Chapter 4: Get A Room

Taylorville, South Carolina

All eyes were on Chris Howell. He had stopped the building argument between Ellen and her niece. Now, it would be up to him to explain things to the three people present. At least I know some o' the answers, Chris thought. The explanation would be delayed, however.

"I didn't know you had Irish relatives," Kelly said to Joshua in surprise.

"It's as big a surprise to me as it is to you," Joshua replied. The boy was as surprised as his girlfriend, but he sensed that Chris spoke the truth. "You must be from my father's side of the family," Joshua said to the youth with the big hockey stick.

"I mean no offense, Chris," Ellen began. "But ye're not given' the lad much o' a recommendation. Ye've never known love for anyone, and ye've seduced enough women and lasses tah populate the whole o' Dublin. If he's at all like ye, I'd not have him near my niece."

"Love is the difference," Chris argued calmly. "Use yer sorcery tah divine the lad's intentions, and ye'll see that he loves her."

Joshua wasn't surprised to learn that Kelly's aunt was a sorceress. It explained how she had known Kelly would develop magical talent. Joshua stepped forward.

"If it'll prove my honorable intentions, I'll submit to any test you feel is necessary," he volunteered.

Ellen gave the ebon-haired youth an approving grin. So, ye're willin' tah face any trial I devise, for the sake o' Kelly, Ellen thought. So be it.

"I need tah prepare the ritual o' divination," Ellen said solemnly. "Clothe yerself. Then, ye can bring me a brazier, some o' yer hair, and the makings o' a roarin' fire."

Joshua finished dressing quickly. Once he was done, he gave Ellen some hair from his comb, and took Chris to help him gather the other items Kelly's aunt needed. When Joshua was occupied with that task, Ellen sent her niece to get cleaned up.

When Joshua stepped outside, he got his first look at the great host of birds that had gathered around the sanctum.

"Where did all of these birds come from?" Joshua asked. I feel a connection to them. Did I bring them here somehow?

"Ye brought them here," the blond youth answered the question Joshua had asked himself. "And, seein' as they draw the wrong sort o' notice, I think ye should send them on their way."

"How do I do that?" the American boy asked. As Joshua thought of the bird horde leaving, they took to the wing and scattered to go about their business.

"Like that," Chris answered. "T'is quite intuitive."

Joshua didn't have a brazier. He got the family grill out of the storage area in the garage. Joshua hoped it would be an adequate substitute.

"This charcoal won't produce the big flames that Ms. Donnelly wants," Joshua said.

"No, we'll need a different source o' fuel," Chris agreed. Joshua grabbed the starter fluid, reasoning that it would be helpful for starting any sort of fire. The two boys set the grill up behind the sanctum. Then, they went to get some wood from a dead tree that had fallen during the past winter.

"How do you know that I love Kelly?" Joshua asked the Irish lad.

"Ye have a connection with the lass," Chris replied. "We only make such connections with those we love. Maybe ye only feel when she is in distress right now, but ye'll soon be able to feel other things. Ye'll sense when she's happy or sad. Ye'll feel her pleasure and her pain. Most o' all, ye'll feel each other's love." The blond boy's grin faded as he spoke, and Joshua got the impression that they were discussing a painful subject. So, change the subject! he told himself.

"So, are you a descendant of, Ayath, also, Chris?" Joshua asked as they collected branches.

"No, lad, my mother is Irnan Mong Bri," Chris replied. "She was taken from her home on the Irish coast by Mycenaean slavers. She is one o' the original twenty, like Ayath."

"Is?" Joshua asked in surprise. "Do you mean that your mother is still alive, after three and a half millennia?" Chris's smile grew wider. Then he leaned forward and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Aye, we're not easy to be rid of."

"Are we immortal?"

"No, not truly immortal, we can die. We suffer no illness. No poison can harm us, and we can take a lot o' punishment and heal rapidly. But, there are ways to kill us." Chris paused to rip a limb from the dead tree. "Ye're still mortal. I can tell. Ye'll not be fully one o' us until the night o' yer sixteenth birthday. Until then, ye're nearly as vulnerable as a normal human, so don't go jumpin' off o' cliffs tah test yer healing power yet."

"But I had a heart attack this morning and I'm fine now," Joshua said. Chris looked at him strangely.

"I don't know how ye managed tah have a heart attack, Joshua, but I'll not pry. As tah yer survivin' it, I said ye're nearly as vulnerable, not exactly as vulnerable."

"Okay," Joshua said. "On another subject, sending the birds away was really simple. Why didn't you do it when you arrived?"

"I can't, lad. T'is the wrong element." Chris said, grinning once again. "The twenty 'families' are divided intah four groups o' five, one group for each element. Yer element is air, and mine is water. I can do nothing with creatures o' the air, but if you need any sort o' sea creatures sent on their way, I'm yer man."

"So, I can call any sort of birds, any time I want?" Joshua asked.

"No, lad, ye're o' the sixth name. Only carrion birds will come tah yer call. Those o' the seventh name call hawks and other birds o' prey. Those of the eighth name call all creatures o' the air. Those o' the ninth name call only bats, an' those o' the tenth name call only owls."

"So, I sorta got stuck," Joshua said, wishing he could call any bird he wanted, or at least the big birds of prey. "Why is there a difference? Did something go wrong with Ayath's part of the experiment?"

"Don't underestimate yer winged allies, lad," The Irish boy spoke firmly. "They're smart birds and ye could have worse friends. There are other compensations as well." Before Chris could continue, Ellen came around the building.

"Begin preparations," Ellen told the two boys. "Place the wood intah the... grill, and I'll start the ritual."

Deirdre Wilkes arrived to find her sister, Chris, and Joshua piling scrap wood into a charcoal grill. Deirdre parked her car near the garage, and started toward the trio as Ellen poured half of a can of starter fluid on the wood. Mrs. Wilkes was anxious to see her daughter and was alarmed that she wasn't in sight.

"Where's, Kelly?" Deirdre asked. "Why are you starting a barbeque at a time like this?"

"T'is not a barbeque, Deirdre," Ellen said calmly. "I'm castin' a ritual tah ask Brighid to show me a truth that is hidden."

"Hidden? Is Kelly lost? Has she been kidnapped?" Mrs. Wilkes asked with mounting alarm.

"Kelly is safe," Ellen assured her sister in a soothing tone. "I want tah see what the future holds." Ellen turned her gaze to meet Joshua's midnight eyes. "I want tah see if a course o' action is safe or if it holds danger for Kelly." Deirdre had always believed that magic was just a lot of tricks. She had seen two premonitions come true in as many days, however. She still didn't understand magic, but Deirdre was now willing to give it a try, especially if it could offer her daughter any protection.

"How can I help?" Mrs. Wilkes asked.

Amy Ward hurried to get out of Harvey Greene Junior High after the dismissal bell. Many of her classmates were upset that the High school kids got to have a day off and they didn't. It was an attitude that made Amy a little angry. Her brothers were paying the price for the 'vacation'. The thirteen-year-old had found it difficult to concentrate on her lessons due to her worry.

Her parents had refused to take her to see Blake or Joshua on the previous night. Amy feared that Blake's condition was worse than they were letting on, and she was afraid of what might happen to Joshua in jail. At least Aunt Wilma promised to tell me what happened while I was in school, Amy thought. Maybe I can talk her into taking me to see Blake. She would have hoped to see both of her brothers, but Amy knew that the deputies would only allow Joshua's parents, and maybe siblings, to visit.

Wilma Hodges stood beside her Ford Maverick. She kept a watch for her niece, and for any reporters that might try to harass her. Wilma was worried about her little niece. Amy hadn't eaten any breakfast that morning, even though Wilma had fixed her favorite. Amy was normally so energetic and happy. Since the 'incident', she had been gloomy and worried.

When Amy came out of the building, there was no mistaking her. She always wore bright colors, in keeping with her generally cheerful disposition. Today, Amy wore pastel pink overalls, purple sneakers and a sunshine yellow blouse. Her backpack was signal flare orange, and encrusted in festive buttons. Instead of walking with a spring in her step and a smile on her face, Amy advanced toward her aunt with a determined stride. Instead of waving, or even pausing to talk to friends, she followed a silent bee-line to Wilma.

"Hello Amy-baby," Wilma said. "How was school?"

"It was okay," Amy said. "Any news about Blake and Joshua?" It worried Wilma that her niece didn't react to her nick-name. Amy hadn't wanted to be called 'Amy-baby' since she was a toddler. The dread moniker had always produced at least a few words of protest, but not today.

"Blake should be going into surgery shortly," Wilma said. "That means he won't be up for any visitors tonight, I'm afraid." It broke Wilma's heart to see the signs of worry her words etched into little Amy's face. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Blake is a strong boy and the doctors know what they are doing. I'm sure he'll be fine." Amy nodded, taking strength from her aunt's apparent certainty.

"Any news of Joshua?" There was a mixture of fear and hope in the girl's voice. Wilma understood that Amy considered the Hawkins boy to be her brother, just like Blake. She understood that the girl loved him as much as her two real siblings, but Wilma had never shared the feeling.

Wilma's elder sister, Liz, had been Ben Ward's first wife. They had three children together and had loved each other very much. A brain tumor had taken Liz's life five years before.

Wilma felt a vague, unreasoning hostility toward the woman who had taken her sister's family. Some of that feeling extended to Joshua. Wilma had never really trusted the quiet boy, and now he had put her nephew in the hospital. Wilma tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice when she spoke.

"He's out of jail. The police decided not to hold him."

"Where is he now?" the girl asked excitedly.

"He's home, as far as I know," Wilma said. He can go to hell for all I care.

"Can we go see him?"

"No, sweetheart. You know that your parents want to keep the mean ol' reporters away from you."

Amy was the youngest Ward child, but her youth didn't blind her to what went on in her family. She knew that her father had always been lukewarm toward his adopted son. She knew that her Aunt Wilma had never really accepted Joshua or his mother as members of the family. Amy understood their feelings, because she had also resented the woman who came to replace her mother.

Amy knew of the strange way Sara had always acted around Joshua. Lately, Amy had begun to understand what Sara's strange actions and words meant. Amy loved her sister, but she was also mad at her for the way she teased Joshua.

More to the immediate point, Amy also knew where Joshua had gotten three years' worth of mystery injuries and bruises. She knew that Blake took out his disappointments and frustrations on the younger boy. Amy had confronted Joshua with this knowledge two years before, telling him that he needed to tell on Blake, so the bullying would stop. Joshua had gently refused Amy's ultimatum, and had asked her to never tell another soul what she knew. She had asked him to at least defend himself, since she knew of his interest in the martial arts. Joshua had said that he could stand a few bruises, but not the harm he might do if he fought back. Amy hadn't really understood what Joshua had meant, but she respected his wishes. She knew, in her heart, that Joshua wouldn't have raised a hand against Blake if the need to do so had not been great.

Amy had grown to accept her stepmother largely because of Joshua. Joshua had never been too busy to talk to her. He had patiently answered her questions when she was little. Amy's parents and the twins tended to talk down to Amy, but Joshua had always respected her intelligence. While the whole family knew of Amy's passion for stuffed animals, only Joshua had learned of her interest in the natural world. He gave her the National Geographic field guides to North American flora and fauna and books on botany and zoology when the rest of the family gave her teddy bears and dolls. Amy had long wished Joshua was her biological brother. Lately, she began to be glad that he wasn't. He'd make a good boyfriend... Amy mused.

William Drake was not in a patient mood. His henchman had contacted the Marcelli organization and one of the Marcelli sons had called back less than an hour later. That was quite acceptable, but the news he gave Drake wasn't. The twelve gangsters couldn't be in Taylorville until Friday afternoon, around two o'clock. If they met with any delays, it could take even longer.

Based on the information that the detective agency had provided, Drake believed that his target would be most vulnerable during his bicycle ride home from school. If the Marcelli soldiers didn't arrive by noon, there wouldn't be time to plan the ambush and get into position.

Drake urged Mike Marcelli to gather as many men as he could on short notice, and send them on the redeye. Additional men could be sent later, if needed. Eduardo's middle son said he would do what he could, but he made it clear that he could make no promises. Drake forced himself to remain calm until after he had hung up the phone. Then, he went down to the lobby.

William didn't like for his plans to be disrupted by the failings of others. He liked Lear's Cove, where the Drake name was instantly respected and he was the true power in town. He would have preferred to get the Hetsiuib, and go to the place he had chosen to wait for the creature's sixteenth birthday. Now, it was looking as if Drake would be stuck in this costal flyspeck until Monday, at least.

Drake's bodyguard was sitting in the lobby. William walked over to him.

"Any messages from our friends?" Drake asked.

"No, sir, not a word." It was a code. Drake was asking if the Irishman had arrived. When Howell did arrive, the henchman would reply, 'Not yet, sir.' Drake was frustrated, and when he was frustrated, it made him more anxious to hurt or degrade those who annoyed him.

"Well, we can check back later." Drake said. "We have a couple of hours until dinner time. Let's take a constitutional, around Mudhole, or Swampgas, or whatever they call this town." Jeff Carver had worked for his boss long enough to know that the real purpose of Drake's before dinner 'constitutional' was to find a brothel. He intended to work off some frustration. Carver hoped it wouldn't take long. There hadn't been time to provision the boss's plane, so his lunch had consisted of a packet of stale pretzels and a warm Pepsi. Jeff was anxious to follow the delicious aroma to the hotel dining room.

Blake Ward's condition on arrival to the hospital had required immediate surgery for his punctured lung. The surgeons had stabilized Blake's condition, but they had been afraid to do more due to his weakened condition. He was stronger now, and another surgery had been scheduled.

Blake was frightened. He was afraid that he might die during surgery. He was afraid that he would die without the surgery. He was, most of all, afraid that if he survived the surgery and wasn't sent to prison, Joshua would finish what had been started in the music room.

Ben and Julie Ward were at their son's side, trying to keep up his morale. Ben told jokes about hospital gowns, and bedpans. Julie held the boy's hand, and offered love and support without words.

The young man took some comfort from their efforts, but he could not shrug off the crushing fear he now felt of his stepbrother. Blake knew that he had to hide his fear. He had to give comfort back to his worried parents.

"Father? Mother?" Blake spoke.

"Yes, Blake."

"Don't worry about me. Everything is going to work out," Blake said. After all, what's the worst that could happen? If I die, it just means Joshua won't get a chance to kill me.

"That's the spirit, Blake," Ben said, with a bittersweet smile. "This thing can't beat you unless you let it."

The nurse came, and wheeled Blake into surgery. Ben and Julie waited for the three hours the surgery lasted. At last, the doctor came to tell them that the surgery had been a success, and their son was in recovery. He wouldn't be able to have visitors until the next day, so the doctor advised the Wards to go get something to eat and get some rest. Julie and Ben thanked the doctor and left to employ Joshua's advice from earlier in the day.

Not all of the news at Greene Memorial Hospital was good that night. Joey Garner's parents and two older brothers were sitting with Joey, when a blood vessel ruptured in his brain. The crash team came, but there was nothing to be done. Minutes after his son's death, Robert Garner went to the public phone.

Robert knew of the scheme between Ben Ward and Kyle Knight to make Joey a scapegoat. Blake Ward had talked Joey into the attack on that snotty slut, Joshua Ward had murdered him, and Benjamin 'Big Shot Lawyer' Ward had sold him out. Robert was calling his brother. The Garner family stuck together, and pretty soon those rich, stuck-up Wards would pay for what they had done.

Ellen Donnelly performed the necessary ritual, and set the pile of wood on fire. It blazed up into a more than adequate tower of fire. Ellen stared into the flames, awaiting a vision from the goddess of fire. There was nothing the others could do to help, so they simply waited, with varying degrees of patience. Kelly and Joshua stood together. They held hands and spent as much time gazing into each other's eyes as they did watching the ritual.

Deirdre had asked Chris what the ritual was about. No one had ever accused him of being the soul of discretion, and he told her. Mrs. Wilkes was less than pleased to learn that the ritual was to determine if her underage daughter was meant to love Joshua. As she watched the way Kelly and Joshua looked at each other, Deirdre began to fear that they had done much more than talk during Kelly's visit that day. Mrs. Wilkes decided to wait until the divination was complete before she spoke to Kelly and Joshua about her suspicions.

Ellen became aware of a shape moving in the fire. It began to slowly resolve itself as she watched. She began to think that it was a person. Then, she realized that the shape was two people. They were so closely intertwined, that they merely appeared to be one. As the image became clearer, Ellen saw that it was Kelly and Joshua. They were nude, and locked in a passionate embrace. Well, there's my answer. Ellen thought. Then, more images began to resolve themselves.

They were faceless, but undeniably female. There was a multitude of them, and they moved to surround the two lovers. What's this, then? The fire-Kelly broke the embrace. She took one of the fire-Joshua's hands and one of the unknown women's hands. She kissed the fire-Joshua and joined his hand to the hand of the other woman. Then, she put her hands on their shoulders and moved them toward each other. The fire-Joshua and the unknown fire-woman embraced, but as they did, fire-Joshua's eyes never strayed from fire-Kelly. I don't understand, Ellen thought. What does this mean? Who are these other women? Ellen continued to watch until eye strain got the better of her. The fire-Joshua would join with one of the unknown women. Then, he would return to Kelly and they would make love. The fire-Kelly would direct him to another, and they would embrace. All the while, the fire-Joshua's eyes would stay only on the fire-Kelly.

Ellen finally had to turn away, with her head throbbing and her eyes burning. What can I tell them? What does it mean? Why would Kelly encourage him tah have sex with these other women?

"What did you see?" Deirdre asked, with dread in her voice. Joshua and Kelly stood, holding hands with a matching look of calm determination on their young faces. Whatever else the vision had meant, Ellen now understood that it showed their love for one another. It was clear that the young lovers had known the answer before Brighid had been asked.

"I would like tah talk tah Kelly and Joshua alone," Ellen said, as she tried to blink away the flames afterimage. "They can tell ye what they wish to when we are done."

Ellen led Joshua and Kelly back into the converted stable. She hadn't really paid attention to the furnishings on her previous visit. The sorceress had been too worried about her niece, and the sight of her entwined with her half-naked lover had demanded Ellen's full attention. Now she saw the collection of weapons. On the front wall, there was a series of cabinets, with hinged Plexiglas fronts. They held blades in fitted cases, propped on shelves so that the contents were clearly visible. There were daggers, swords, and axes of assorted types. All looked old, but well cared for. On the back wall, there were pegs and racks that held newer-looking weapons. They looked like deadly accurate reproductions of ancient and medieval armaments. From what she knew of her friend Chris, Ellen was certain that Joshua could use every weapon he owned with lethal efficiency.

Kelly still held Joshua's hand as they followed her aunt. Though he showed no outward sign, Kelly sensed Joshua's fear. He was afraid of losing her. He still doubts that he is worthy of my love, she thought. Kelly willed herself to be calm. Then, she used her connection to her lover to pour that feeling into Joshua's turbulent heart. The strength and purity of Kelly's emotion and will calmed the tempest within her beloved.

Joshua turned to look into the face of the angel who had touched his heart. She gave him strength and an inner peace such as he had never known before her. Kelly's trust and love filled a dark, empty place within him. Joshua couldn't doubt himself when Kelly had such unconditional trust in him.

Joshua didn't cry from joy only because tears were beyond him. He wanted to tell Kelly that he loved her, and demonstrate that love with a kiss, at least. Joshua reasoned that Ms. Donnelly would disapprove.

When the two teens were inside, and Ellen was sure that they hadn't been followed, she spoke.

"Much o' what I was shown is unclear tah me," Ellen began. "One thing is clear, however. The two o' ye are truly in love." Ellen watched the two youthful faces light up with joy at the conformation of what they had already known. "I feel I must share what I saw. Perhaps ye two can make some sense o' it." Ellen related all that she had seen within the fire. Ellen saw confusion in her niece's eyes. Joshua appeared thoughtful, as if trying to puzzle out the meaning of what he had been told.

"Do ye understand this vision, Joshua?" Ellen asked.

"No," the youth replied. "But, I think Chris might have some idea. I mean, he's like me, but he's been around longer. He may know what this is about."

"Very well, ye two speak with Chris," Ellen advised. "I need tah speak with yer mother, so I'll send him in as I go." Kelly had a strong suspicion of what that conversation would be about and she didn't look forward to how her mother would respond.

After a moment, Chris sauntered in with his usual confident grin firmly in place. He took a moment to run appraising eyes over the collection of arms before giving the lovers his full attention.

"Ellen said I may be able tah help ye?" the blond youth said.

"We hope so," Joshua said. "There's something about the vision that we don't understand. You are more experienced than us, so we thought that you might be able to figure it out."

"T'is true that I have more experience than ye," Chris responded with a note of amusement in his voice. "T'is truer than ye might suspect. If my experience can be o' any help, I'll be glad tah share it."

"In the vision..." Joshua began, blushing. "In the vision, Kelly and I were... making love."

"Do not think that I can be easily embarrassed, Joshua lad," Chris said in encouragement. "That part o' the vision seems clear enough tah me. What are ye unclear about?" Kelly answered this time.

"During the vision, these other women surrounded us. When Joshua and I were... finished with what we were doing, I encouraged Joshua to have sex with one of the others." Chris's smile vanished.

"Ye did this more than once?" the Irish lad asked. Kelly nodded.

"Joshua would have sex with that girl, and then with me again. Then, I would hand him to another woman, and the same thing would happen."

"And, Joshua, how did ye react to this?"

"I had sex with the other women, but my eyes were always on Kelly." Chris nodded slightly and turned back to Kelly.

"I've something tah tell ye, lass. Ye'd have tah know eventually, but now I feel less dread tah tell ye." Chris now wore an expression of kind support on his face. "We Shadow Folk are driven tah do three things. First, we must learn tah fight. Ye'll not find one o' us who isn't a skilled warrior. Second, we must serve whoever speaks our secret name. There is no way tah resist these commands and only two ways tah break the control. Third, we are driven tah procreate. The witch who made us what we are wanted us tah become an entire army. We have a lot o' trouble controlling that need. So much so, that we cannot be monogamous. Sooner or later, even the best o' us is beaten by our sex drive." Let me be right about this lass, Chris thought. Let her have the strength tah love one o' us. "Knowing this, can ye accept it and still love Joshua?" The teens faced each other. Each could feel the other's love. Each knew that nothing could change the feelings they had for each other. No mere words of confirmation were necessary. They wrapped one another in their welcoming, loving arms and their lips met with fiery passion. After about a minute, they broke the kiss.

"Do whatever you need to, Joshua," Kelly said. Then, she smiled. "Just be sure to save some for me." Kelly's words triggered thoughts of her nude body and ways to please her. The pleasant emotions of love, contentment, and carnal desire fed into Joshua's aura, joining with the unfulfilled desire from earlier and quickly reaching a critical level.

Chris heard Deirdre approaching the door.

"Dampen that fire, ye two," the Irish boy warned. "Yer mother's coming, Kelly." Deirdre and Ellen stepped through the door, just as Joshua's aura flared. This time, it didn't spread feelings of fear. Instead, everyone in the sanctum was overwhelmed by feelings of love, trust, contentment, and lust.

Ellen turned to Chris. He was so hot-looking, standing there, and she needed a man's body.

"Put down that stick," Ellen ordered in a sultry voice. Chris complied with a devilish grin. Ellen seized the front of his shirt, and buttons flew as she tore it open. This set off a frenzy of clothing removal as Ellen and Chris moved toward the dojo. There were exercise mats visible on the floor. Ellen judged that they would make an acceptable love bed.

Deirdre stood dumbstruck as she watched Joshua and her daughter begin to remove each other's clothing. She could feel the throbbing arousal between her legs. As Deirdre watched the incredibly handsome young man help Kelly out of her shirt, she realized that she wanted to see Joshua make love to her daughter. She wanted to watch the incredible stud give Kelly the ultimate in physical pleasure, and she wanted to touch herself while she watched.

Ellen was quickly down to her panties, bra and stockings. Chris pulled off his socks, and Ellen opened his trousers. Chris generally refrained from wearing underwear. He liked to be able to get naked as quickly as possible. Normally, Ellen was annoyed by that, because it was a reminder that Chris wanted to be ready for sex anywhere, at anytime, and with anyone. Tonight, Ellen didn't care that Chris would never be faithful to her. She went to her knees and began to kiss and lick Chris's stiffening cock.

"By the gods!" Chris gasped. Ellen's mouth was driving Chris mad with teasing pleasure. After several minutes of tongue lashing, Ellen took the head of Chris's manhood into her mouth. She moved down his shaft, taking as much as she could into her mouth. She began to bob her head up and down, sucking his cock and teasing it with her tongue. Her hand went to stimulate his balls and the portion of his man rod she couldn't fit into her mouth.