Chapter 26

The vision rushed forward and caught Heather's arms, pulling her back to her feet. She shook her head. "No, Heather, I'm not Mara, not really."

Heather stared, her eyes wide, her mind racing as if she had not heard a word the vision had said. "But ... Mara, we had so many ... Jason wanted to ask ... y-you warned me about my mother ... the girl we were supposed to stay away from ... th-then the danger to me and another girl..."

Heather's face flushed pink when she realized she was babbling, but her head refused to focus on any one concept long enough for her to form a coherent sentence.

"Heather, please listen--"

"Mara, we needed you!" Heather finally blurted, her eyes blurring with tears. "We're flying blind and guessing at everything! We don't know what we're doing, Mara! We--"

"Heather!" the vision cried. She grasped Heather's shoulders and shook her until she stopped talking. "Heather, please, listen to me. I am not Mara, not like you know."

Heather wiped her eyes. "I don't understand. You were in the House, you gave us that test and told us--"

The vision of Mara sighed. "Not even that was truly Mara. Well, perhaps that's not quite true. Elizabeth had much more power than she realized. But what you see now, Heather, is not what you think."

Heather looked around her. "Then this room--"

"Exists only in your head."

Her gaze snapped back. "Then what are you? Just my own memories?"

"Not quite," said the vision. "They help give me some substance in your mind, but the rest is more like an echo."

"An echo? I don't--"

"You don't understand, I know. I don't have time to explain it all. The best I can come up with is this: when someone dies, sometimes their spirit is so strong that they can leave behind a sort of resonance. The energy lines under Haven make it possible for it to persist, even travel along them. Find someone that knows about real magic and ask them about Presence."

Heather's lips parted in shock. She yanked her arms from the vision's grip and backed away. "Y-you're a ghost?!"

The vision shook her head. "No, I'm not, and I don't have time for a longer explanation. I am using up what little energy I have left to contact you."

Heather's eyes suddenly burned. "Just tell me one thing: are you the one that's been fucking with my sex drive? You the one making me manipulate my friends into these stupid orgies?"

The vision struggled with the answer on her face. "Yes and no."

Heather threw up her arms and turned away. "You're about as useful as the real Mara was."

The vision grabbed Heather's arm and spun her around. "I don't have time for this. Think what you want about Mara, but you have to listen to me."

Heather was so taken aback by the intense look in the vision's eyes that she was speechless.

"If I did get into your head at all, it was just to weaken some mental barriers. Everything else is coming from your fellow Harbingers."

"But they didn't want--"

"But they do want to protect you and each other!" the vision declared. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, it's hard coming up with the right words. Elizabeth was so much better at explaining these things. Damn her for not leaving her own Presence behind!"

"Wait, you mean Elizabeth Jellison? Jason has her journal!"

"Well, that's a relief. If he can read it and understand it, he'll see that there is a lot more to sexual energy than just powering spells or visions. It forges a much deeper link, Heather, one that helps defend better against the Darkness. That's why the Darkness tries to subvert sex as a weapon."

Heather drew her breath in a slow, shocked gasp. "Oh my God. That was it. That's what I kept grasping, and it kept slipping away from me."

The vision stepped closer and lay a hand against Heather's cheek. "You didn't want to understand, did you?"

Heather swallowed and shook her head. She leaned into the comforting touch.

"Everything is happening for a reason. Mara, Elizabeth, all of the ones that came before and fought against it, they all vastly underestimated what they were up against."

Heather opened her eyes as the hand fell away from her cheek. "But we fought it. We defeated it twice! Jason thinks we weakened it."

"You did. But it has resources yet untapped that you have little idea about."

"Then tell me!" Heather cried. "Tell us! Don't leave us in the dark again!"

The vision sighed. "Mara didn't intentionally leave you in the dark. She simply had a much more limited understanding than she realized."

"So what are you saying, that this is hopeless?!"

"No, of course not. But you needed a new defense, and now you have it. Now you're all linked. You can sense when one of you is in danger. You can lend support and aid. The Darkness has already tried to break up your group. It will keep trying to isolate you from each other. Its attacks will grow more powerful as it learns to tap other resources."

"What other resources?" demanded Heather. "Please, don't give me just a half answer that--"

A wind blew through the room. The vision's dress floated in the air, as if trying to detach itself. The vision drew back, her body fading to transparency, then returning to shimmering solidity. "Heather, I don't have those answers and my energy is fading. Once I expend that, I'll be gone forever."

Heather's head was spinning. She wanted to ask so many questions. She wished the vision had taken on some other form. She had to resist the urge to scream at the substitute Mara for screwing up her life.

"You need to know two more things," the vision said, her voice tinny. "The first is the link. The link is forged, but it has to be maintained and improved. I think you realize this, but none of you can ignore it anymore just because it's inconvenient."

Heather started nodding halfway through the vision's words. She understood how it worked as it she had invented it herself. Somehow the knowledge had been imbued during those final moments in the House. It had lain dormant along with her precognitive power. Now that one had awakened, so had the other.

The vision raised her failing voice, her body shimmering, her outline fuzzy. "And the second thing, Heather, that none of you must forget: the Darkness is not the only danger. There are opportunists, working for their own aims. You must know which is which. I have to go, Heather! Good luck to you and the other Har--"

Another wind gusted through the House, and the vision was gone. The House dissolved, and Heather fell back through the blue-white eternity.

Ned slapped his fist into his other hand, breaking the stunned silence that had settled over the other Harbingers while Heather recounted her vision. "I knew it. Phony as a three-dollar bill."

"What are you talking about?" Melinda piped.

"I know," Richie said. "That candy-assed tool of a counselor."

"Ya got it in one, bud," said Ned.

"Wait a minute, what?" Jason said in a trembling voice as he stood. His head was still fuzzy from the intensity of their shared orgasm. "I don't follow you."

"What did Heather jus' say, dude? He's one of 'em opportunists. Come on, we already figgered out that Hollis is a red herring!"

"But that's--"

"Listen, it makes sense. He's not in it with the Darkness, so he ain't got no Aura ta give himself away."

"Ohmigod," Melinda moaned. "How are we supposed to know when--?"

"P-please, I think we're all missing the point of Heather's vision," said Cassie in a shaky voice. She took a deep breath and tried to remain still, as her pussy still throbbed faintly when she moved the wrong way. Her head floated in a lingering sexual euphoria that made it hard to think. "This link that we forged with each other, how are we going to maintain it?"

Ned opened his mouth in protest at being diverted from his topic, but he closed it without uttering a word. He seethed for a few seconds until the anger passed, and guilt followed in its wake.

Yeah, there goes the famous Nose sensitivity, he lamented.

"More of these boink-fests, I guess," Melinda said, her voice somewhere between reluctance and acceptance.

"I don't think we have to do it like this all the time," Heather said. "Just when we need a lot more energy, or we need to channel a lot to one of us. We just need to, well, fuck a lot. But it can't be just with the same partners all the time."

Richie shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"Yeah, it would," Melinda sneered, though with little hostility.

"But we don't have this house after Halloween," Diane protested. "We don't even have it tomorrow, since that's Thursday."

"Then we'll jus' find someplace else," Ned said.

"There is no other place!" Melinda cried.

Ned waved a hand. "Fer cryin' out loud, we've figgered out tougher things than this."

"Oh yeah? I don't hear you giving any suggestions."

"Or you, neither."

"I had one, but Jason keeps shooting it down!"

Jason sighed and covered his face with his hands for a second. "I am not going to ask Mrs. Radson to let us have sex in her home!"

"Oh, why not, Jason?" Cassie said.

Jason's expression was beyond surprise and well into shock, so much so that he could not reply.

Cassie drew her knees to her chest and seemed oblivious to her exposed sex. She let out a slow sigh, and her words struggled past her lips. "We can't turn back. I think I knew that from the start when I agreed to do this. None of us can."

Ned again quieted his own turmoil and lay a hand on Cassie's shoulder. To his relief, she placed her hand over his and squeezed.

"Jason, she said we should ask someone that knows real magic about Presence," said Heather. From the sofa, Richie's mouth twitched. "And she said that Elizabeth's journal explains all about sex and how it can link people like this. Mrs. Radson read the journal before you. She should know about this stuff. She should understand."

Jason's jaw clenched. He hated being maneuvered into a corner, even if sent there by clear logic. "All right. I'll talk to her tomorrow after school."

Ned had glanced around the room as he waited for his chance to speak. His eyes came to rest on Jason's book-bag, its flap askew. He stared at it until a single eyebrow rose.

"But I'm not going to badger her if she says no," Jason said.

"She can't say no," Melinda declared. "We don't have anywhere else to go."

"And at Mrs. Radson's we might be better protected," Cassie said.

"Maybe she should join in," Richie drawled.

Melinda gave him a disgusted look. "Eww. You are such a pervert."

"Oh, get off it, pipsqueak."

"She's Susan's mother!"

Richie smirked. "So she's a MILF, then. Cool."

"Just because you got it on with your own--"

Richie bolted up in his seat. "Not anymore, okay? I'm done with that shit. Woulda never told you about it if I knew I could take care of it today."

"Yes, you can use your link with everyone else to resist it," Cassie spoke up before Melinda could retort.

"Yeah, but there was something else ... ah, never mind, talk about it later. Ned looks ready to spit nails if he don't talk next."

Ned jumped to his feet. "Fuck, yeah, I wanna talk." He jabbed a finger towards Jason. "Got a question for ya, old hoss."

Jason looked nonplussed for a second. "Me? What?"

Ned jerked his head to the side. "Whatcha got in there?"

Jason's eyes flitted in that direction. Others glanced in bewilderment as well. "What, the book-bag?"

"Yeah, the book-bag. No, wait, lemme jus' go look."

Jason's eyes widened as Ned strode across the room. He rushed forward. "Wait, Ned, I don't think you should--"

Diane shot up. "Ned, stop it, what are you doing?"

Ned reached the book-bag first and picked it up. Jason grabbed for it, but Ned twisted his lithe body around, and Jason grasped only air. Diane approached until stopped by Ned's narrowed gaze.

"Uh-huh," Ned said. He slowly nodded. "Yeah, I think I get it now."

"Ned, give that to Jason, he needs to keep that safe," Diane said.

Ned froze.

"He needs to keep it with him if he wants to keep it safe."

Ned blinked rapidly and frowned. "Shit. I almost believed ya. Wow. No offense, but back the fuck off right now, 'kay?"

Cassie gasped. Diane was so stunned that she stumbled back a step. Heather looked confused, then indignant.

Ned tore the flap back and pulled out the contents.

"What the f--?!" Melinda began, her comment drowned out by the slap of the Book as it fell to the sofa.

"What??" Cassie cried. "But I thought--?"

"That mister Jason it'll-be-safe-at-my-house-cuz-of-Heather's-vision Conner would leave it at home?"

"Ned, what ... what are you saying?"

"Mebbe Diane can answer that," Ned said.

All eyes shifted. Diane stood like a deer in the headlights.

"Look, I ain't blamin' no one for nothin', 'kay? But I gotta say what I've seen. I've been tryin' ta keep tabs on our friendly neighborhood counselor, an' I managed ta catch two students walking into his lounge-o-psychiatry. One was some sweet-lookin' Italian girl that I think goes by the moniker of Gina, and the other was Diane."

"But we know about that, don't we?" Cassie asked. "Doctor Mann wanted to know how she was adjusting after everyone found out about her, well, orientation."

Ned shook his head. "This was after that. She went back ta him again."

Diane looked stricken, but Heather rushed to her side. "All right, Ned, now you back off. Diane told me about that. He just wanted to ask her a few questions for some research project of his."

"Uh-huh. Right."

"It's true!" Diane cried. "He asked me some questions about my relationship with Heather, that's all. Nothing else happened!"

"Ned, put up or shut up," Heather said. "If you're going to accuse her of lying--"

Ned raised his hands. "Hey, cool it, I ain't sayin' that. I believe her. But something stinks mightily 'bout all this. Jason, why'd ya bring this with ya today?"

Jason was staring at the Book and had edged towards it when he jerked his head towards Ned. Before he could form a reply, Diane rushed in. "Look, I'll answer that, just so no one thinks I'm hiding anything," she said, her voice harsh, though her eyes glistened on the verge of tears. "I was concerned about the safety of Jason's mother. What if someone tried to break into his house to steal the Book after all? What if he did something to Jason's mother to get at it?"

Ned looked thoughtful. "Ned, that does make a certain amount of sense, doesn't it?" Cassie said.

"Why don't you let Jason talk, for cryin' out loud!" Melinda snapped.

Jason jerked his head from the Book again, hesitated, then turned the rest of him away from it. "Yes, that's what happened. Diane said she was concerned and it just seemed to make sense to me."

Ned nodded. "Yeah. Just like she did ta me for a bit."

"So, what, we just ignore Heather's visions now?" Richie called out.

"We're not!" Diane protested.

"Fuck, yeah, we are! Jason said it sounded like we gave it to him in Heather's vision. How's him carrying it all the time gonna help stop that, huh?"

Heather looked from Diane to the others. "But ... what Diane said just makes sense, like..."

"Like havin' a fuckfest in the middle of yer class did?" Ned said.

Heather fell silent.

"Since when does our resident nerd make an about-face jus' 'cuz of one discussion? Look how long it took ta get him ta consider talkin' ta Mrs. Radson about turnin' her house inta our private love shack."

No one answered. Diane's eyes turned frantic. Heather caught it and stepped before her lover, grasping her shoulders. "Diane? Come on, don't freak out on me, okay?"

A tear trickled down Diane's cheek. "B-but ... he's saying I-I screwed up again, like I did with Melissa."

"I ain't sayin' nuthing like that," Ned said. "Truth is, I dunno what 'xactly happened. And Diane? Even if Counselor Victurd did tiptoe through yer mental tulips, no way you coulda known. Not even if ya could see Auras, since he ain't got one. So stop beatin' yerself up, cuz no one here's gonna do it."

Jason took a few deep breaths and forced himself to step away from the sofa. He started to turn his head to look back at the Book, but caught himself and drew close to Diane. "Diane, Ned's right about everything. Something did happen, but I don't think you're at fault."

Diane's lower lip quivered. She brushed away another tear and sniffled. "I just feel like I'm the weak link, that everything will unravel because I don't have any special power like the rest of you."

"Hey, don't look at me, I don't have nuthin' like that," Ned said.

"But you can see..." Diane began, but trailed off. This time her common refrain was no longer apropos. "Jason, you said he was okay! Melinda said so, too! That's the only reason I went to him at all, because I thought he was clean."

Cassie surged forward and placed a hand on Diane's arm. "You're absolutely right, Diane. You thought it was safe."

"Yeah, she's right," Richie said. "I mean, yeah, Ned and I thought he was a tool, but we can say that about a lot of teachers."

Diane let out a quavering sigh and allowed herself to be drawn into Heather's embrace. She sniffled once more, but no new tears flowed.

"All right," Jason said. "From here on in, we work under the assumption that Victor Mann is up to something."

"He could be the guy in Heather's vision!" Melinda said.

"Huh. Yeah, that makes sense," Ned said.

"But then that means he really did do something to me," Diane said. "To make Jason bring the Book out again, if he's the one that's after it."

"The Book goes back home with me," Jason declared. "And it stays there this time."

"And I don't go back to the counselor ever again for anything. I'm not even going near his office. I'm not going to be the one to screw everything up."

"Aw, for fuck's sake, stop going apeshit over it," Richie said. "We just had this big freaking orgy so we could protect each other, right? The asshole can't touch you now."

"We're not putting that to the test," Heather snapped.

"Hey, chill out. I'm not saying we should, just that we don't hafta act like we're gonna be mowed down at any moment. I'm getting fucking sick of that. I had to put up with that shit because I was worried about what would happen to my mother."

"And you're not anymore?" Heather asked, tempering the sarcastic edge as much as she could.

Richie frowned. "Maybe I realized I didn't want to feel like a fucking coward anymore."

"Look, no one is going to ask anyone to step into danger," Jason said. "But we have to figure out something to do now. If Doctor Mann is really the one after the Book, we can't just wait for him to try and take it."

Ned slapped his fist into his hand again. "Now yer all talkin' like Harbingers again!"

Diane's eyes suddenly glazed. "Diane? What is it?" Heather asked, her voice rising.

"Oh no," Diane moaned, holding her hands against her temples. "I think he did do something to me after all. I still think Jason has to keep the Book with him all the time. He shouldn't leave it alone."

"Well, of course, Diane, I know that. It only makes sense that he should keep ... that ... no, wait, that's not..."

Heather fell silent, her eyes widening.

Melinda recoiled. "Ohmigod. For a few seconds, I thought Diane was--"

"Oh, goodness, I felt it too, just for a moment," Cassie said.

Ned nodded. "Yeah, me too, but not as much as before. I could ignore it. Whatever it is, it's gettin' weaker."

"Yes, it is," Jason said. "I barely felt it myself. I don't think it's working on me anymore."

"But what is it?!" Diane demanded.

"Jason, you need to get this Book home now, " Cassie said. "Someone should go with you. Or maybe I can get Harry to drive you if someone else can run your bike home for you."

"Ya think he's comin' fer the Book already, babe?" Ned asked.

"I don't know. Probably not. I don't think the counselor knows about what we're doing. He's probably expecting Jason to bring it to school tomorrow."

"I won't," Jason said. "Richie can check me on that tomorrow and give me hell if I bring it with me."

"Gotcha covered there, dude," Richie said.

"Um, hello? What about me?" Diane said. "Maybe all of you are resisting it, but I still think that Jason ... no, I'm not going to say it anymore, dammit!"

"Why is Diane still having trouble?" Melinda demanded. "Shouldn't she be free of whatever this is after boinking her brains out?"

"Unless it was 'cuz it happened before we did this," Ned said. "I dunno. Whatever his game is, it ain't comin' from the Darkness, and mebbe that lets him slip under our radar."

"Jason, I just realized something," Cassie said. "Ned said there was another girl that was going to the counselor. Could she be the girl that we think is getting into trouble this Halloween?"

"What, the girl Mara talked about?" Melinda asked.

"Possibly, yes. And maybe related to what Richie saw with that priest at the church."

Jason held up a hand. "This is too much at once, and if I don't get back home soon my Mom is going to kill me. We'll have to talk later about this. I'll try to call everyone later this evening if I can. Right now I have to--" He stopped and looked down. "Wow. None of us even got dressed yet?"