by Jen Talty
“What about this one?”
His body shook violently. Shit. She quickly pulled back, moving his aura, reshaping it to its original style. “Gabe?”
“Yeah. I’m not dead, but I kind of wish I was. That one felt like I was holding on to a live electric wire while swimming in the pool. And I still can’t move and breathing is getting harder.”
He slumped in the chair. “I don’t want to do that again.” He shook out his hands. “What was weird about that was I kept hearing my mother’s voice telling me the pain wasn’t real. That actually helped me because holy fuck, remind me not to piss you off.” He waved the piece of paper. “Shall I?”
She nodded. Figuring out how to use her new powers would need to come to her quickly, and maybe this note would have some answers. “I wonder if that’s been there since before my parents died, or if they somehow managed to put it there since all this started.”
“Hopefully you’ll get a chance to ask them,” Gabe said. “But Savanah did say it wasn’t from them, but from the weird dude in our vision.”
“Wonderful.” She blew into her coffee, focusing on the steam as it floated out into the late afternoon air. The sun beat down on the water as a light breeze rippled across the lake.
“The Raven Spirits are the future of a New Order, a powerful mixed coven of witches, werewolves, and fairies. This begins with the reunion of the sisters and their mates; however, the union formed between Princess Cinnabar Knight of the Collective Order and my son, Alex Grove, a warrior and protector, but also the one true king of the New Order will secure the paranormals’ place at the table and forever destroy the Elite Brotherhood.”
“Can you skip all that stuff and get to the parts that tell me how to capture the spirits and put them in those pictures?” Willow set the coffee cup on the table and stared out at the water. A few boats floated while their occupants tossed over fishing lines. A chill filled her bones.
Something didn’t feel right. She shifted in her seat, sitting up a little taller, scanning the area, making note of every little detail, right down to the single dandelion swaying in the wind next to the pickup truck parked in the cabin to the right.
“Because Roger doesn’t understand the mixture of witchcraft and psychic power, he often misuses it, and that can be dangerous. Also, the spirits are not fully formed and immature. They do not comprehend they are being used as evil and enjoy the freedom their organic host has been giving them.”
“This doesn’t make sense.” Willow leaned forward. “Your mother had one of our children in her lap. How could his spirit be in both places?”
“One is the spirit plane and the other is for souls? Or maybe one represents your ancestors and the other mine,” Gabe said. “I’m not really sure anyone knows for sure except the spirits.” He cleared his throat. “They won’t want to go into the picture. They will need to be led in the frame. They will be greeted by the caretaker and you, Gabe, will have only minutes to leave or your aura will crush you, unless Willow can figure out how to prevent that.”
“If I can make it happen, I can prevent it,” she said, though without much confidence. In theory it made sense, but spirits didn’t have auras. Souls did. Another thing that didn’t fit into the narrative.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Gabe said. “And I think we need to look at this as the difference between what we don’t understand about witchcraft and psychics. Because I think what is referred to as spirits is more like everything that belongs to witches and not actual people.”
“So, you’re saying Doyle didn’t give Roger my children’s souls?”
“That’s right. But he did give them their magic. Their witchcraft. Everything that makes them like us, is with Roger. Our kids would be born with no powers at all.”
“And Roger’s would become real, shifting the balance to evil,” Willow said. “So, what’s in the boxes?”
Gabe held up the letter. “The time is drawing close. In order to draw the spirits out, you will need the four sisters to stand together, hand in hand, holding the Raven Cauldron. Three of the brothers will need to help them as forces will try to break their grip. Only when the cauldron recreates the image in the sky can Willow let go and help Gabe. It must happen before the hourglass drops its last spec of sand and before Gabe is trapped forever. I wish you luck. See you in about eight minutes.”
“That’s a specific time frame.” Willow quickly set aside the pictures and ripped open one of the boxes. “I remember this.” She pulled a big black pot that they used to use over an open campfire. “My dad used to make his famous beef stroganoff in this when we went camping.”
“What’s in the other one?”
She lifted the lid and arched a brow. “A black T-shirt and a pair of jeans and a piece of paper with your name on it that says, Gabe. You must change into these. Now. Hurry.
“I’m not one to mess with fate.”
“Roger is five minutes away,” Brett projected.
Gabe took her into his arms and planted a hard, wet kiss on her lips. “When this is over, I’m going to let you make my aura look like someone spilled glue all over me and then rolled me in glitter.”
Chapter 9
Gabe had no idea why he needed to change his clothes, and he thought it odd they fit perfectly, but who was he to question anything at this point. He was just along for the ride and hopefully he wouldn’t crash and burn.
Or get crushed by his own aura.
“Here he comes and look at that behind him. How the fuck is he doing that?” Willow asked.
Gabe stared at a purple glow in the dark shield that stretched from the ground to the heavens. It appeared to cut into the earth and it stretched on farther than the eye could see.
“He’s not,” Chad projected. “I am.”
“What is it?” Gabe asked.
“A cosmic sweep. I’m making sure Roger doesn’t try to dump any particles or spirits; I’m sure he knows he’s on borrowed time,” Chad projected.
“We’re going to need everyone front and center as soon as he shows his face,” Gabe said.
“Turn around,” Brett said.
Gabe glanced in the other direction. His brothers and Willow’s sisters emerged from the brush on the other side of the cabin.
“He’s going to want us all, so he can have us all.” Hunter double-timed it across the grass while the girls raced into each other’s arms. “It’s been a long time, brother.”
“Too long.” Gabe held out his hand and pulled Hunter in for an awkward bro hug. He did the same with Chad and Brett. “I’ve been thinking about this moment for over ten years.”
“No offense, man, but we’ve only known about all of us for a few weeks,” Brett said.
“Less for some of us,” Chad added, pointing toward the winding driveway. “But our reunion is going to have to be put on hold. I’ve done some recon. We’ve got Roger, Caleb, and two other men who I have no idea who they are a few minutes out. They are, of course, armed, but we need to be more concerned with the kind of witchcraft they have developed.”
“I don’t trust Caleb as far as I can spit,” Hunter said. “He’s done some pretty fucked-up things.”
“So have I.” Gabe waved to Willow, indicating that her and her sisters needed to make their way toward the cabin. “For years people thought I was a traitor. Not a fun place to be.”
“I can’t imagine it was.” Chad took his place next to Gabe, behind Savanah. “Do we have any idea how this is really going to go do down?”
“Not a fucking clue,” Gabe said, letting out a long breath. He’d been on many missions where he knew the plans were fucked up and he would have to improvise.
He was good at that.
But this was brand-new territory for him.
A large SUV rolled to a stop next to the car rental.
“I can’t be the only one who has developed the ability to fuck with someone’s aura,” Willow projected.
“You mean use it to cause pain?” Hunte
r asked.
“She nearly crushed my chest.” Gabe scratched at his chest with his fingers. His lungs still burned.
“When they were torturing me,” Hunter said, “they were peeling mine back layer by layer, stripping me of it. Each layer represents certain parts of you. Find the right ones and you can control a person. Find other ones and you can destroy them.”
“Do you know which ones?” Gabe asked.
“I wish,” Hunter said. “But I do know that once you’ve taken all the rings of the aura, the soul of that person vanishes into the abyss, which Alexis and I have crossed, and it’s not a place you want to end up.”
“I will ditto that thought,” Alexis said.
“We can use that crushing skill to freeze all these other men while holding this cauldron and Gabe puts all the spirits back where they belong,”
“I’m not even going to pretend to understand what any of that means,” Chad said. “But it looks like we’re about to get this party started.”
A large bald man with thick biceps stepped from the driver’s seat. A taller, slender man slipped from the passenger side. They both carried machine guns. They leaned against the hood of the car.
Gabe wiggled his finger, securing the dome around their area, making sure no one would see what happened inside their little bubble and no innocents would be injured.
Caleb jumped from the back of the SUV, followed by Roger, who didn’t look anything like what Gabe expected.
Roger had to be close to six four, but if he weighed one hundred and sixty pounds soaking wet it would be a miracle. His skin was the color of paper and it looked thin and crinkly. The bags under his frozen blue eyes were thick and close to black. He moved slowly, not like someone who claimed to be all-powerful.
However, the second he raised his hand, a lightning bolt escaped Roger’s fingertip.
It landed between Gabe’s feet. The heat from the small fire it created in the grass trickled up Gabe’s body. He took a step back.
Never judge a book by its cover.
Gabe glanced down and noticed his own aura, which absolutely looked like a rainbow with sprinkles, something he’d never seen before, and he could feel it lifting from his body.
Willow and her sister took ahold of the cauldron with his brother one step behind him.
“Isn’t this special,” Roger said with a shaky voice. “But do you really think you can stop me?”
“We don’t even know what you want or why, really.” Gabe’s T-shirt grew cold and hard against his skin. In the background, he could hear children laughing.
“Yes, you do,” Roger said. “And you’re going to help me.”
“And why the fuck would we do that? Especially when you travel with the likes of that one.” Hunter pointed to Caleb who leaned casually against the hood of the SUV.
Caleb shrugged. “Hey, I’m just trying to make a living and take care of my family like everyone else.”
“Enough of the small talk,” Roger said. “I need you to release the spirts and turn on the cauldron.”
“Doyle? Aren’t you supposed to release them?” Willow projected.
Caleb, who they now referred to as Doyle, lowered his chin, but didn’t change his focus. “In due time. Once I do, remember, you need to coax them to the pictures and keep them from the cauldron.”
“What happens if they go into the cauldron?” Willow asked.
“Nothing, unless Roger follows them in,” Doyle said. “If that happens, they become one. Now get ready to catch the spirits. He thinks you have to release them, but it is I that have been controlling them all these years, so as soon as the cauldron is on, out they go.”
“How do we do that?” Willow asked.
“Your combined energy will do it.”
“How do we know we can trust you?” Chad asked.
“Because if we fail, I will die. My future bride will die. And my son will not exist. I have just as much at stake as you do. I spent my entire adult life living this horrible lie. I’m ready to end it.” Doyle shifted his stance. “Once the spirits leave Roger, you won’t have much time. They like the power he gives them, and they will follow him. However, they will be attracted to Gabe’s clothing.”
“Why the hell would we do anything for you?” Gabe asked Roger.
“Because if you don’t, you die,” Roger said. “And I’ll find other ways to continue to exist.”
“Let’s do this,” Gabe projected, taking in a deep breath. “Don’t kill me, Willow.”
“I’ll try not to.”
Ice-like crystals lifted off Roger’s skin. His body shook violently as he fell to his knees. His eyes rolled to the back of his head.
“I’m freezing one of the men with guns,” Chad said.
“I’ve got the other one,” Willow said.
“The cauldron is coming to life,” Savanah said. “It wants something.”
“Keep it steady,” Doyle said. “It has a mind of its own and it loves the spirits.”
Gabe focused on the crystals as they danced in the sky, bouncing over his head as if they dared him to try to catch them. He smiled. It was impossible not to enjoy the enthusiasm the spirits created. Their positive energy filled his heart, expanding his soul. He stretched out his arm, and the crystals immediately arched to his biceps, clinging to the fabric of his shirt.
Behind him, the pictures rattled, smacking against the house.
“No,” Roger called as he crawled across the ground, inching toward the cauldron. “Stay with me.”
A sudden shift in the temperature from pleasant to freezing gripped Gabe’s senses. Doyle collapsed to his knees and howled.
The spirits jumped from Gabe’s arms and hovered over the cauldron.
“I saw you then, I know you now, stay in the canvas, or be known no more,” Willow and her sisters said in unison.
The spirits lifted a little higher just as Roger’s body morphed into organic particles and slithered into the cauldron.
“Don’t you dare,” Gabe said as he raised both his arms. “You come back here to me.” He could tell they were torn. They had been with Roger for so long, so why would they want to leave? “Willow, open up my aura a little.”
“What?”
“Open it. Put a hole in it or something. Make room for the spirits to enter my body.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Doyle projected with an audible groan.
“What’s wrong with you?” Brett asked.
“Don’t worry about me. We’re running out of time. Get them in the picture,” Doyle said with a stern voice.
“I’m working on it.” Gabe braced himself as he felt his chest rip open. It was like someone stuck the jaws of life between his ribs and cranked. He backed up so he stood right in front of the pictures. “Which fucking one?” His heart beat so fast he thought it would pump right out of his body. His lungs filled up with fluid.
The two guards that had come with Roger were passed out on the ground, so he wasn’t worried about them, but Doyle had turned to a wolf and was lying in front of the SUV with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, panting and foaming.
He didn’t look good.
The girls were on their knees, gripping the cauldron as tried to break free.
And the damn spirits couldn’t make up their minds where they wanted to go, and the longer he stood there with a gaping hole in his aura, the weaker he became.
Carefully, he put one foot inside the picture. Half his body ended up getting sucked in.
“Fuck.” He gripped the side of the house. “A couple of you spirits are my kids, so get your asses over here before I—”
A couple of the crystals flew to his side.
A few more followed.
“That’s more like it.” He waved his hand as the rest followed. “Willow, can you grab ahold of my aura?”
“I’ve got you,” she said as she stepped away from the cauldron.
This was going to be one of the weirdest things he ever did. He
let go of the side of the house. A vortex appeared and he was catapulted into the image where he crash-landed on a big puffy white cloud. The spirits giggled as they turned into colors and other parts of the picture.
Gabe’s chest tightened and it became hard to breathe. He blinked, looking to the scene outside of the artwork. Willow’s sisters still gripped the cauldron, which now had flames bellowing from the opening.
Doyle scratched at the ground with his front paws.
And Gabe’s brothers were tying up the two men who had come with Roger, helping the girls with the cauldron, and yelling at Gabe to get the hell out of the picture.
But try as he might, Gabe couldn’t figure out how to do it.
He ran across the cloud and jumped, but all that did was land him in the water below.
Which cradled him, sweeping him up like a warm blanket.
“You have to let me go. If you keep me here, you will never get out again.” But his words seemed to fall on deaf ears.
“Willow. I need you. I’m stuck in here and it’s difficult to breathe.”
“I’m trying.”
The spirits continued to swarm around him, making him feel safe and good. Too good.
He lay down on the water and closed his eyes, his energy depleting by the second. He blinked, but he couldn’t focus on anything. The outside world blurred.
Static filled his ears.
“Willow,” he whispered as he caved to the darkness.
“I’m losing him.” Willow did her best to control Gabe’s aura, but it was collapsing around him as he stayed inside the picture and the spirits wouldn’t lesson their grip.
She couldn’t blame them.
She could sense their loneliness and their desire to enter the world, but they had to wait their turn. They needed to be paired with the perfect soul with the right gifts to ensure the Collective Order and now the New Order would continue to grow and psychic energy and witchcraft would flourish.
She tried to reach inside the picture, but it burned her fingertips.
“Doyle’s not doing so well either,” Brett projected as he bent over the creature.