Tyler pressed his hand to his left ear harder, straining to hear his father over his cell phone as Reid continued to berate Caleb to the inhabitants of the Hummer. He was trying to get as many details about the Summoning as he could from his father so they’d know what to expect and how to proceed once they got to the house. He was grateful that his father remembered as much as he did, although he doubted his father felt the same way. It was opening new pain for Mr. Sims, but it was imperative they find out all of the facts for Caleb’s sake.
Pogue had one hand tightly around Amelia’s, the other clutching at the handle above the car door. He was starting to hate it when Reid drove…especially when their lives hung in the balance. If they made it there in one piece, it would be a miracle. His belief was even more firmly realized when they rounded a corner sharply, one of the tires coming up off of the road slightly before hitting the terrain again with a sharp bounce that caused Amelia to let out a gasp.
“Slow down, Garwin! We won’t be any help to Caleb if we don’t make it there ourselves!”
“Stop backseat driving!” was the retort as Reid accelerated. Pogue was certain it was just to antagonize the teen behind him more. Reid was answered with a slap across the back of the head.
“I can’t believe you even got your friggin’ license!”
Yep, Pogue was back to his old self, all right.
Amelia just closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. Her grip on Pogue’s hand was vice-like, as was her hold on the seat in front of her. Only the seat belt kept her from ending up in her fiancée’s lap, she was sure of it.
Throwing the teen a look in the rearview mirror, Reid scoffed. “Consider it all a part of the Garwin charm. Now I recommend you continue healing *silently* before I turn this vehicle around and take you back to the mansion, young man!”
“Okay…okay…I’ll call you then.” Tyler finally hung up, letting out a long breath as he replaced his cell phone in his coat pocket.
“Give us the rundown, Sims,” Reid inquired, flashing him a quick glance as he turned onto the dirt road that led to the Sanctum.
“Okay…my father told me that Summoning an ancestor is an old rite, only used when a Covenant is in extreme danger or in desperate need of wisdom. In all of the recorded history of the Summoning, only two people have survived the effects of it, and on top of that, the Summoning has never truly worked.”
“Promising! Again I pose the question- what in the fuck was Caleb thinking?”
“My guess, he was distressed after the death of his mom and with what we’re facing, and thought it was the only thing that could be done,” Tyler replied morosely, not looking happy at that thought at all. “It doesn’t make sense. How could he not know the effects of it? The chances? He’s always so thorough…”
“In his right mind, he is,” Reid reminded Tyler. “Caleb wasn’t exactly Joe stability while he was missing,” Reid jerked his head backwards, indicating Pogue. The motion wasn’t lost on Pogue as he frowned, looking between the two boys in the front seat.
“What am I missing?”
“Too much we can’t get into right now. We’ll be happy to fill you in later, but in the meantime, let’s just get to Caleb before it’s too late.”
Amelia felt the need to speak up, the details about the Summoning, its dangers, and why Caleb apparently felt it was crucial to attempt, bother her way more than she liked.
“We have an idea of why Caleb did it…but how did he feel it could help? What is summoning your ancestors supposed to *do*?”
Tyler drew in a slow breath before relaying the information his father had given to him. “The Summoning can theoretically work one of two ways, depending on what kind of guidance you seek. The first involves your ancestor’s spirit appearing to you to give you guidance and wisdom. While it sounds relatively harmless, it’s still an incredibly dangerous thing to do because you’re messing with spirits, and if you don’t have the Instrument-“ he paused, raising his hand- “completing the ritual can be difficult and lead to disastrous things, such as possession, Power overload, system breakdowns and mental breaks.”
“Sounds remarkably a lot like Stoughton. What idiot summoned him?” Reid mumbled as he hit the brakes outside of the old Danvers’ home, unbuckling his seat belt and out of the vehicle a split second before the other boys. Amelia was slightly slower to follow, something inside of her telling her to keep her motions slow and steady. Perhaps it was the regular intervals at which she felt movement within her that kept her condition at the front of her mind.
Reid and Pogue hurried ahead, Pogue shouting out Caleb’s name as they approached the front door. Tyler stayed behind with Amelia as she approached the house at a slightly slower pace. He took her by the arm and walked with her towards the door, a disturbed look on his face. Amelia’s gaze kept flickering up towards him.
“What?”
“I don’t know. Something tells me that Caleb isn’t rousing our ancestors for guidance. He’s doing it for battle.”
“It might help us…”
“No, Amelia. If Caleb has- or is- trying to do that, make no mistake of the outcome. His father didn’t survive it, neither will he…especially not now.”
Tyler held open the door for her as she walked inside, using the morning light to guide her through the house she had begun to memorize. The door which led down into the Sanctum was wide open, but she heard no sounds from below. That worried her more than comforted her.
The teen behind her made sure she had a firm grip on the rail leading downwards, before moving in front of her, but never going too quickly as to not keep an eye on how she was progressing. All they needed was for her to fall down that steep, hard staircase. Then Stoughton’s mistaken beliefs would be reality for everyone involved.
“Tyler, get your butt down here!”
He cast a quick look back at her, but Amelia shooed him on with her hand. “Go, I’ll be careful. Help them.”
Tyler jumped down the remaining stairs and onto the solid floor of the Sanctum. He almost ran into Pogue and Reid’s backs, as they stood staring at something, completely transfixed. He realized what had caused them to stop and not approach any further, as he moved around to Pogue’s right side and saw what they were staring at.
Caleb lay on the ground surrounded by an electric blue mist that seemed to swirl and writhe about him. The room crackled with energy and intensity, making the hairs on the backs of the teens’ necks stand on end and their skin prickle. His eyes were wide open and staring at the ceiling, and at first glance it appeared that he might be dead. However, through the bluish-silver haze, it was evident that he was still alive through the occasional spasms of his body.
Amelia let out a loud gasp as she laid eyes on Caleb. Reid took a step backwards and instinctively took her hand tightly in his, pulling her back so that he was partially standing between her and where Caleb lay. It was frightening to see him like this, especially since they had no idea what was going on, what his condition was.
Pogue’s eyes flickered over towards Tyler, who stood there, immobilized.
“Come on, Tyler, enlighten us.”
“I don’t know. My dad never mentioned this. Keep in mind I’m no expert and no healer. We don’t even know if whatever is-“ he gestured to the mist- “around him is dangerous or not.”
“May I make a suggestion?” Reid spoke up from the other side of Pogue.
“Please.”
“Use your Instrument to locate any spirits around here. Then we’ll know what we’re up against.”
Tyler looked beyond Pogue to Reid. “I might mention that if the spirits of our ancestors *are* here, we probably don’t want to make them angry. They seem to have a hold on Caleb right now that they’re not going to release. He did summon *them*.”
“Yeah, well, I hate to break it to them, but we don’t follow anyone’s rules but our own. Since he did bring them here, they should show him more respect. Now use your friggin’ abilities and find out what the hell is in the air!”
Amelia squeezed Reid’s hand to gently remind him to not be so hard on Tyler. The younger boy had only a limited amount of information to go off of. They obviously had no idea that this Summoning was even possible until that morning. Knowing the exact right thing to do next wasn’t in the cards. They were going off of sheer common sense, depending on their sound judgment and their firm holds on their own Powers to figure out the next step.
“Just be calm,” she said in a soothing voice, fully realizing that she had to be the composed one there. Emotions were running so raw throughout the group, she was determined to be their grounding force. However, she was afraid to use her Powers to calm the boys, who were so tense and anxious over this situation, she felt it radiating out of each of them without even needed to draw on her abilities. There was already so much spiritual Power and energy in this room, she feared igniting more might interfere, or cause it to combust. Then again, Tyler was going to use his Instrument to detect what kind of spiritual energy was surrounding them…perhaps that meant she might be able to let a small amount of her own energy seep out of her towards the boys for a touch more serenity.
“I don’t have to use my Instrument, guys,” Tyler mentioned after a few seconds. “This place is oozing with unworldly essence. I’m having problems not going back up those stairs right now…it’s making me extremely nervous. The essences in the air…they’re *looking* for something.”
“That’s a *real* good sign. Nice to know our own ancestors scare us more than entice us to break out the welcome wagon.”
Pogue threw Reid a dark look as he clenched his hands into fists. He was tired of standing there and doing nothing while they just stared at Caleb helplessly and fought amongst themselves. He owed Caleb everything. Caleb was his best friend- his confidant- for too long, not to mention he had saved his life…literally. They had been through everything together and he wasn’t going to let his comrade go down this way…not for some desperate act that mirrored his father’s five years ago. Pogue was not going to let the Danvers’ legacy grow dark and cursed. He wanted to make sure that Caleb was alive and well when his son was brought into this world. He owed him that.
“If you ladies would stop throwing around useless information…*I’m* going to help him.” What better time to see if his Powers were back and ready to go than the present? He still hadn’t tested them since they were dormant during his torture.
“It’s not useless and I wouldn’t recommend it. You just healed after a traumatic event, we don’t know how up-to-par your system is yet,” Tyler remarked, shaking his head as he struggled to come up with something.
“You know what, Sims? I don’t care. Now do me a favor and link up, all of you. I’m going in.” With that, Pogue’s eyes went black as the level of energy in the Sanctum rose a few degrees, making Amelia shiver. She reached out past Reid towards Pogue, but he had already taken a few steps closer to Caleb. Pulling her hand back, she raised it to her mouth, her heart skipping at beat at what her boyfriend might do next.
A feeling of immense satisfaction filled Pogue as he slowly, slowly crouched down a foot away from Caleb, just beyond where the mist was still encompassing him. It seemed to swirl more violently as he neared, which did nothing but heighten the fears of the three teenagers behind him. Pogue closed his eyes and breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled before reaching his hand out towards the blue sheen. As soon as his skin made contact with it, he let out a gasp and fell backwards, his system reeling and thrashing from the effects of whatever energy it was he touched. It felt like two sources of Power- one moderate, the other more potent and developed- combining and imploding inside of him.
Reid and Tyler moved quickly. They grabbed Pogue by the arms and pulled him back from Caleb as he continued to gasp, his black eyes wide and now swirling with silver hues. It was eerie and portentous, leading them to believe nothing good had just occurred.
“Pogue, talk to us…come on, man,” Reid mumbled, kneeling down next to the boy, whose chest rose and fell rapidly as he panted.
Amelia moved so that she was positioned near his head, her hands on each side of his face. She looked down into his eyes, which weren’t focused on anything. Staring at the whirling iridescent colors was almost hypnotizing, but she forced herself to blink and redirect her attention to Reid.
“His eyes…”
“I know, they’re frickin’ creepy. Talk to us, Pogue...losing your worthless ass *now* isn’t an option, as we proved earlier by yanking it out of the ground and saving it once.”
“Get into his mind, Reid…maybe he can’t talk right now,” Tyler suggested, his own gaze intense as he scanned their friend’s body. He quickly glanced over at Caleb, but he still lay there with the occasional spasm. “God damnit, I hate this.”
Reid didn’t waste any time doing what Tyler suggested, gently probing at his friend’s surface thoughts. What he picked up on, though, didn’t make sense to him. They were the thoughts of another person, scrambled and disjointed. He thought he picked up on a name…Laurence…Lennox…Linus…?
Then images filled his mind. He saw a woman with red hair in older-style clothing, three other men he didn’t recognize, and a cabin…a small cabin surrounded by a forest…wait a second…
Reid immediately pulled out of Pogue’s mind. “Holy shit…I think Linus Parry is in there.”
Tyler just stared at him over their friend’s prone body. “What?”
“Pogue’s ancestor has come a-callin’, I don’t think he cares if he was personally invited or not. Caleb really *did* accomplish the Summoning, there’s no mistake.”
Tyler and Amelia’s gazes moved to where Caleb laid, expressions of awe and fear prevalent on their faces. Without thinking, Tyler slowly began to move closer to Caleb, his hand reaching out towards the blue mist tentatively.
Reid lunged at Tyler and snatched his arm away just seconds before it made contact with the energy. “Oh, no you don’t! You may have some strange desire for your ass to be possessed by ole’ Albius or Clark, but I’m not dealing with anyone but *you*. Stay back here.”
Amelia grabbed Tyler’s hand, trying to keep him mentally with them. This whole situation was completely freaking her out. She didn’t know if this state was hurting Caleb or Pogue, what would come from it, or what would happen next. She despised the uncertainty that had been cast over their whole lives, and for being a visionary, it was doubly frustrating. She hadn’t had a vision or insight into the present or future since Pogue’s life hung in the balance the day before. That had been their saving grace, it had made it possible for them to locate him and get to the boy in time before he was lost to them entirely.
Since then, her mind had been a blank slate. She had never wished for a revelation more in her recently enlightened life than she did right then. Amelia had to know what was to become of them, who the ones in danger were. Or, perhaps the reason that nothing had come clear to her about any one person being at risk was because they were *all* in so much peril. It was obscure and cloudy. Their fates all hung in the balance, and the best person for her to ask wasn’t even born yet. She didn’t dare seek out Anna, she knew her daughter wouldn’t be able to answer her questions. She had made it clear the night before that she wouldn’t be able to speak to her again for a while. Amelia could only wonder how long ‘a while’ meant to someone like Anna.
There were so many questions left unanswered. Then again, this was real life. Nothing was certain…not even in their cases.
A chilling sensation slowly rose up Amelia’s body then, starting at the base of her spine and working its way up towards her shoulders. Her body went tense as she sensed something happened behind her. Glancing over at Reid and Tyler, who still appeared to be debating over Pogue’s state, she slowly turned her head to look back over her shoulder.
Behind her stood Caleb. He was still surrounded with a thin layer of blue mist, but it had lost some of its brilliant color and was now more dim and serene. It simply engulfed him like another layer of skin, flat and dormant. But if it appeared calm, why did Amelia have sudden chills shooting throughout her body?
He was staring down at the four of them with no expression on his face- it was steely and vacant. It oddly reminded her of how he had looked at her the night before for a brief moment before the lust re-entered his eyes, but it was still *different*. Lord, how she hated how easy it was lately for Caleb to frighten her. She longed for the warm, compassionate, soulful young man that had held her in his arms in the upstairs sitting room in front of the fire. She missed him.
Tyler noticed Amelia looking away from Pogue in his peripheral vision, so he, too, turned his head to see what had her rapt attention. He let out a soft curse as he saw Caleb standing there, motionless and intent on them.
Something inside of him told him to get to his feet, so Tyler rose and ran his palms down the sides of his pants. They had immediately gotten moist with perspiration, the tension within him still at its peak. He heard Reid move slightly near his feet, before he, too, was standing next to his side, facing the eldest of their Covenant.
“Good to see you on your feet,” Reid commented wryly, but his tone was guarded. Both males knew what they saw was more than likely not what it appeared.
The spiritual energy in the room was still paramount, and its presence crawled over Tyler’s body like thousands of insects. Instead of being at ease with the company of the otherworldly beings, they made him nervous…that was definitely *not* of the norm.
Amelia tore her eyes away from Caleb to glance down at Pogue, whose body had stilled in its throes. She narrowed her eyes slightly, realizing that Pogue’s position and body movements were similar to how they had found Caleb. Swallowing hard, she looked back at the older boy, deciding to go ahead and ask what everyone was thinking but may be too afraid to inquire.
“Who are you?”
Caleb’s attention focused on her at her question. He didn’t speak for a few moments before answering, and when he did his voice was toneless, remote.
“I might ask you the same question.”
“I believe she asked you first,” Reid interjected, as Tyler moved so that he stood between Caleb and Amelia. Their protectiveness was in overdrive currently.
To their surprise, he gave their question a direct answer. “My name is Thomas Danvers.”
Reid looked over at Tyler, his eyes flashing black as he asked him a question in his mind. He wanted to be as careful as possible in this situation.
“He’s Caleb’s ancestor, I assume?”
“I assume so,” Tyler responded in kind, his eyes level on Caleb’s body. “Keep an eye on Pogue…we might have another visitor shortly.”
“Check.”
“I’m Tyler Sims, this is Reid Garwin. Do you know why you’re here?” Tyler asked the spirit inhabiting his friend’s body.
“I have been summoned by my descendent. Thus, vengeance is being sought.”
Frowning slightly, Reid carefully chose his next words. “Vengeance by whom towards whom?”
“I am confused by that. I feel vengeance towards the same creature that’s appeared to fulfill his oath of judgment on the Covenant. Death taints the air.”
“Death that has to stop. That’s why Caleb called you, we think,” Tyler mentioned, still keeping Amelia close to his side. “Stoughton’s back and he wants to take out each and every one of our bloodlines so that our Legacy stops with us.”
A dark look spread across Caleb’s face, contorting his handsome features. “That is never to be. We are a part of the world and will be until the last day all life exists. It is a part of the pattern of existence, interwoven with every other person- deceased, alive, and yet to be born.”
“Try telling that to Stoughton. He’s stubborn and he’s already killed Caleb’s mother and Nicolas Parry’s father, Wayne Parry,” Reid mentioned, his eyes flickering back towards Pogue, whose situation remained unaltered. “We want to take him out, but are honestly unsure as on how to go about doing it. He’s seriously overstayed his welcome here.”
“William Stoughton began his feud with the families in the year of our Lord, 1694. What year be this?”
“Welcome to 2007. Language and clothing is different, but persecution still exists,” snorted Reid, finding it easy to resort to his casual commentary. What the hell, it was his defense mechanism when he felt he was extremely in over his head.
The spirit looked like it needed to take some time to ponder Reid’s answer, as he slowly walked away from the spot he had previous kept himself glued to. His pace was slow, deliberate, as he moved through the Sanctum, taking in his surroundings without so much as a quirked brow.
“So much time has passed…finally Stoughton has deemed it the right time to seal his own destiny.” With that thought spoken, Caleb turned around and stared at the teens where had stayed put near Pogue. His eyes rested on Amelia, who was mostly obscured from his vision at the angle Tyler was at.
“Thus, that would mean another prophecy has been fulfilled.”
Amelia swallowed hard, knowing that he meant her. Her hand impulsively moved to rest on her slightly jutting belly protectively. She felt a tiny movement against her hand, reminding her that she wasn’t alone.
“Yeah, it has been,” Tyler nodded slowly, his words cautious. “We thought that might be what made Stoughton choose this time. Our heirs, um…all of them…”
“Are within the child at your side. She’s practically a babe.” Caleb started moving closer to the group, his eyes fixated on Amelia. She instinctively tensed and Tyler pulled her closer against his back as the figure approached them.
“And she won’t be touched,” Reid voiced. “Do it and you lose an arm.”
Tyler threw his friend a disgruntled look, speaking to him mind-to-mind once more.
“You want to dismember Caleb? It wouldn’t hurt the spirit, you idiot, just our best friend.”
“So I’m bluffing, sue me. If he’s really Caleb’s ancestor, I doubt he’ll want his great-great-whatever losing anything. He wants the Legacy to continue existing, too, you know. It’s harder to do without an arm.”
Tyler visibly rolled his eyes before looking back at the spirit. His expression was back to unreadable as he stopped a few feet in front of the dark-haired boy. While they didn’t know if Caleb’s ancestor could pick up on their mental dialogue, Tyler doubted it.
“I wish to see her.”
“This is as close as you get. No offense, but all things considered, we’re a little on guard,” Tyler said with a brief shake of his head.
“As you should be, but I will not harm her. She carries very precious little lives within her…I don’t wish for harm to befall them.”
Tyler and Reid looked at each other, still hesitant. Amelia put her hand on Tyler’s arm and moved out from behind him, taking two steps closer to Caleb. Her eyes were mild, she did not wish to betray the fear she felt at the entire situation. She was always told she was stronger than she believed herself to be, it was time to start proving it.
“Can you help us?”
The faintest of smiles appeared on Caleb’s lips, but it wasn’t one of Caleb’s familiar expressions of amusement or endearment. It proved that what was governing Caleb’s actions and motivations presently was most certainly *not* Caleb. She was thankful for the reminder.
“You wish to defeat Stoughton. The Summoning is an ancient rite. Dangerous and even forbidden. It was created to only be needed once.”
“H-How many times has it been attempted? Caleb’s father, he…”
“He perished because his body was already too overcharged with The Power, thus his body could not handle our temporary inhabitation. I was here for only moments before being recalled to my resting place.”
“Shit,” Reid whispered, the truth of Caleb’s father’s death just as tragic as it was always made out to be. “Will this hurt Caleb?”
“He is strong- stronger than his father…his youth encourages this. However, the Summoning does not occur without a sacrifice.”
“What kind of sacrifice?”
“That we cannot say.”
The teens turned their heads to see Pogue on his feet, his expression just as blank as Caleb’s had been when he had first rose. He didn’t even look at the teens before taking steps towards Caleb.
“Thomas.”
Caleb’s eyes appeared to slightly warm before the two embraced, clapping each other on the backs.
“Great,” Reid muttered, crossing his arms. “We get to witness a friggin’ reunion.”
“Ssh, have some respect,” Amelia whispered to Reid in a soft voice, her eyes lingering on the sight of Pogue and Caleb hugging like brothers. It warmed her deep inside, even though she knew it wasn’t her fiancée and other loved one governing the motions.
“Stephen. It has been far too long, my friend,” Caleb’s voice stated as they pulled away from the embrace.
“I agree.” Pogue turned slightly, so that he could see the three others in the Sanctum. His expression wasn’t quite as emotionless as Caleb’s, but it was close. It held a curiosity Caleb’s face lacked.
“Let me guess,” Reid spoke up, pointing at Pogue. “Stephen Parry, Pogue’s great-great-whatever.”
“That is I.”
“Terrific. Welcome to the madhouse. I thought you were Linus Parry…minus one, Reid,” he mumbled to himself.
His words were heard by the spirit in Pogue’s body. “Linus was my son.”
Tyler held up his hands, feeling completely overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events. He had expected them to show up at the Sanctum in time to find Caleb dead, not walking and talking with his ancestor’s spirit taking the reigns. He especially didn’t count on Pogue’s body also getting taken over. They were in too deep, and Tyler knew that.
“First off, don’t take anything I say as disrespectful or crude…and that goes triple for Reid here, he lacks tact.”
Reid threw him an offended look before giving him the finger behind his back. He didn’t know whether or not Tyler saw the gesture, but it at least made him feel a little bit better. He wasn’t in the mood for potshots at that particular point in time.
“We didn’t expect this to happen. Caleb went off without telling us anything. We got here as quickly as we could because my father told me what the most likely outcome of the Summoning was…and that isn’t a choice for any of us. We have too much to live for.” Tyler’s eyes moved over to Amelia briefly, which both the spirits of Thomas and Stephen picked up on before the younger teenager returned his attention to them.
Stephen looked her up and down, Pogue’s brows raised in intrigue.
“So…the prophecy has been fulfilled…she was born in this generation.”
“Um, yeah, and I might mention that she is carrying our kids and your,” Reid pointed at Pogue, “great-great-whatever is probably the powerful heir. That’s why Stoughton wants to put us down like dogs and he’s anxious to do it. The bastard’s tenacious.”
A smile touched Pogue’s lips as his ancestor’s spirit took in this news with great pride. “He will be a Parry.”
“You’re half right,” Tyler sighed, his hand moving to touch Amelia’s back gently. She kept her eyes on her fiancée’s, even if he wasn’t the one looking back at her.
A look of confusion crossed both of the possessed bodies’ faces, before Tyler went on in explanation, curious as to how they’d react.
“The powerful heir is a female. In fact, both Pogue- or Nicolas, if you prefer- and my children will be girls. Caleb and Reid’s are boys.”
“That is impossible,” Stephen stated, his voice matter-of-fact.
“Ding dong, you’re wrong. We thought it was initially improbable too, don’t get me wrong, but I guess having Amelia in the mix is really changing the face of the Covenant. We’re now co-ed. All women are equal…or I suppose we’ll find out for sure once they’re here. Doesn’t sound like Anna’s equal to *anything*.”
“Anna?” Caleb’s voice inquired.
“The powerful heir, a.k.a.- Pogue’s kid.”
Stephen blinked, staring at Amelia. “My mother’s name was Anna.”
Amelia swallowed hard, realizing that the spirit was processing the news rather slowly. Or so she gathered. She just nodded, offering a tiny smile.
“Consider it a family name, then. It just came to me…I’m not sure why.”
Stephen approached Amelia, but she didn’t tense or move away. She held steady as she watched him draw nearer, stopping directly in front of her. Amelia noticed that Reid tensed up, ready to push the spirit back at any second, but she held her hand out from her side, indicating for him to stay put.
“I also had a younger, adopted sister named Eleanor. She meant the world to me, but was taken by Stoughton and tortured for information about our Covenant. When she didn’t tell him anything, he sentenced her to death for adultery, the accusation completely false.”
Pain filled Amelia’s eyes at his words, although Pogue’s own eyes just held a look of haunted hollowness in them.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, truly feeling for Pogue’s ancestor. Stephen’s revelation just added to the ever-growing list of old and recent crimes Stoughton committed. It only made her heart heavier.
“I wonder if you could do me the honor of giving your daughter my sister’s name, as well.”
Amelia didn’t even stop to consider it before answering him.
“The honor would be ours, sir. Anna Eleanor Parry sounds beautiful.”
“Yes,” Stephen replied, his features softening. “It does. I do thank you. That is just one other way our lines and history live on.”
Reid shifted on his feet a little, realizing that getting sentimental with three-hundred year old spirits was getting a tad uncomfortable. This wasn’t why Caleb did the Summoning, and now they got more than they bargained for with two ancestors walking and talking in rented bodies.
“I hate to ruin the moment here, but how long are you two going to hang around for? Don’t get me wrong, it’s uber-interesting conversing with two people that lived back in Stoughton’s day, but we have a lot of business to attend to. Caleb called you here for a reason. This guy has five hands up on us. He has us right where he wants us, and frankly, we’re rowing up shit creek faster than the unlucky salmon.”
Tyler reached out and smacked Reid on the shoulder, giving him a cross look. Reid shot one right back as Tyler quickly stepped in to try and mend the disastrous explanation of their situation Reid had presented.
“The five of us are still alive, that’s better than what it could be. But our families are in danger, and I love my mother, my father and my sister. I don’t want to fear for them, this isn’t their fight. This happened in *our* time, it’s *our* battle.”
“How many have fallen?” Stephen asked, taking a step backwards towards Thomas as their expressions grew severe almost simultaneously. It was good to know they were taking their attendance during present day seriously.
“One for sure, maybe two. We don’t know exactly how Caleb’s mother died, it might have been natural causes, it might have been Stoughton, we don’t know.”
“How many other innocents are in danger?”
Tyler answered that question, checking off people on his fingers as he named them. “My father, my mother, Samantha, Amelia’s parents, Reid’s father…family wise, that’s all we got. Not to mention the babies. We’re protecting Amelia with everything we have, but it doesn’t feel like it’s enough right now. As long as you’re here…“ Tyler hesitated, wondering if he should truly put their vulnerabilities out there, however desperate times called for desperate measures. Surely their ancestors of the Covenants past could be trusted.
“…we could really use the help. We don’t know the extent of Stoughton’s arsenal and how deep his bag of tricks goes, he keeps surprising us.”
“He’s got the students at our school walking around like psycho-Catholics. We think he’s controlling their minds, which means we’re not going back to focus on our education until the dust clears, if you know what I mean,” Reid insinuated, sticking his hands into his pants’ pockets. “One of them already tried killing the kids, that’s where we drew the line. We think we put on a good enough show that Stoughton thinks the student succeeded, but the guy keeps catching on to things. It’s anyone’s guess.”
“When William Stoughton vowed to return to the earth to exact his revenge on our lineage, he realized that he would only have one attempt at his purpose. He cannot afford to fail. Thus, his spirit must be vanquished, truly enough,” Thomas agreed, glancing over at his friend. “Stephen? As a Mystic, perhaps you have some ideas of how to destroy him.”
“You’re a Mystic?” Tyler spoke up, his voice holding traces of awe. “So am I. What kind of Power did you wield after your ascension?”
A wry smile touched Pogue’s lips. “The extremely powerful kind. I communed with spirits and could guide them, control them, even. As you can imagine, most did not abide being around me except for my family and brothers with The Power. You may find as you grow up after ascending, you’ll involuntarily repel the more normal individuals around you. It is just a part of you. Those whom love you dearly will always be close.”
Tyler took this revelation into his future to heart, grateful for it. He’d never spoken with another Mystic before- obviously- and he knew this was a rare gift…he should take advantage of it without getting pushy.
“In fact,” Stephen continued, his arms crossing over his chest, “I do believe that a Mystic is the best means in ensnaring Stoughton and defeating him.”
“Really? Tyler’s the key?” Reid inquired, looking over at his friend. “Earlier he wanted to take it all on himself since his ancestor, Albius, was the initial target. Stupid idea, we told him, we’re in this together.”
“Albius had no family at that point in time, therefore Stoughton could not get to him through emotional means. The rest of us were too cautious to fall into his trap, we just did not believe he would target would be our loved ones. We learned the hard way,” Stephen acknowledged in a sad voice, before clearing it and standing taller than before.
“I can work with you- to show you how to trap him. However, the Power use will be completely yours. Since my descendant whose body I inhabit presently is most obviously not a Mystic, I cannot use my own Powers to demonstrate things to you.”
“However,” Thomas spoke up, “it seems as though Caleb is a Wielder, as I was myself. I will help you fight.”
“No offense, Thomas, but I think that Caleb wants to take out Stoughton personally. He’s a little pissed at the prospect of his last parent dying because of that asshole,” Reid informed the spirit. “Just some food for thought.”
Thomas looked a little confused by what Reid said until Tyler deciphered it for him. He then nodded.
“If you do not require my aid, that is fine. However, the price for what Caleb has done will have consequences, even though we cannot define what those consequences are. I would imagine you would want all of the help that you can get. Especially considering the pain that runs the gamut inside this body. It’s vast.”
The sacrifice that was mentioned earlier. Amelia finally felt the urge to speak, having been silently contemplating everything the last ten minutes as the males discussed plans.
“Can you give us a hint? Anything?”
“I am afraid not.”
Amelia chewed on her lower lip a moment before remembering a subject that was never discussed from earlier.
“What a minute, you said the Summoning was created to be used only once, despite the fact many generations have tried it and failed.”
“It failed because it was not the right time. Matters such as this are not recorded in our histories because some things cannot be told…they must be painfully learned,” Stephen informed them, sounding less than pleased at the fact of his words.
“It’s too bad Caleb’s dad wasn’t let in on that little secret…it would have saved his family a whole lotta heartache,” Reid grumbled, bitter towards the secrets their ancestors felt must be kept.
“Okay, but…this time it worked, you’re here.” Amelia paused, looking from one to the other. “This was the time it was meant to be used, isn’t it?”
Both Thomas and Stephen nodded as they confirmed what Amelia silently hoped for. This was a *good* thing! If they had their help, they had a better chance- if not a perfect chance- of defeating Stoughton. The reign of terror would end…it would all be over! That notion lifted her heart up into her throat.
“If that’s the case,” Tyler noted from beside her, “then I’m damn glad Caleb summoned you…sacrifice aside.”
Reid raised his hand into the air. “That reminds me, you never did answer my question when I asked you how long you were here for.”
“We do not have long. The bodies rebel against the intrusion, despite the fact we were Summoned. As the generation gap between yours and ours demonstrates, we are old, ancient spirits that do not grow more powerful with age. That only happened in life. We will aid you with this and depart, returning to our resting places with our loved ones and remaining there in peace for the duration of eternity.”
“That’s a long time,” Reid agreed, nodding.
“Then…maybe we should get started…?” Tyler suggested hesitantly, looking at Stephen.
Stephen nodded, approaching the boy. “Our work will be done down here. The rest of you must depart. We will rejoin you as soon as possible.”
Tyler gave Amelia’s hand a quick, reassuring squeeze, but she still looked at Stephen with a shade of doubt in her eyes.
“This won’t endanger Tyler?”
“Not at all. True, he has not yet ascended, but it is that fact alone that makes it necessary for myself to further what potential he has. He cannot stop Stoughton without this knowledge. Fear not, young one…he will be perfectly safe.”
Nodding in agreement, Amelia let Reid guide her towards the stairs, Thomas following them. They silently climbed the narrow steps towards the main part of the house, expectancy growing within both the blond teens. The battle with Stoughton was approaching quicker than originally anticipated, especially with the arrivals of aid in the forms of spirits of Covenant ancestors. However, it was help they didn’t have before, and Amelia felt relieved to know they’d have some backup.
“Do you think Caleb is capable of hurting someone he loves if he hurts enough?”
The out-of-the-blue question caught Reid by surprise, but it was Thomas who answered as they walked on the squeaky floorboards of the old dining area.
“I believe a person is capable of anything if their soul and spirit is tortured enough. We must simply hold on to those around us so that we do not lose ourselves completely to the pain.”
“That was…poetic,” remarked the teenage boy as he went over to the window and stared out of the dull panes of glass that separated them from the autumn chill. “I never knew you guys could get so profound. But then again, you did come from England, didn’t you?”
Offering the boy a tight-lipped smile, Thomas simply shrugged, his eyes surveying the walls around him. He walked about with slow movements, his expression dazed as if he was in a dream.
Amelia heard his footsteps move throughout the first floor as he disappeared from sight, obviously checking out his surroundings.
Amelia moved over to Reid, her voice faint. “Reid…do you think this will work?”
Reid looked over at her, a grim smile touching his own lips. “It kind of has to. This is the last resort for us, Princess…the last stop. Once we engage Stoughton…there’s no pulling back or taking a time out. This is it. Hopefully the only finality we’ll have to deal with will be the fact that we’ve finally kicked his uptight ass off of this Earth and straight into Hell, but we obviously have no way of knowing for sure.”
He paused, his brow quirking a bit as a more teasing smile spread across his face. “You sure you can’t try for a vision? Go for a clue, ask Anna, anything?”
“I’m afraid not,” she shook her head, knowing full well that no one was more disappointed in that fact than she was. “I can’t force insight, it just…comes. Right now, I don’t feel or sense anything. It’s a clear slate. I’m sorry, I feel like I’m letting everyone down.”
“You’re too hard on yourself. By just being here, you’re giving us all of the courage we need.” Reid turned his body towards her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her securely against his chest with his embrace. He rested his chin on the top of her head, expelling a long breath. “We’ll all protect you with our last breaths.”
“You’re insinuating none of you will survive this,” she mumbled against the thick denim of his jacket. “Stop that.”
“You heard what Thomas and Stephen said. There’s going to be sacrifices, we just don’t know what. Isn’t it best to be prepared for anything?”
“Not if that means I lose all of you.”
He smiled, kissing her head as Thomas walked into the room behind Amelia, watching the two with nonjudgmental eyes. He simply stood there, as if giving them their time together and not letting his presence interfere.
“Even if you do…you still have us with you. All four of us…right inside of you. As long as you and the babies survive, so do we.”
“*Stop* talking like that,” she implored tearfully, pulling back enough to look up at him with distraught eyes. “Please. If you do nothing else, just don’t talk like this is the end. I’m not losing any of you…end of story, that’s it…that’s final.”
He touched her chin as a chuckle escaped his lips. “And they call me stubborn.” He leveled his eyes with hers, his face only far enough away from hers to make out her facial features without going cross-eyed. It was important that she saw what was inside of his eyes. She read him better than anyone else, even Tyler.
“Duly noted. I’ll pass the word to Ty and the others if we talk to them again before this all goes down. Amelia…if this is the last time we have together before the fight, I want to make sure you know how I feel about you.”
“Reid…” she began, before he shook his head, putting his fingers briefly over her lips to gesture for her to be silent.
“Ssh, just listen, okay, because as anyone will tell you, this part of me is so beyond the norm it borders on ‘The Twilight Zone’. I don’t think…” he paused, struggling internally on how to convey his emotions into words. He felt very much the same way she must have that day she had to actually *show* him how she felt for him and the others. Reid understood why it was so difficult. How do you describe how much a person meant to you? Tyler, Pogue, Caleb, they had been together and been friends for so long, they didn’t need to have heart-to-hearts to explain anything. Each of the guys simply knew how close the bond of brotherhood was amongst the foursome…it didn’t require analyzing or explanation. But Amelia…he needed to *tell* her.
“I don’t think I ever really…felt alive until I met you. Yeah, cliché, I know, but it’s the God’s honest truth. When I first saw you on that beach, my heart started racing like a runaway machine…and I don’t think it’s stopped racing since. Clarity, meaning, warmth…I feel all of it when I’m with you, or hell, even when I just *think* about you. I don’t need sex to feel it, it’s always there. I must admit though, when you touch me or kiss me, or throw me one of those infectious smiles, I’m as good as a dead man, because that’s when I’m completely vulnerable…and you know how much I hate that feeling.”
Amelia could only smile faintly through her tears, which now trickled down her skin as the flesh of her cheeks burned with emotion. She didn’t bother to wipe them away, unable to look away from Reid’s gorgeous blue eyes for even a second. This moment was special, she could feel it.
“So…if this is indeed the last fight, then it’s all good, Princess…because having had you in my life, if only for a matter of days, made my whole existence worth it.”
She let out a sob, crushing herself against him as she cried against his chest. He reminded her unintentionally how scared she was of all of this. She knew she probably wouldn’t be able to fight, so it would be her standing by helplessly, watching her knights in modern armor fighting a fight the likes of which they had never before encountered. They were too young; they were all too young to have to go through this. Amelia just wanted them to be normal teenagers, carefree and living normal lives where this was nothing more than just a bad dream. However, that would never be the case. They were anything but normal, and this was a nightmare…the kind they had to face and not run from, because it would only follow them and slaughter them in their sleep.
------------------------------
Tyler let out a tired gasp, slowly standing as he ran a damp arm across his equally damp forehead.
“What now…?”
Stephen simply looked at him from where he stood, leaning against the wall of the Sanctum with his arms crossed over his chest. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Tyler looked as confused as he felt. He still felt the air buzzing with the remnants of his Power, not to mention the half a dozen spirits that lingered nearby. Working with Stephen during that time to expand his abilities as a Mystic had drawn in paranormal attention. Lost souls surrounded him, as if heralding a call and waiting for direction.
“Nothing. That is all I can show you. Once you ascend, your Powers will be this intensity magnified by ten, I promise you. But…you must be careful. You realize that using your Powers can be the death of you.”
“Yes, I know that,” Tyler nodded, taking that opportunity to fall down onto his seat at one of the points of the pentagram. “What about them?”
Stephen’s eyes surveyed the room, lingering on the location of each of the spirits that remained. “They will disappear with time. I think you are ready.”
“How long have we been doing this? I’m exhausted.”
Stephen pushed himself away from the stone wall with his foot, going over to Tyler and kneeling down. Pogue’s eyes flashed black before he reached out and took Tyler’s head in his hands.
Before Tyler could even inquire as to what the spirit was doing, he felt a rush of energy envelop and fill him. His heart skipped a beat and then resumed to its normal pace as all of the fatigue Tyler had felt within him immediately slip away.
Pogue’s hands lowered as his eyes bored into Tyler’s. “Dusk approaches. It is almost time.”
The boy just nodded, moving to stand the same instant Pogue did. “Are you…leaving now, or staying for the battle?”
The spirit gave him a half smile. “There is nothing more I can teach you, or do to help you. Thomas will aid you further, my time has drawn to a close.”
Tyler opened his mouth to speak as Stephen moved a few paces away from him, before turning to look at the new generation of his legacy.
“You should go speak to your loved one, she is waiting for you. God’s speed on your trial. You honor your ancestors for your bravery and actions thus far, as well as the other bloodlines. Remember what I told you, for it’s the key to Stoughton’s undoing. There is no other way.” He spoke the last statement void of any uncertainty or illusion. “Do what must be done.”
“Thank you,” Tyler told him, his stomach in knots at the reminder of what he would have to do to trap the malevolent spirit. However, he knew better than to argue with him. He trusted the spirit, he felt a kinship with him, even though he wasn’t of the Sims lineage. “I’ll remember. Rest in peace.”
Stephen nodded, raising his hand in a salute before the foreign look in Pogue’s eyes vanished, leaving a dazed expression on the teen’s face.
Tyler moved quickly towards him, grabbing Pogue before he fell to the floor. Pogue gripped his arm, getting his legs underneath him and regaining his balance.
“What in the…?”
“Welcome back,” Tyler greeted him, making sure he was steady on his feet before slowly letting him go. “How do you feel?”
“Kinda disoriented…what’s going on?” Pogue’s eyes widened as he realized where he was, turning in a circle and anxiously searching for the others.
“Where’s Caleb? Amelia…?”
“Upstairs…well, kinda. You’ve missed out on a lot, buddy.”
Pogue’s eyes narrowed on his close friend as he scrutinized him. “Like what?”
Tyler’s expression was all business as he replied, “Like we’re going after Stoughton…tonight.”
------------------------
Amelia sat in front of the fireplace, which crackled with flames for warmth, courtesy of Reid. She was alone in the room, Thomas and Reid somewhere else in the house to discuss matters of combat.
She was glad for the time alone to reflect and contemplate. Her hands rested lightly on her stomach, picking up on every movement and twinge for the last hour as she just stared into the gentle blaze.
The sky was starting to lose its light, the temperature in the house reflecting the fact that the weather outside had turned colder. She despised the early evenings that plagued Massachusetts this time of year. It made the nights, where were more often too long and frightening for her, all the more unbearable. She wished the sun could be in the sky when the boys headed out to meet Stoughton, but she understood why less light was a benefit for them. On the other hand, it was a benefit for their enemy, too. So it would put them on equal ground, if nothing else.
Amelia wished she could talk to Caleb before they leapt into this fray. The thought of going into all of this without clearing the air between them made her heart tighten. It left things in such a gray area. Perhaps that was for the best, for now. After all, they *would* win…they had to…
“Amelia?”
She looked up from the fire to see Tyler walking into the room. She moved to get up, but he motioned for her to stay put, coming over and sitting down in a chair next to her, his eyes resting on the flames as hers had been previously.
“You’re not ready for this, are you?”
“No,” she agreed with a whisper, her hand reaching out and finding his. “Never when it has to do with danger like this. I want to wish us into a world where Stoughton didn’t exist.”
“Yeah…that’s one reality we can’t bend to our will, though, Amelia…however much we might want to.” Tyler laced his fingers with hers, tightening their grip.
“How are they?”
“How are who?”
He looked down at where one of her hands still covered her stomach. She followed his gaze and noticed how in the position she was sitting in, it was obvious she was pregnant. It looked as if her stomach had grown even *more* since earlier that morning. Good grief!
“Growing…quickly. They’re accelerating, hopefully they don’t plan on arriving later tonight.”
He gave her a boyish, lopsided smile that melted her heart. She sat up and leaned over towards him, reaching up and touching his face. Tyler’s eyes closed at the feeling of her soft fingers against his cheek, the sensation of her touch sending him back into time with her to when they were even closer.
“I love you, Tyler.”
Tyler opened his eyes and looked at her with reverence written all over his face. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her in a sweet, chaste kiss that conveyed his emotions for her better than any impassioned liplock could at the time.
“Hearing you say that will sustain me through death and beyond.”
She let out a frustrated sigh. “I wish you guys would stop talking about death like it’s going to come knocking tonight.”
Tyler blinked, an emotion crossing his face at her words that she couldn’t pick up on. Her brows knitted together as a look of concern filled her features. She pulled back slightly, letting her hand drop.
“What is it?”
“Amelia…I learned something from Stephen during my lightning lessons with him. I…Someone…” He had so much trouble getting out the words, knowing that he needed to warn her.
“Just take it slowly. Tell me, Tyler. What did you learn?”
Tyler’s eyes rested on her belly, where he could have sworn he saw her shirt shift. Blinking, he looked back at her. “They’re moving?”
“Yes…kicking up a storm, actually, but don’t distract me, Tyler, tell me what you were going to say.”
He realized then that he couldn’t. He couldn’t risk her health or the babies by giving her information ahead of time that might throw her into a blind panic for his well-being. It would be far more simpler to spend some time with her before it was time to set out…to not send her into hysterics.
“I love you more than my own life, Amelia. Taking you to the Masquerade, seeing you in that dress, kissing you, meditating with you,” he paused, letting out a short laugh, “if you could call it that. All of it has meant everything to me. It’s been an honor to be by your side, hold you in my arms, and create our daughter with you. I wouldn’t trade it for the world- even if it means those old nightmares come true and I go through death dozens of times by fire, drowning, pressing, or worse.”
Amelia looked up at the ceiling as fresh tears filled her eyes at his words. So he was saying his last words to her, too. It was more than she could bare.
“Tyler…please don’t. Just tell me it will all be over soon and everything will go back to normal. That’s all I want.”
Tyler kissed her soundly on the lips then, reveling in the taste of her as she returned it with as much emotion as he was giving. A few moments later, when his lips left hers, he whispered to her, “It will all be over after tonight…I can promise you that.”
Amelia just began to sob softly, letting Tyler pull her into his lap and hold her close as she curled up, savoring the minute amount of time with him as much as she could before it was too late.
Tyler stared at the fire with forlorn eyes as his arms kept her gently against him. The weight of her body against his fueled his resolve more than his hormones.
This all had to end for her sake, for the sake of their heirs. She had to have peace, they all did…they deserved that much.
And Tyler hadn’t the heart to tell her that the only way that could happen would be for him to sacrifice his own life for those of his loved ones.
It was the *only* way.
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