anyone.
Peter, he thought, and his feet carried him to Richard's room. He knocked and, hearing no response, opened the door and stuck his head in. Richard was out at the moment and Peter sat at the desk, staring at the wall.
"Are you alright, Peter?"
"I wish everyone would stop asking me that," he retorted.
"We only ask because we care," Sebastian answered softly.
"No, everyone asks because they want to feel better," Peter responded sullenly.
"Peter," Sebastian said, trying to remain patient, "I know that something terrible happened to you, but the world is so much more than that.... Don't turn everyone away...."
Peter turned and looked at Sebastian with hollow eyes ringed with deep, dark bags. "How can YOU believe that the world is anything more than a sinking pit of suffering, a stinking mass?"
Sebastian, trying not to look as startled as he was, responded, "Because I have friendship, love, affection -- hope of redemption...."
Peter smiled absently. "Redemption.... There is no redemption.... Just suffering and the end of suffering.... Everything else is an illusion...." In less serious circumstances, Sebastian might have joked that the boy had been reading too much Schopenhauer, but the boy wouldn't have gotten it and he was, in any case, deadly serious.
Sebastian shook his head and turned, closing the door behind him coolly before letting a bit of panic slip in. He rushed upstairs and pulled James out of the game-room.
Back in their bedroom, he said, "James, something is wrong with Peter.... Do you know where Richard is?"
"What? Is he okay? He hasn't done something to himself...."
Sebastian shook his head and put a hand on James's shoulder. "No, no, nothing like that.... But, I was talking to him before and the look in his eyes, the hollow feeling.... I felt absolutely nothing coming from him. I'm ... worried...."
James looked at him with tears in his eyes. "No," James said, "you're scared.... I can feel it.... You saw something that scared you...."
Sebastian tried to look away, but James held on tight. "Darkness, blank, empty darkness.... Sammael I understand, pure congealed hatred. Chang I understand, greed, ambition, pride. But absolute focus and passionlessness.... The way he looked at me was almost ... pitying...."
James looked at him for a moment, then burst into action. "Let's find Richard, quickly and quietly...." They combed the house but the man was nowhere to be found, so Sebastian went out into the garage, and none of the cars was gone. Richard wouldn't be far from Peter, so he had to be somewhere. James found him sitting in the gardens behind the house and sent a message to Sebastian telepathically.
"Richard, we've been looking for you," James said as he sat down beside him on the bench. "Why didn't you come to us?"
The man bore an anguished look as he leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "I ... didn't realize how bad it had gotten until ... it was too late...."
"What has he done," Sebastian asked as he approached from the house. Richard hesitated, and Sebastian got testy, "Richard, I talked to him this morning! Good God, it gave ME the creeps!"
"He's been going out hunting on his own.... He has a type.... They're young, small, they're ... weak.... They're...."
"Suffering," Sebastian asked and had his answer by the way Richard's head jerked to face him. "Has he...?"
"Yes, Friday night.... I ... cleaned up after him...."
"That's not the point Richard! You should have come to ME! I asked you and you lied to my face!"
"I ... I couldn't tell you! I couldn't risk ... like before...."
"Richard," Sebastian exclaimed with an anguished half-laugh, half-sob, "how could you think.... Young vampires have accidents all the time.... Regrettable but...."
Richard looked away and said, almost too quietly to be heard, "It wasn't an accident.... He wouldn't let go.... He ... put him out of his misery, he said.... I was scared...."
Sebastian wrapped his arms around the man, "It would have been alright.... He went against my way, but not the rules.... No witnesses.... I'd have tried to help...."
"I ... I am just so afraid there's nothing any of us can do.... I think, I just don't know what I'd do...."
"Well, we can't let it come to that.... We've got to keep him from making a spectacle of himself, from violating the big rule...." Richard nodded and the three got up to go inside, to find Peter and confront him.
But they found Richard's room in disarray, Peter's things gone. On the desk, a note:
"Dear Richard, I know you mean well, and I know you love me. But ... what I am, what I've become, what happened to me.... It's too much to bear to be here with all of you.... I'm going, please don't come after me; it'll all be over soon, all the pain will be gone. I AM SORRY. Peter"
The note fell from Richard's fingers as he read it, so James had to pick it up to read it. He passed it silently to Sebastian. "We all failed him," James murmured as he sat on the edge of the bed.
"I should have come to you," Richard sobbed. "I should have ... GOD DAMN IT!" His scream and the punch he delivered to the wall brought a squad of battle wizards into the room at full alert. Sebastian waved them away and put his arms around Richard. "What do you think he's going to do? DO you think he'll hurt himself? It sounds like a suicide note...."
Sebastian said, weakly, "I don't know.... I don't think so," he trailed off. He hoped not. On the other hand, he remembered the look in Peter's eyes. He had a very bad feeling.
James and Sebastian spent the rest of the day with Richard, comforting him and making sure he didn't do anything brash. They all agreed and Sebastian did send some men to track Peter if they could. By the middle of the night it became clear -- for now he had avoided them. They had lost track of him.
Monday morning found the house under a cloud. The day was actually sunny, but inside the mood was dark and dreary. Everyone felt for Richard, and so many of them had lost a friend in Peter. The note DID read like a suicide note.
James and Avery returned to their training, and James, Steve, and Chris to their studies with Horatio, but all of their minds were ... elsewhere. When the time came to go train with William, James and Avery went with heavy step. The boy noticed immediately. "What's wrong, guys?" James explained to him all that happened. "My God! I'm so sorry...."
James shook his head and raised a hand, but averted his eyes. William ran up to the house and told Chase what was going on and brought him down. The boy immediately gave James a big long hug; Chase's hug had an almost immediate effect and James relaxed in his thin arms. They talked for a few minutes before Chase suggested, "We should practice the spell Raziel taught us," and he helped the other two perfect the technique. By the time it was time for dinner, both of them could manage a weak shield, while Avery watched fascinated. He himself tried but couldn't manage it. "Practice," Chase said to the world's most powerful wizard with a cheeky grin.
Before Avery and James left, Chase pulled James off to the side. "Tell Sebastian to FIND HIM.... He's got something important, something he shouldn't have.... He's not going to kill himself...."
"What is he going to do," James asked.
"I don't know, it's not clear.... But he's got something we need.... That's all I know...."
James looked at him closely and said, "I'll tell him.... Thanks, Chase...."
As soon as Avery and James returned, James found Sebastian in his office and told Sebastian what Chase had said. Sebastian immediately put out a worldwide alert for Peter and had some powerful wizards begin scrying for his location.
By the middle of the night they had nothing, which was very confusing, since they had a very sophisticated intelligence network and powerful wizards looking for him. They had no idea that he had already been picked up, but Sebastian's suspicion was that someone was shielding his location magically.
The phone of Sammael's desk rang. On the other end, a renegade vampire from Washington, D.C., who had worked for Chang, spoke into the phone. "I've got someone here I think you'd like to meet...."
"Who's that," Sammael asked, testily.
"A fledgling vampire named Peter Lively...."
"What," Sammael asked, sitting forward with excitement. "You've got to be kidding!"
"Seems he ran away from Sebastian's place, went on a minor rampage down here, left a few bodies in a park.... Well, he walked into a vampire hangout in downtown, and I talked him back to my place, I've got him restrained...."
"I'll have agents to you in hours," Sammael said with a grin. "They'll have a reward for you...."
Sammael sat back and smiled. The luck! This was just the kind of leverage he could use to get what he needed. Sebastian wouldn't expect this in the least!
When Tuesday came, there was still no news about Peter, and Sebastian was very low. He'd meant for dinner to boost his team, and now he himself was in no mood for it. James rubbed his shoulders silently and kissed his cheek. "Everything will be fine...."
"You believe that?" Sebastian asked. "The fact that Chase mentioned him.... I have a bad feeling...."
"You always have a bad feeling," James teased, squeezing him gently. "Have a little faith!"
Sebastian snorted and rolled his eyes a little. "If only.... Well, is everything ready for dinner tonight?"
"Jean-Philippe is taking care of everything," James assured him.
"Alright.... Would you mind staying on top of everything? I'm going to sit with Richard...."
"No problem.... You go do your thing," James replied, heading out to marshal the troops before he and Avery did their mid-day training. There would be no session with William since the boys were coming to Sebastian's that evening.
Two dark wizards ushered the figure into a cell in Sammael's arctic station, a black silk bag secured over his head, so he could neither see nor be seen. Powerful cloaking spells ensured he was permanently off the radar.
"Take this fucking bag off my head," the figure demanded loudly, struggling again against his captors. "Who are you?"
Finally, the elder of the two smiled and said, "We've brought you to Sammael.... You know what that means, traitor?"
"Traitor," the figure demanded. "Why the hell would I owe allegiance to him?"
"Not to him, to your kind! You turn your back on the darkness, all you who follow the 'shadow council,' bunch of white knights for the weak and insignificant.... But now the master's come to turn that all on its head! And your kind is through!"
"Take me to him," the figure demanded, surprising both wizards.
"He's not ready for you yet...."
"Tell him, he'll want to see me.... It's important," the figure added, cryptically.
"Your progress is amazing," Avery gushed as they finished their training.
James blushed, "I have a good teacher...."
"No," Avery said, laughing, "there's something else.... You're different from the rest of your kind.... We know that from the Oracle.... Child of love.... It gives you power, something like Chase's, though perhaps not to that extent. Like him, you can so easily access that part of yourself, an infinite well.... Perhaps I could have touched it once, but ... I've lost so much."
James put an arm around the man's shoulders. "You must have loved her dearly, to forge a bond with her...."
"She was ... like the other part of myself," Avery said, eyes glistening.
"Sof ... Sarah?"
Avery smiled a sad smile. "We've talked ... I've explained.... Sarah's a wonderful girl and I could ... love her in her own right, but I don't know if I've got it in me to every really go there again...."
"You know," James said, "love isn't like money.... You spend money and it's gone, so you ration it out. Love, you can give all you've got and a little more, only to find that you have more than you've given left. It is an infinite well...."
Avery smiled at him and wrapped his own arm around James, "Like I said to Sebastian, who is teaching whom?"
They found Sebastian and Richard in the living area, talking quietly. Richard looked terrible, and Sebastian had his hands clasped over Richard's. Sebastian looked at them and smiled, shaking his head to indicate no news.
James showered and dressed for company, before doing a last check around the house. At last, Sebastian too had to get ready and Richard retired to his room. Avery and Sarah emerged from his room looking gorgeous. Chris and Steve were going to enjoy a night alone upstairs. The colonel was decked out in his dress uniform. Together the five of them descended to the basement to open the portals. Musa was the first to arrive, decked out in the finery of an Arab noble, with a sexy young European-looking vampire on his arm. "Sebastian," he exclaimed, opening his arms to receive his old friend, "it's been far too long!" Sebastian stepped into his warm embrace and shivered as he felt the man's lips in his neck.
"Enough of that, you dog," Sebastian said with a teasing laugh, stepping back. "James, my old friend, Musa...."
Musa put a hand on each of James's shoulders and looked at him appreciatively. "So you are the boy who has won Sebastian's heart! Lucky dog!" The man left it tantalizingly unclear which of them he was referring to. Turning to his companion, a vampire of perhaps a hundred years who had apparently been turned when he was about seventeen, a light skinned, dark blond with brown eyes, Musa said, "Allow me to introduce Simeon, my personal assistant...." All gathered shook hands with him. "Avery," Musa exclaimed happily, embracing his other old friend. Avery introduced both Sarah and the colonel.
Christen arrived next with her husband Mark, and introductions again ensued. Mark was clearly overawed by the company, despite his wife's high position; Sebastian and Avery were legendary to him. Americ arrived with his long-time companion, Melinda, who drew Sebastian into a big hug, thanking him for making the decision to save her mate. And last was Pedro, who came alone.
Sebastian ushered his guests upstairs and gave James a nod. James followed them up, but would return to the basement to open the door and usher William and Chase into the mansion at the appointed time.
The figure was ushered into a decadently appointed office. "Remove the bag," a silky and attractive voice commanded, and Peter found himself face-to-face with Sammael. Sammael stood a couple of inches taller than the young footballer and smiled down into his face, his hypnotic blue eyes piercing Peter.
"I need to speak with you," the boy said, softly, "alone...."
Sammael looked surprised and motioned for the wizards to leave them. "You ... aren't surprised to see me?"
Peter looked confused. "Surprised? I ... came looking for you...." Sammael raised his hand to cast a spell, thinking the boy had somehow smuggled something in with the intent of harming him, but he could see on the boy's face that it was nothing of the sort.
"Hmmm.... I was under the impression you were captured...."
"I came to the city and went to a place where ... the bad guys hang out ... and said I was looking for you...."
Sammael chuckled and made a mental note to have that vampire filleted. "So why would someone like you come looking for that kind of trouble?"
"I ... needed to know if it's true...."
"If what is true," Sammael asked, quite unsure of where this was going.
"Those wizards out there, they think you've come to restore the dark forces to their 'rightful' place in the world, to dominate the mortals...." Sammael nodded. "But Sebastian is quite sure you have other intentions...."
Sammael sat down in his chair and leaned back, smiling. He motioned for Peter to take a seat. "And what does the leader of the white hats think I have planned?"
"He thinks that, as the sworn enemy of God, you've come to reduce the world to 'primordial chaos.' He thinks you're here to undo creation...." Sammael's smile intensified. "So which is it?"
"Why not? None of these rubes would believe you if you told them.... Sebastian is absolutely right.... I don't want to rule this fetid rock, to lord over these pathetic, wretched masses.... I want to reduce it to rubble and toss it all back in His Face! Fuck the world!" Sammael had risen to a fever pitch and his fist came crashing down on the desktop. He hid his surprise as Peter didn't even flinch.
Rather, the boy reached relaxedly into his pocket and pulled out a little velvet baggie and tossed it on the desk. Sammael picked it up and looked inside. Then he looked at Peter with perplexity and surprise.
"But why?" Sammael's question was sincere. He couldn't fathom it.
"Since ... your people ... did what they did to me, I've had nothing but pain and torment inside. And I can feel it, feel it in every creature. The suffering, the agony of life.... It's screaming in my head. I killed a boy the other night and realized that he died in bliss and his suffering was over.... But no matter how much I try, I could kill many night after night ... I can't murder the world.... But you can...." Peter's eyes shined with sincerity.
Sammael smiled, an authentic and pleasant smile, as he sat the bag on the desk and walked around the desk, kneeling before Peter and wrapping his arms around the boy. "My brother," he whispered, as he ran a hand through Peter's hair, lifting his head for a soft and loving kiss. Peter relaxed in his arms and let himself be carried away in the affection of one who truly understood him.