Pogue was getting his time with Amelia before they headed out. They were as ready as they were going to get. Caleb aside, they’d all said their goodbyes in their own ways to Amelia, to their children. However, only one of the males in the house adamantly believed that he’d come back to the girl that made their Covenant whole.
The other two were prepared for the worst, to be a part of the sacrifice. They both knew it would be worth it, even if it meant they’d never see their child grow up and help teach them about their beautiful- and easily abused- gift.
“At least one of us has to survive…for Amelia,” Tyler mentioned as he watched the branches of the bare oak tree out front sway lightly with the light wind that cascaded the evening sky. “She’s right about one thing, she can’t do this alone. Four children with no fathers for them? It wouldn’t be fair.”
“I actually agree with you.” Reid looked past Tyler towards where Pogue stood holding Amelia tightly, the older boy’s face laced with pain.
“My bet is going to be it will be Pogue or Caleb…and I say Caleb because Thomas will be helping us fight. Besides, he’s suffered enough losing his parents, he needs some happiness…Amelia and his son will give him that. As for Pogue, well…he embodies Amelia’s happiness, as much as I despise admitting it. The guy proposed to her, she’s going to expect him to survive and marry her. With his daughter being the powerful heir, Amelia will need him around to help rein her in, I think,” Reid noted, a faint smirk appearing on his lips.
Tyler looked over to his best friend of fourteen years. He noticed that Reid didn’t include himself in the list of those that would most likely return to Amelia.
“What about you, Reid? What of your outcome?”
Reid just shrugged, his expression not betraying the solemn reality he felt at the situation. “You know me…I’m reckless, I leap into the fray before the rest of you. Odds are, I’ll be the first to go down by just being there. I’m a walking offense to some people.”
Tyler put a hand on his friend’s shoulder, giving him a light shake. “That’s true enough, but you’re going to live, too. I want your word that you aren’t going to do anything stupid out there.”
Reid chuckled at this, shaking his head. “Remember who you’re talking to, Sims. Most of my life, all I’ve done is stupid shit. It’s genetically programmed, I think, from my father’s side. Gee, I’m sure sorry he’s missing this.”
“No you’re not.”
“No I’m not…I just wish it was him going out there instead of me.”
Tyler went silent a moment, a grim look befalling his face. Reid noticed it immediately, a frown crossing his own.
“What? I hate that look.”
“What I’m going to say to you stays between us. I’m telling you this because you’re my best friend, and I know you’re going to make sure this goes off without a hitch.”
Reid didn’t like the sounds of that at *all*. He tensed, giving Tyler his full attention. “Spill it.”
He took a deep breath before telling him what he planned to do, keeping his voice low so that they couldn’t be overheard by Pogue and Amelia. As he spoke, Reid’s eyes got darker and angrier. When Tyler was through talking, Reid punched him in the shoulder…*hard*.
“Ow!” Tyler hissed, his hand going to his throbbing shoulder. Reid always could pack a punch. “What was that for?”
“Your stupidity, Sims! We talked about this as soon as we knew that Stoughton was back. You’re not going to be the sacrificial lamb here, you have too much to live for, too many who love you. Don’t be a friggin’ idiot! If you think I’m going to let you do this, you’re insane and dumber than I always thought you weren’t.”
Tyler took a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure they hadn’t attracted the couple’s attention before giving Reid a severe look. “Garwin, I make my own choices.”
“Yeah, and they’re asinine, for the record.”
He ground his teeth in frustration. He should have known better than to warn his best friend of his intentions out on the battlefield. Maybe he just wanted to be able to have some time with Reid to address the finality of all of this. Maybe he wanted to be able to say goodbye to the boy he had grown up with, the one he wrestled countless times on the Sims’ dining room floor, breaking more than one plate of priceless china Tyler’s mother had adored. The guy who he had learned about the female gender with; the one that was around the whole time Tyler thought himself too wimpy and self-conscious to stand up for anything. Reid had broken him of that really quickly. By the time Tyler had turned fourteen, while he still cared somewhat for what people thought of him, he also learned to toss his vulnerabilities over his shoulder so that it at least *looked* like nothing bothered him. The only ones able to penetrate the somewhat thin shell that surrounded his ego..?
His best friends. Reid, Caleb, Pogue…and now Amelia. Hell, he couldn’t even don his armor with her around. She knew how to slip through his cracks without even meaning to or trying.
“It’s what has to be done. Stephen taught me what I’d have to do to confine Stoughton so that he can be blasted to kingdom come. To do that, you need my body.”
Reid snorted at this. “Pray, tell me how it is that we need *your* body?”
“We can’t fight him as he is now. He can disappear and reappear anywhere, we probably couldn’t even hit him. He’s a friggin’ spirit, Reid,” Tyler reminded him, his irritation audible in his voice.
“I know that!”
“So I have to trap him inside of a body. Then he can’t go anywhere. Once I have him sealed into a body, it won’t be a permanent trap. I won’t be able to keep him there for too long because I haven’t ascended. I’m working with what I’ve got. It will be easier to draw him into me. Then, once that happens, you’ll need to kill him…while he’s in a vulnerable place.”
“Meaning your body?” Reid hissed, his eyes flashing with indignation. “You want us to kill *you*?! Dream on- not going to happen!”
“Would you stop being so stubborn for once and do what’s right? Do what needs to be done?” Tyler’s eyes shone with sincere desperation. “I’m at peace with this, I’ve made my choice. I need you. I need you because if Pogue knows what’s going on, he’ll try and stop me, too.”
“Maybe I can hold down your arms and he can get your legs. This is ridiculous! Let’s just find Aaron Abbot and use him. All problems solved.”
Severe disapproval crossed the younger boy’s face. “That’s not an option and you know it. Whether or not we like Aaron, he’s an innocent in all of this.”
“Innocent like the freshly pissed on snow. I still vote using him for fodder.” Reid turned away from Tyler, looking back out the window with his jaw set and his eyes steely. He wasn’t going to let his friend do this.
Tyler let out a weary sigh. “This is our fight. There will be a sacrifice, and instead of it being a big surprise out there, I want to come to grips with it now. I want to tell my best friend how much of a pain in my ass he’s been the last decade, and how I wouldn’t change that for the world. And I need you all to take care of Amelia and my daughter. Could you please do that for me?”
Reid’s eyes closed as pain hit him. Damn his friend for his self-sacrifice. Tyler was one of the best people he knew, he didn’t deserve to die this way. If anything, he himself should be the target. He had aggravated too many people in his lifetime, tolerated only by a handful, and had already laughed in the face of death too many times. *He* didn’t have the family Tyler did, or the future Tyler did. He wasn’t a bleeding heart like Tyler. The only thing they had in common were they were a part of a Covenant that had a bond as close as blood, and they held love towards the same girl, not to mention she carried both their babies inside of her.
If anyone should be the sacrifice, it should be him. He had no idea how to thwart Tyler’s plan so that Stoughton would possess him instead, but he’d figure it out.
He’d have to. He couldn’t let his best friend die.
“All right, Tyler…you win.”
Tyler’s face was dubious as he stared at his friend. He found himself holding his breath until Reid finished.
“I’ll make sure and help you do what’s right. Just don’t expect me to like it.”
The air Tyler had been holding in his lungs was expelled with a quick gust as he hugged his friend, who was tense in his embrace.
“Thank you, Reid.”
Reid could barely smile as he returned the brotherly embrace. “You’re just really going to owe me on this one, Sims.”
-------------------------
“This is impossible.”
Pogue’s eyes met Amelia’s at that statement. She was looking at him sadly, but evenly, her blue eyes much brighter through the moisture built up in them. It pained him to see her that way, this upset, yet trying to be so strong.
He ran a thumb over her lips, only to have her hand cover his and move it to the side of her face. She rubbed her cheek against his palm, her eyes closing at the sensation of his skin against her skin. It seemed to give her a bittersweet comfort. This wasn’t fair.
“What’s impossible?” he asked her softly, his free hand holding her body against his firmly, yet gently. He needed the closeness with her at that point. It could very well be the last time.
“Saying goodbye to you. I know that’s what I’m supposed to be doing here, saying goodbye. Tyler and Reid have already told me in not such a veiled way that they may not come back. I can’t say goodbye to Caleb, because his ancestor is currently running his body and mind. So that leaves you…and you, Pogue, are impossible to say goodbye to.”
Pogue leaned forward and kissed the area right below her left eye where a tear had begun to trickle down her skin. The saltiness of it was almost as bitter as this whole situation.
“For the record,” he whispered, clearing his throat softly, “I have no intention of saying goodbye to you. I know about the sacrifice, including how pissed off I am that what exactly it is is so obscure. Damn fate for being a secretive son-of-a-bitch, huh?”
“Stop that,” she replied, looking up into his green eyes. “The last thing we want to do is insult the Fates. Even Anna is extra careful with how she addresses them.” God, his eyes…they were *so* beautiful. She’d never be able to go without seeing them again…
“True. It does seem like she answers to them, doesn’t it? I don’t know if that worries me more or scares me more, to be honest.” He paused, bringing his mind back to the girl in front of him.
“I want you to stay here. You’ll be a prime target if Stoughton sees you, so just stay put, and we’ll be back.”
Amelia stared at him incredulously. “You think I’m just going to sit here biting my nails and just *hope* you all come back? There’s no way, I’m going with you.”
“This is no time to be stubborn, sweetheart. I’m serious.” Pogue gestured to the nearby window, to where the sun was setting on the horizon, casting a dim shadow over the fields that outlined the Danvers’ land. “That is going to become a battlefield very shortly, and you don’t belong out there. As soon as he sees you, he’ll know Kate didn’t succeed in killing the babies…and he’ll strike you down within moments. To be honest, baby, that won’t exactly encourage us to fight our most level-headed. While we don’t know what the sacrifice is, I’m pretty sure it isn’t all of us roasted and toasted on the ground with Stoughton winning just because our one weakness got the better of us.”
Amelia stared out the window, watching the shadows and wondering if Stoughton was already hiding in one of them. What Pogue said made perfect, rational sense. The boys were expecting her to stay out of harm’s way so that they could focus their energy and anger on the bastard himself. She would be a target…and as good as dead.
But how could she stay away, not knowing what was happening to the rest of the Covenant? She would go crazy.
“Mommy…”
Her heart jolted at the unexpected voice. “Anna?”
Pogue blinked, his hands moving to Amelia’s shoulders. “Anna?”
Amelia simply nodded, focusing on the wall to her right as her daughter’s voice filled her mind.
“You have to stay…everything is already laid out…don’t worry…I’ll be able to tell you…”
“Tell me what?” Amelia whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer.
“When it’s time to go say goodbye.”
Her heart stopped mid-beat. She couldn’t have heard her daughter right. Goodbye…when it was time to say goodbye…
“Goodbye…?”
“Shh, Mommy…it’s going to be okay. I’ll be with you, we’re all with you. I promise it will all be okay.”
Pogue’s eyes searched Amelia’s face, which had gone from blank to a stunned expression. This couldn’t be good.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s okay, I promise. Give Daddy a hug for me. I’ll be back very soon.”
With that, Anna’s voice faded away, leaving Amelia with a muted mind. However, the little girl’s words still haunted her.
‘Time to go say goodbye…’
“Amelia.”
She blinked, finally moving her eyes back to Pogue’s anxious face. She reached up and touched his jaw lightly before falling against him, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she could.
Her fierce embrace was returned with strong arms enfolding her. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of Pogue through his t-shirt. She clung to him, afraid to let go…she was afraid to let any of them go.
“Anna wanted me to give you a hug,” she mumbled against his chest, which made Pogue chuckle against her hair.
“How is she?”
“She said she was going to wait with me…that it was all going to be okay…”
She faltered, ready to tell Pogue about the one thing their daughter said that scared her above all else. The possibility of having to say goodbye to one of the boys that meant more to her than anything in that world. They were all in it together- the five of them- she couldn’t imagine a world minus one or two. The four young men that had given her the little lives that were steadily growing within her couldn’t abandon her, or each other. God couldn’t be that cruel.
“It will be okay. Believe in Anna and believe in us. We’ll get it all taken care of tonight.”
“You sound like Tyler.” She sniffled, pulling back to look at him with sorrowful eyes. “Pogue, promise me something.”
“Name it.”
“Besides coming back to me…bring them, too…safe and sound. I need all of you.”
He gave her a lopsided smile as he touched the tip of her nose with his forefinger. “They’re like my brothers…no one falls behind, Amelia. I promise.”
Amelia wished she could believe his promise…but a nagging, sick feeling in the pit of her stomach made her fear the worst.
“I love you,” she managed to get out, almost choking on the words as rising sentiment clenched at her throat.
He brought her body closer to his, lowering his head to kiss her lovingly. Pogue took the kiss very seriously, making sure to give it his all. He kissed her like it was the last chance he’d ever have. Just like in those old, sappy movies. They sucked, reality bit worse.
Neither of them wanted to be the first to break lip contact, but a familiar voice severed the moment with bleak words.
“It is time. If we delay much longer, he will have the advantage.”
Amelia’s heels touched the floor and her eyes opened, never looking away from her lover’s face. Pogue glanced over towards where Thomas still inhabited Caleb’s body a few yards away. He just nodded in response, his expression back to business. It was better to get all of this over with, it was long enough in coming.
“Round up the troops,” Pogue told Thomas, before looking back down at the face of what he could only describe as an angel. Flaxen, soft blonde hair, bright blue eyes, porcelain skin, a heaven-sent smile…it was a face he would remember should he never see her in the flesh again. A face every man should see before he headed off into battle. For that, he and his friends were blessed.
He gripped her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it. As he stroked his thumb across the back of her knuckles, pain clenched at his own heart. Dying would be hard, but leaving her was impossible.
Amelia didn’t break eye contact with Pogue until she heard the sound of footsteps and the rustle of clothing behind her. She didn’t need to turn around to know what was going on. Pogue’s face as he looked over her shoulder said it all. It was time.
“We ready?” Reid inquired in a mild tone, sounding anything but, himself.
“As ready as I think we’re ever going to be. Let’s go find some retribution and kick some spirit ass. No offense, Thomas,” Pogue added, glancing over at where he stood by the front door, a once again blank look on his face.
“None taken, I assure you.”
Tyler looked at Amelia just a second before reaching out, turning her around to face him and clutching her to him just one last time. His heart leapt as her arms tightened around him, the feeling of her silky hair against his cheek sending a shudder throughout his body.
He closed his eyes tightly, hesitating only a second before whispering a name in her ear that only she could hear. “Rebecca.”
Amelia didn’t even have to ask about the name. She knew exactly what he meant. She nodded against his shoulder, letting out a shaky breath as his grip tightened on her for a second before he let her go completely, looking at her with those warming, bluish-gray eyes. Amelia never truly *looked* at his eyes with this much appreciation before. They were two shades duller than Reid’s, but no less beautiful.
“I’ll remember,” she whispered, “but keep that with you too, reminding you why you need to come back in one piece.”
A faint smile brought the corner of his lips up before he let his arms drop away from her. Reid wasted no time in stepping forward, brushing some hair out of her face. His eyes seemed to intricately inspect every pore of her face, fastening it to memory even more vividly than it was before.
“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure your fiancée comes back to you.”
A sad smile touched her lips at that statement. Reid should know better than to think Pogue was the only one whose life she feared for.
“You *all* come back to me. These children aren’t going to raise themselves.”
He chuckled, bending down slightly and wrapping his arms around her waist carefully, hoisting her into the air so that her feet were about a foot off of the ground. She let out a surprised gasp, but he held her securely against him.
“Reid, what are you doing? Put her down,” Pogue asked the teen.
“Nah, I’m hoisting her up onto her pedestal, where she will always be perched for me.”
Amelia had to let out a small laugh at that, gripping at Reid’s shoulder for stability. “First, Princess, now I’m up on a pedestal. You guys have serious worship issues.”
“True, we’re blasphemers for idolizing a false God, but at this point in time, I really don’t think it matters. Whatever sins we’ve committed, tonight will be the deciding factor in our judgment, don’t you think?”
That spoken thought sent chills down her back. The thought of any of them being struck down by God because of their actions was *no* joking matter.
“That’s not funny, Reid,” Tyler replied in a low tone, beating Amelia to the statement.
“I’m not laughing, am I? All I’m saying is if we’re going out there to meet our maker tonight, there’s no better time to get it all out on the table. Wouldn’t that make Stoughton’s day? Us getting fried by who he claims is his boss? The asshole’s ego is already the size of the Grand Canyon.”
He gently set Amelia back down on her feet, his eyes locking on hers, which were filled with shock and dismay. “Relax, Princess,” he told her in a softer- more subdued- tone, “I’m going to be out there praying my butt off, okay? Do the same for all of us, but safe in here.”
She managed to nod, relaxing slowly as he bent down and kissed her cheek, knowing better than to give her a full-on kiss on the lips with her fiancée right behind her. Pogue already looked perturbed at him, he didn’t want to add fuel to the fire.
“We’re losing what’s left of the daylight,” Tyler reminded them, his eyes glancing nervously out the window.
“Wait,” Amelia said, “I want to give you something before you go.”
Reid opened his mouth to insert a smart-ass comment, but closed it quickly. It wasn’t the time. This was serious. This was life and death.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, letting her Power rise and fill her from finger to toe. Its positive energy sparked and crackled inside of her. She opened her eyes slowly and turned towards Pogue. He was looking at her quizzically as she reached out and touched his face and hand, letting her Power seep out of her and into his body.
He jerked slightly as he felt overwhelming faith and courage enter him. It felt foreign at first, but accustomed itself to his body rather quickly as it melded with his mind and body. It lifted his hopes and his strength- it gave him more to fight for than he even had before.
Amelia pulled back from Pogue and turned to Reid, touching him likewise on the cheek and hand. Her Powers fueled him and his ego, making him feel ready to go and wily for a fight. She was starting to feel weaker as she moved to Tyler, who tried to push her away initially.
Reid held him in place, his own eyes black from receiving her Power. “Take it, dude, it feels like the world’s best high.”
Tyler opened his mouth to respond to that, but his words were cut off before they even began when her Power filled him to capacity, charging his bravery and his momentum. He felt *so* ready to go out that door and face whatever Stoughton had, and the possibility of all of them surviving seemed to obtainable to him now. They’d live through this, they had to!
Amelia let her arms drop to her sides, her breathing shaky as she let her eyes rest on where Thomas was standing near the door. He briefly shook his head, giving her the response she was looking for. He didn’t need a courage booster, he had no use for it as a spirit. Once Stoughton was defeated, he would leave the material plane and return to his resting place with his family and friends. Simple as that.
Pogue wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing the top of her head. The air still buzzed with electricity from her ‘gift’, the boys’ eyes all dark and brimming with energy. She rested against him just a moment before he released her and headed towards the door, Tyler and Reid following him. They didn’t look back before Thomas closed the door behind them, leaving Amelia to the house and her daughter for company and faith.
As they started out towards the flattest, barest piece of field on the Danvers’ property, Pogue glanced back at the house. He thought he saw Amelia’s face in the window, watching them, but he couldn’t be sure.
“Don’t look back, dude…it will make it impossible to keep moving forward,” Reid kindly suggested, throwing Pogue a quick look.
“How do we know Stoughton won’t take this opportunity to attack Amelia?” he asked, the question he hadn’t thought of before popping into his mind. It was enough to make him turn around and go back to her despite the repercussions.
“He knows I’m here,” Thomas mentioned from where he walked at Tyler’s left side. “He’ll wish to fight us head on, to confront me again. If he feels like he is losing, he will attempt to take her, which is why you must capture and hold him as quickly as you can.” He glanced over at Tyler with a meaningful look in his eye, which the younger boy picked up on immediately.
“I plan to. The guy’s toast.”
“I plan on coming back in one piece and marrying that girl,” Pogue added, his eyes alert as he scanned the horizon for any sign of the spirit.
“You bet your ass you are,” Reid snorted. “If you don’t, we’ll never hear the end of it and then we’ll just end up fighting over her all over again. Let’s avoid that.”
“So, Tyler, I take it you learned some useful tricks when it comes to dealing with Stoughton?” Pogue inquired, his muscles still taut and tense, ready for action.
“Yeah,” Tyler replied vaguely. “If everything goes off like it should, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
His words were accentuated with a thundering crash overhead, the sky immediately growing pitch black and the air around them thickening with intensity. It sent foreboding shivers down Reid’s spine as he recognized Stoughton’s calling card.
“Then again…we’d be idiots to expect no problems.” Reid’s eyes went blacker than even the malevolent sky as he brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles. “Let’s give this fucker what he’s been asking for.”
“He sure as hell didn’t waste any time,” Tyler mumbled, tempted to turn and look back at the house for one possible, last look at Amelia, but managing to remain resolute, facing the open field that was already invaded by Stoughton’s presence. He had to keep his courage, that last gift from her. He knew what he had to do, he just had to make sure and stick to…
Something large and powerful hit the ground directly in front of the teens, sending them flying backwards several yards before they hit the hard, barely grass-covered ground on their backs. It knocked the air out of each of them, but Thomas was the first to recover and get to his feet, already heading back out towards the center of the field.
“William Stoughton, you coward! Are you too afraid to face us man to man?!”
“Oh, great, he’s goading him. That never ends well,” Reid mumbled, scrambling to his feet and breathing hard, his lungs burning. He moved to help Pogue and Tyler up, but the two boys were already rising, their eyes equally dark with their expressions to match. The boys looked at each other before breaking out into a run, heading towards Thomas to back him up.
“Remember, I get my turn!” Pogue shouted at his friends, the raised level of his voice the only way they could make out his words.
“You got it!” Tyler yelled back, stopping a few feet from Thomas’ side and starting draw and pull from his Powers, to prepare for drawing Stoughton in. However, he couldn’t do that until Stoughton took human form before them. They had to achieve that for what Stephen taught him to even work. If it didn’t…he had no idea what they’d do. It’d be a knockdown, blow-out war with the ending anyone’s guess.
A sharp bolt of lightning shot from the sky downwards. Pogue and Thomas both leapt out of the way at the last possible second, the earth between where they stood now smoldering and charred. It was followed by two more; one aimed at Reid and the other at Tyler. Tyler twisted out of the way, but not quickly enough he didn’t feel the heat searing his face at the close proximity. He hissed at pain shot throughout his body, his concentration shattered.
Reid tumbled away from the bolt a few seconds before it hit, hearing the crackling and sizzling energy as it narrowly missed him. He hit the ground and turned his head, looking back a few feet at where steam was rising from the ground right where he had been standing. He ground his teeth together, looking up at the sky and giving it the finger.
“You missed me, asshole!”
Thomas yanked Reid to his feet before a large rock came cascading down, embedding itself into the ground at Reid’s feet and making the earth beneath him tremble.
“What the…! He’s throwing rocks? He’s throwing goddamn rocks?! This is what we’re going to be fighting tonight, rocks and lightning? You fuckin’ pussy, at least make our death worthwhile and fight like the man you claim to have once been!”
Pogue took a quick scan of the area, still on alert for another bolt of lightning or flying boulder. He glanced at Tyler, who seemed to be trying to pull himself back together to execute what it was that Pogue’s ancestor had told him to do. His own ancestor a Mystic, he had no idea. He prayed that whatever it was that Stephen Parry told his best friend, that it was good advice and would work. They were all counting on it. Pogue didn’t want to be responsible for their deaths should his ancestor turn out to be an unstable SOB like his father had been.
“Steady,” Thomas growled lightly in Reid’s ear. “He is demonstrating his own powers right now, when the time comes he will face us.”
“Before or *after* we’re dead?” Reid snapped, thoroughly pissed off by the dirty play of this ‘game’. “He really is a stinking coward, isn’t he?”
Thomas’ eyes were hard, full of bitter reality. “He has no reason to fight fairly, young man. Just be thankful that he is very obviously here making you angry. If he was not raining down boulders or lightning, odds are that he would be somewhere else…making your lives much more miserable. Our legacy cannot let him win…he must not get to the powerful heir.”
“I hear you…I’m not crazy about him touching Amelia or my son, either.”
The few moments of shaky peace on the ground was interrupted by another deafening boom that seemed to echo miles across the heavens. It was enough to make the boys’ ears ring, their hearing somewhat dulled from the volume.
It was Pogue that spoke next, his voice sounding in their minds. “Come on, guys, let’s link up. We need to be ready for anything.”
“Just in case I don’t get a chance to tell you guys this later…I think of myself as a lucky bastard to have you as my best friends.”
Tyler glanced over at Reid, his heart tightening at the closest thing to an affectionate statement that he’d ever heard coming from his best friend. “Me, too. You’re my brothers. Blood to blood, life to life. For one, I’d give all.”
Pogue closed his eyes briefly upon hearing those words. They resounded within him, meaning so much more than they ever had before. He understood why his friends had used them for comfort while he had been lost to Stoughton.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this. Blood to blood, life to life. For one, I’d give all. I’ll see you guys on the other side, cause if I’m going to hell, there’s no hope for the rest of you.”
Reid chuckled, redirecting his attention skywards, the other boys following suit. They were tuned in to each other, sharing Power and trust. Fighting Stoughton like this was much easier than holding their Power inwards and keeping it to themselves for battle. Sharing had its benefits.
“Tyler, you just let us know what you need us to do.”
“I believe I speak for Albius, Stephen, and Henry when I say that we are proud of you. Our bloodlines will *not* end here,” Thomas replied outloud in a confident aire, but he didn’t have to shout his words for the boys to hear them. “Fight with ferocity, die with honor.”
“Who said anything about dying?” Pogue simply shouted back. “Me, I plan on living.”
“Watch out!”
Tyler’s shouted warning came two seconds too late as both Thomas and Pogue were thrown into the air by an invisible force, their bodies spiraling out of control.
---------------
Amelia was pacing in front of the fire, her eyes constantly moving over towards the nearest window. There was no clear view of the open expanse of the field from the house, leaving her even more in the dark. She heard the wind outside and even felt it through the house, its sheer force making the walls and rafters creak. Occasionally a stray branch or other piece of outside debris would hit the window with a tap or clatter, making the girl jump within her skin. Her anxiety was paramount, her worry beyond reproach. She felt as if she was being tested, but by whom she had no idea.
Each time Amelia passed by the door, it took all of her willpower not to pull it open and go find the boys, find out what was happening. She wrung her hands together to keep the impulse at bay, instead trying to concentrate on the fire and what it would mean for all of this to be over and done with. To not be scared of the dark or of shadows, or of her dreams, even. To feel safe and be able to settle into contented happiness with those she loved. To have her children without fearing harm coming to them. She didn’t want this curse to pass on to them. They deserved a clean slate, and knowing their fathers and what they set out to do, they’d make sure that their heirs would have nothing to fear.
“Anna,” she whispered outloud, unsure if her daughter would even respond. “Anna, I don’t think I can stay put like this. I should be fighting with them, I should be doing…something.”
“Then hold on to your faith.”
Amelia’s body stiffened at the sound of a new voice, coming from behind her. She knew that voice, she *knew*…
She turned to look at the hooded figure that stood in the kitchen doorway. Despite the fact the voice was familiar, she felt ready to scream.
Her terror must have showed on her face, because a pale hand raised to push the hood off of the concealed face.
“Please, don’t scream. I’m sorry I scared you.”
Amelia blinked, her blue eyes still wide in alarm as she took in the young face of Tyler’s sister.
“Samantha? What are you doing here?”
Sam sighed, giving the girl a tentative smile that made her seem like a child who was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Sightseeing?”
Amelia cocked a brow, her expression turning to one of skepticism. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Uh-uh, try again.”
The younger girl let a large puff of air escape her lips, blowing her hair out of her face. “Okay, not sightseeing. I’m just glad I got here in time.”
“In time?”
“Yes. When Mom took me out of town for the day, I was afraid that I’d miss this. We just got back a half hour ago and I hitchhiked out here. I came in the back way. This area is really spooky at dusk, isn’t it?”
“You’d better be kidding about the hitchhiking part,” Amelia responded in a low, warning tone. The mere fact that this girl was present *there* on what was going to be the most dangerous night in any of their lives, God willing, boggled her mind. Then again, just listening to Sam talk tended to boggle anyone’s mind.
She gave a light laugh, unhooking the clasp on the dark blue cloak she wore. “Yeah, I’m kidding. And isn’t this drape fab? Mom bought it for me for twenty dollars at a thrift store in Rowley, she thought I was nuts for wanting it. I convinced her that it would be perfect for when I go into drama at Spenser, plus it was a confirmation that I’d quit nagging her for stuff the rest of the time, so she caved. I have such a way with her.”
Amelia closed her eyes and shook her head. This girl could go off on tangents better than anyone she had ever met…and she had *just* met her. “Sam…please, back to the point. Why are you here?”
“Well,” Sam began with a sigh, tossing the cloak over the back of a chair, “I’m supposed to be here. It’s kinda like my job.”
“Your job…? Do you even know what’s going on here? It’s too dangerous for you to be…”
“It’s even *more* dangerous for you to be here. That’s where I come in. I mean, not even Tyler knows that his little sis has slid off of the sane scale. He thinks I’m the relatively normal one of the family just because I wasn’t blood born into it. Boy, is he wrong. Isn’t that a hoot?” Glee seemed to fill the girl’s eyes at the notions she pondered.
“I don’t understand…”
“I know. So far no one knows about me, about my *real* reason for being here, for being in Ty’s family.” A coy smile spread over Samantha’s lips as she crossed her arms over her chest. “And I’ll bet none of you thought I could keep a secret to save my life, huh? Haha, fooled you!”
Amelia let herself slowly drop down into a chair, still staring at the girl with dubious confusion etched on her features. “I’m lost.”
“Yep, so I’ll enlighten you with the big reveal. Destiny is *real*, everything *does* happen for a reason, and you, me, my brother and his yummy friends and those four babies you carry with you are all the proof you need.”
Sam walked over closer to Amelia, crouching down in front of her with her brows raised. “You okay so far, need some Tylenol?”
“I’m okay,” Amelia breathed, her mind still reeling in perplexity. “For now. How did you know about the babies?”
She shrugged. “They’re the main reason I even exist.”
Amelia blinked, unsure if she was hearing the girl right. “Come again.”
Sam just giggled, tapping her chin with her forefinger. “I have an underlying purpose. Much to my family’s chagrin, I’m not a regular twelve-year-old cutiepie. I have a destiny of my own…” she paused, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Amelia’s face. “You game?”
“Sure,” was the weak response. She felt she could handle anything at this point.
“Amelia Strong…you’re looking at your very first, honest to goodness, cuteness incarnate, Tr…”
“Samantha, *don’t you dare*!”
Sam was taken aback at the unfamiliar voice in her head that so blatantly interrupted her. She blinked, shaking her head a little as if trying to rattle the unforeseen intrusion out of her mind.
“Excuse me?” she replied. “Who are you?”
“What?” Amelia asked, looking at the girl strangely.
“You know who I am,” the female voice answered, her tone almost past the brink of patience. “You also know better than to tell her what you were getting ready to tell her.”
“Why can’t I tell her? It’s not like…” Sam was cut off by the strange voice yet again.
“Please remove yourself before she thinks you’re lacking stability.”
“I *am* lacking stability…I was meant to be unstable, it’s a part of the package,” she argued, still outloud. Samantha got her feet, however, looking put out by being told ‘no’ to something she was more than eager to divulge to someone…*anyone*. She hated secrets.
“Sam, are you feeling all right?” Amelia inquired in a cautious voice, standing herself. The girl was no longer looking at her, now acting like she didn’t even exist. This conversation she was having with some unseen person was starting to tweak Amelia’s comfort level. She couldn’t imagine Tyler’s sister loony in the head.
Samantha finally made eye contact with Amelia, offering her a weak smile. “Excuse me,” she apologized. “I’m going to go into the other room for some much needed fresh air.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Oh, yeah…peachy…” Sam nodded emphatically as she backed out of the room. As soon as she entered the kitchen she closed the door and retreated to the far corner to battle it out with the argumentative representative now present in her psyche.
Amelia stared at the closed door…this day could *not* get any stranger. However, with Sam’s sudden departure into the other room, she was once again alone with her thoughts. It was her thoughts that sent her fear and panic through the roof. Her heartbeat accelerated, her mouth became dry, and her hands shook as she made her way back to the window; staring up at the writhing, dark sky with a terrible feeling ever-growing in the pit of her stomach.
---------------
Reid grimaced in pain as his arm throbbed in pain. He cradled it against his chest as he shifted on the ground, rolling over and sitting up to glare hatefully at the junior tornado that coursed across the field. It had Pogue flattened against a tree, unable to move a muscle against the powerful currents. Tyler was being helped up by Thomas several yards away from where Reid sat, his own face bloodied and beaten from being thrown up into a tree, the branches lashing at his exposed skin.
“I wonder,” muttered Reid through his teeth, “if anyone nearby has noticed the mini natural disaster in the area. Soon natives will be showing up with their damn video cameras to film this, and we’ll all be either exposed or toast…or both.”
The cyclone spun away from Pogue finally, his body dropping to the ground. It looked as if he was getting ready to head back in his direction to hit him with full impact of it’s might, but before it could get near Pogue, he disappeared from his place in front of the twisting winds and reappeared a foot from Reid’s left.
“Shit! I hate it when you do that, Parry!”
“Chew me out later,” was the reply, as he held out a bloodied and scraped up hand to help up the boy. “When is Tyler going to do his thing?”
“I don’t know, each time it looks like he’s getting ready to do something, Stoughton throws a rock or a blast of air at him to distract him. The boy is not concentrating.” Even though he knew the reason for it, Reid didn’t mention it to Pogue. What good would it do for Pogue to know that Tyler planned on sacrificing himself that night? Probably the same amount of good it would do for Reid to tell the older boy that he was going to try his damndest to turn the tables and make himself the sacrifice instead of his best friend. He didn’t figure either revelation would go over well with someone who seemed to be a chip off the old block where border megalomaniacs were concerned. Wayne Parry had definitely fit the bill. While his only son seemed to realize he had a lot to live for, not to mention *wanting* to live, Reid knew it was definitely not beyond Pogue’s mentality to forfeit his life for his friends. After all, for one, they gave all.
Yeah, peas in a pod, all of them. They deserved each other.
Pogue seemed to be trying to size up the situation. “We need to keep him off of Tyler. Come on.” He grabbed Reid’s arm just as a medium-sized birch tree hurled through the air, narrowly missing their heads as they ran towards the other two males fighting on their side, standing in the mild protection of a large silver maple.
Tyler turned towards Thomas, running his arm across his nose. Blood soaked the material of his coat and matted his hair, but he hardly cared. This pain would be nothing compared to what was to come. He looked beyond Caleb’s body to see Reid and Pogue hurriedly heading in their direction. They had purpose in their eyes, and determination written all over their faces. These were his boys, the guys he had always looked up to being the youngest of the crew. When they were all together, *nothing* got them down.
“Tyler, I hate to tell you this, but so far we’re losing. Stoughton’s using us for batting practice.” Reid gave the boy a smirk as he gestured back towards the open area where the spirit was running rampant with his weather manipulations. “Are we going to go for a home run or what?”
Tyler looked from Reid to Pogue to Thomas. The spirit inhabiting Caleb’s body just gave him a curt nod, indicating that he knew what he had to do. Tyler let his arm drop to his side.
“I need Stoughton to manifest. Before I can do anything, that has to happen. Any ideas?”
“I could moon him, but I’m afraid he’ll electrocute my ass, and I’m sorry- that’s *not* how I picture my death.”
Pogue looked over at Thomas. “I think either you or I have the best shot at drawing him down. Appeal to the talkative nature in him. The guy loves to hear himself talk and enjoys explaining himself.”
“Sounds like a piss poor way to die, but what the hell?” Reid glanced behind him as the cyclone dissipated, leaving the air calm and the sky clear. “Oh, *this* bodes well,” he muttered.
“The calm before the next storm,” Thomas replied. “This is when he is at his most dangerous. He could strike out at any time in any way.” He nodded at Pogue. “Let us go try to…persuade him to discuss things with us.”
Pogue cast a quick look at the boys before walking with Thomas out towards the middle of the field yet again. He had a slight limp to his walk, but it was nothing compared to the pain and suffering he’d dealt with only a couple days prior. Tense and ready for any kind of strike, he let his Power fill him once more to make his senses even more receptive. If there was the slightest change in the wind, he’d know it.
“Stoughton! I’m sick and tired of your bullshit! Get your ass here *right* now and deal with me while I’m not tied up and powerless. Or are you too much of a pussy for that?” he bellowed into the heaven’s, his own voice sounding like it echoed in the massive and bleak night sky.
“Be prepared,” Thomas muttered for Pogue’s ears only, his hands flexing as he remained vigilant of their surroundings, as well. He knew that the magistrate had them where he wanted them; they just had to make sure to not let him play the game out to his satisfaction.
“I was never a Boy Scout, but always.”
A few seconds later, a vivid light flashed from the sky before them. It was so intense in brightness that Pogue was momentarily blinded, thinking that they had perhaps been narrowly missed by another lightning bolt. When his vision cleared and returned, he saw the outline of a man several meters away, standing but not moving.
He could barely make out the detail of its face and figure, but he knew immediately who it was. The Devil incarnate himself- William Stoughton.
“I believe you will discover that I am far from scared of you, Nicolas. It is you that should be afraid. Did I not prove to you before how fragile life is? Even yours?”
“Been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt…it didn’t fit,” Pogue snapped back in response, his eyes positively glowing with loathing and malice. “And you’ll find that I don’t learn things easily.”
“Well, then…allow me to teach you the hard way.”
With that, Pogue’s body jerked upwards, his arms and legs yanked by invisible forces outwards so that he was eagle spread five feet above the ground. He grimaced, his joints screaming in pain as whatever had him in its grip pulled even tighter. It felt like he was being drawn and quartered in midair.
Reid’s jaw dropped when he saw Pogue’s body fly up and his limbs thrown out. He didn’t have to be linked up to his friend to realize that what he was going through was painful.
Tyler could barely see what was happening, his thoughts encased in his mind as full concentration returned to him, allowing him to begin the process that Stephen had taught him. He had to focus and not lash out at what was happening…that was key. Center on the goal…
Reid, however, didn’t have that kind of control. He quickly established a mental link, connecting his mind to Pogue’s. His hands flexed into fists at his sides, his muscles coiled and ready to spring.
“What do you want me to do?”
There was a few moments of silence before he got a mental response.
“Stay with Tyler.”
“Dude, you’re…” Reid began in response, the tone of his thoughts betraying his outrage.
Pogue picked up on the anxiety in Reid immediately. “Just do it!”
Thomas took a step forward, towards Stoughton, his hand raised. The spirit took it as a threat.
“Stay where you are, Danvers…or I swear I will yank his extremities from him one by one as slowly as possible. I sincerely doubt your descendant will appreciate the repercussions your actions might cause.”
Thomas stopped and dropped his hand, tilting his head slightly in response to Stoughton’s words. “So you do know who I am.”
“A soul of goodness can very easily expose a soul of taint and filth. Thine age beckons to me…yes, I know who you are. Thomas Danvers. I am curious why you are here.”
“Perhaps you underestimated these boys,” Thomas remarked, his hands moving into Caleb’s coat pockets dispassionately.
“I underestimate no one,” Stoughton remarked with a sneer, taking a few more steps closer to the spirit that matched his era. “You think you can defeat me. That proves how unscrupulous the fallen are.”
“If you think we are so beyond saving…then why is it that I know for a fact that my resting place is one of peaceful, tranquil and serene beauty? I would not say that it is better than life itself, but it is a solid substitute. I sincerely doubt that your own final death will be so providential.”
“True, I have not yet been able to rest…but once my revenge is fulfilled, I will ascend to the heavens to be at the Lord’s right hand. Whatever…place it is that you have described, is either a delusion or will not even come close in comparing to where I will rank with the Lord.”
Thomas tsked, shaking his head. “There was never a more proud, inflated excuse for an ego than yours, William. Your talk borders on sacrilege, you realize…false idolatry.”
“Nay,” Stoughton snarled, his face growing incensed every second Thomas spoke. “There is no one above our Lord God himself. Thou ought to be more careful with his words…you never know when God himself might strike.”
“No…you don’t.”
A split second after speaking, Thomas threw his hands out, sending such a burst of imperceptible power crashing into Stoughton that it threw the spirit backwards a good ten feet. Instead of disappearing, however, the spirit quickly rose, a strong gust of wind taking a swipe in Thomas’ direction in retribution.
Thomas held up his hands, his eyes narrowed as the wind moved around the invisible barrier he built up around himself, leaving the wind currents unaffecting even a hair on his head. Instead, the foliage and loose branches around him blew away quickly with the sudden burst of air. It just proved how little Stoughton’s chosen method of attack affected the Danvers elder.
Reid couldn’t help but smirk as Thomas began to take more steps towards Stoughton, the magistrate dropping his own arms and actually moving back a pace or two. The wind stopped moving in Thomas’ direction almost immediately, while Thomas seemed to reach into the air to grab a hold of something unseen. Thomas let it pull him back slightly, not looking the tad bit strained at whatever it was he was doing with his arms held high and wide over his head, before he threw his arms forward with all of his might.
Stoughton’s eyes grew wide as the imperceptible impact hit him. He flew backwards until the wide trunk of a tree halted his airborne voyage. The splintering of wood echoed through the night air just a split second before Stoughton disappeared.
“Oh, shit,” Reid whispered, quickly looking towards Thomas and Pogue. Pogue was still being held up in the air, his body extended, which meant the spirit must not have been as phased as they had hoped. Thomas was looking around himself, perplexed by Stoughton’s sudden departure.
They didn’t have to wait long before Stoughton rematerialized on the field, whole and thoroughly incensed. This time, however, he held something in his left hand: a sword.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Reid muttered. “Surely that thing doesn’t actually *work*.”
Stoughton took two decisive steps forward and stopped, bringing his arm back that held the sword and then throwing it up and onward- high into the air. Reid watched with wide eyes as the seemingly mystical weapon hurled through the air, blade over hilt, before embedding itself deep into Caleb’s chest, so that the three inches at the point of the blade was visible through his back.
Thomas fell backwards, not moving a muscle, his eyes closed. Pogue was dropped to the ground at the same time Reid came sprinting out towards the field, yelling at the top of his lungs.
“NO!”
Meanwhile, Tyler’s dark eyes flashed, the Power leaving his body and hurling itself away from the boy and towards the spirit still standing in the middle of the field. It latched onto its target and didn’t let go as an unshaken and focused Tyler slowly began to advance towards his target.
It was time.
---------------
“This really stinks, for the record.”
“I’m sorry, it’s how it has to be.”
Sam turned on her heel, lightly kicking the cabinet in front of her, some paint chips coming off on her shoe. She was angry. Much like a petulant child being told she couldn’t have the toy she wanted *when* she wanted it, Samantha was pouting and agitated.
“For the record, I hate not being able to tell anyone.”
“I understand…but I know, if that makes you feel any better.”
“It doesn’t,” she whimpered, leaning back against the counter and tapping her fingernails against the top of it. “Are you *sure* I can’t tell her? She won’t remember it later on anyway…”
“No…you know the rules.”
“Actually, I don’t like rules,” Sam clarified to the girl that spoke in her mind. “Never have, never will.”
“You’re very important, Samantha…thank you for what you’re doing.”
“Yeah, yeah, stop trying to calm me down. I’m entitled to my frustration. You promise I get to tell someone sooner rather than later?”
The small voice in her head sighed almost sadly. “I promise…I’d rather it be later, but unfortunately there’s so much that can’t be hidden.”
“By hiding things, it will only lead to more pain later, you know. Okay…now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go back in there and do my job, and try and distract Amelia, too. That’s not in the job description, but considering how much I like her and what she means to Ty, I don’t mind doing it. Are we finished? Can I start acting a *little* more sane now?”
“Yes…thank you again.”
“Don’t mention it. Just promise me a ride whenever I want it later on.”
“It’s a deal.”
Samantha nodded, somewhat more satisfied than before. She exited the kitchen and rejoined Amelia in the sitting room, finding the blonde girl perched by the window with a far away look in her eyes.
“It’s probably better that you don’t see.”
“How could you possibly know so much? How much do you know about what’s going on?” Amelia asked her in a whisper, her eyes not leaving their lingering gaze outside.
“I really wish I could tell you, but apparently that information is classified right now. When you’re supposed to know, you’ll know.”
The faintest of smiles touched Amelia’s lips. “You sound like Anna. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve been talking with her.”
Samantha gave a short laugh, throwing her arms into the air. “Who’s Anna?”
“I think you know.” Finally, Amelia’s eyes left the window pane and slid over to the twelve-year-old standing a few feet away from her. “Don’t you?”
Samantha swallowed, trying not to let her thoughts surface through her expression. “I really can’t say, now can I? What’s her last name? Where would I know her from? Things like that raise very interesting questions.”
“Yes, they do,” Amelia agreed with a nod, her hands slipping into the pockets of her jeans. “But I’m not about to argue over secrets with you Sam. They have their place, I realize that. My primary concern right now is for the four young men out there that all have a stake in my happiness and my heart.”
Samantha crinkled her nose at Amelia’s choice of words. “Good thing you’re not a vampire then, huh?”
Shooting her a droll stare, Amelia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, before slipping her hand around to the back of her neck and kneading at the tense muscles there. “They are in such danger right now, Samantha. You have no idea.”
“I think I do,” whispered Sam, her face taking on a more serious guise. She slowly walked over to Amelia, hugging herself even tighter. “That’s my brother out there, and he may drive me crazy only half as much as my life’s ambition to make him nuts, but I love him. He loves you. That means by extension, I care about you, too…that includes my niece, by the way.” She reached out and put her hand over the bulge of Amelia’s abdomen, her touch light and innocent.
“I may not be able to tell you everything I know, Amelia, but I promise you that you and the babies will be safe. Consider it a prepubescent girl’s blossoming intuition.”
A lone tear trickled down Amelia’s face, but she smiled bravely at Tyler’s sister. Amelia felt relieved that she wasn’t going through this alone. Samantha Sims may not be able to offer any kind of protection- quite the contrary, odds were if worse came to worse, Amelia would be protecting her- but she was still contributing comfort. Right now, that was what Amelia needed more than anything else, save the boys walking back into that house that second, safe and sound.
Just as Amelia allowed herself to relax somewhat with her unexpected company, a pained sensation shot through her stomach, making it feel as though it were twisting and knotting of its own free will. She gasped, her hand flying to her abdomen, but she noticed that the pain was located higher up than the babies were developing. Odds were this wasn’t related to them. It was…
“Mommy,” came Anna’s soft voice, laced with unmistakable sorrow. “It’s time.”
Amelia’s mouth went dry at those words. Her heart skipped a beat as she whispered out loud, “Time for what?”
“Saying goodbye.”
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