Chapter the Sixteenth: Allies.

Aiden and his brother found me in an almost catatonic state. They had to pry my fingers from the steering wheel and nearly carry me to their truck. We didn't speak much on the way to his farmhouse and upon arrival, they just let me sit for a while before starting.

I was almost tearful with relief to have found someone who seemed to know at least a little about what was going on and gladly agreed to answer their questions. They were very insistent that I tell them the complete details of my transformation. I began hesitantly in front of the old couple in their late sixties. Feeling embarrassed about the more 'juicy' parts of the story but Aileen suddenly stopped me and told me in no uncertain terms that I was to give them all the absolute truth.

"Much power might be hidden in small details" she told me. So I had to tell them the tale in its entirety.

I will always be thankful for the way they listened, without judgement, as I told them of my seduction of their niece. Their faces were stone throughout the episodes with Amy and Valerie and only softened when I described the sort of feeling that had grown between us all. The demonstrations of my abilities to move and change things and my ability to have them see and feel things of my choosing had them spellbound, so to speak.

At last, I was through and Aiden rose to get me a refill of my mug of tea.

"To be sure, that is a story" he said, leaning heavily against the kitchen doorway. "... fit for the Queen's champion."

He straightened and, placing our teas on the table, took my hand and shook it firmly.

"Daniel Harvey, you should not doubt that we believe your story. Now we must work. You have had much to shake you this night, it is best not to dwell on that. I would advise against letting our Sara or your other two babes know what happened tonight either. Their best defence is the calmness you can give them."

He smiled and it was a warming experience, "I expect you thought you had found the pot o' gold with this job eh?... But it will be a hard job to finish. We will help you to our utmost extent. God willing."

We all partook of a session of prayer. At first I was a little embarrassed, there's no way you could have called me a religious guy, but soon their own conviction became infectious and I began to speak in earnest. The older prayers to the pagan allies were also a strange mixture with their Christianity but it began to feel more and more right as I listened to them. I could begin to feel definite effects of our words inside me as their energy began to replenish my emotions. By the time the sun's rays poked its marmalade fingers over the windowsill of the kitchen, things had begun to seem more optimistic to me. It was agreed that I should continue with my usual routine and not go searching out trouble.

"The dark forces will have to regroup after last night's failure. They'll be licking their wounds for a bit and in that time we'll have to make sure we take advantage of anything we can." Aiden managed to make things sound optimistic and I thanked him for his belief in me.

After a quick farmers' breakfast my new friends said their goodbyes and I left to go home. Aiden's brother; Rowan, had recovered my car and had sent it to a garage to have the damage repaired. He drove me back to my street and dropped me on the corner for a short walk in the cold Autumnal morning. Things were moving and I had to let them find their own ways to unwrinkle. I would continue with my life and see what would present itself... I would have to go to the office, do something that wouldn't attract too much attention and wait for the new moon.