Tyler: The Gatekeeper Series

by Stevie Trinity

Tyler

  Tyler slammed her up against a tree. The redwood forest was the first place he could think of they would walk a bit and then portal again.

  “How foolish of you to practice, I thought I told you to not practice! NO MAGICK Eliza, how stupid can you be!” Tyler knew yelling at her was not going to do any good.

  Eliza erupted into tears

  “You're hurting me.” She choked out in her almost childlike sob.

  Tyler rolled his eyes. He should leave her there and walk away right now, but he felt rather responsible for her.

  “Let's get moving.” He threw her pack at her that she dropped when he slammed her against the tree.

  They walked a long while in silence, Tyler held up his hand to stop her from walking any further.

  He stood there listening with everything in him. He felt another, he pulled her closer to him and shielded her in silent magick a trick he actual learned from Rhea. He took their energy fields and pulled it in so that others could not tell where they were. He listened carefully.

  The footsteps stopped. Tyler watched her grip her bag, noticing that she was not scared. He looked at the bag again, and then pushed her under a bush casting a charm on her.

  He stepped away from her

  “Show yourself.” He boomed

  It didn't take long for a slender man to step out from a tree.

  “Jamal?” Tyler said to the other Bounty Hunter

  “Tyler, man, is that you?” Jamal stepped closer.

  They walked to one another and embraced.

  What are you doing here?” Jamal asked his Brown eyes scanning over Tyler.

  “Same as you looking for the Bounty.” Tyler said

  Jamal read Tyler’s eyes, but Tyler knew Jamal rather well, the two of them had even gone on some Bounty’s together. Jamal relaxed his stance.

  “Any luck?” He asked

  “No man.” Tyler said slapping his friend on the back.

  “But I heard the Oracle was seen up in Wyoming, If I get a cold trace here, I'm heading that way, want to go with me?”

  Jamal let out a booming laugh

  “No! That is all for you. I have no desire to be chasing that dream.”

  Tyler chuckled, because he had once told Jamal it would be a dream to capture the Oracle, along with Rhea and Lynn.

  “But that Lynn, she came on Radar while you were gone, friend! I almost caught her too, but she leveled an entire army with her magick.”

  Tyler perked up to the conversation. For years they had been able to stay off everyone's radar, and now here were two of them, almost caught. Tyler had to wonder what they were up to.

  “Where was that?” Tyler asked getting very serious.

  “Not far from Casper, on the South Side. She stole the name of a gate keeper out of Michelle's office.”

  “She stole from Michelle's office and made it as far South as Casper?” Tyler was rather impressed

  “Further, she was never caught."

  "How about the other one?" Tyler asked regarding Rhea

  No one has heard from, or seen the one you are always wanting to get your hands on, the one you say is the most dangerous.”

  Tyler snorted

  “Well if Lynn has been chased and sighted, and the Oracle has surfaced, but this other one hasn't that means she is either running the show or dead and no one knows it yet!” Tyler offered. He needed to cut the conversation short.

  Jamal gave another laugh

  “Lynn was out about three weeks ago, and then the week later the Oracle comes out of hiding. Big things are about to happen. You know Rhea isn't dead, they would have access to that information friend.”

  Tyler grunted looking down

  “Look the trail has gone cold here, and besides I was on my way to South America, there is a powerful witch down there using some ancient magic, and she has a big bounty. They Call her the Mayan Princess. I would invite you friend but I already know where your mind will be set to, good luck.”

  Jamal pulled out a potion and smashed it on himself disappearing in the smoke.

  Tyler quickly walked back to Eliza, he had one thing on his mind now, and since she caused this drama they were in she was going to help him find the Oracle.

  He jerked her up, opened a portal and pulled her through. They landed in a dilapidated building. He pulled her up the stair well, to an apartment. He motioned for her to stay quiet as he set up boundaries so they would stay safe.

  After he was done, she moved over to him trying to hug him, but he pushed her away.

  “Where are we?”

  “A safe house.” Tyler replied as he started a fire in the fire place.

  The room was dark and grey. A single bed lay in the room, an old ratty couch sat in front of the fire place. Windows were boarded up. The kitchen dark and useless.

  Eliza walked up to him gripping her bag.

  “You use to live here with her didn't you?”

  Tyler didn't bother to answer. He was trying to figure out how he was going to find the Oracle. He had no doubt she was no longer in Gillette. Tyler had every confidence that the Oracle was in Casper, or in the area.

  “Damit Tyler answer me!” Eliza shrill voice cut into his thoughts.

  He turned and stood so quickly that she took a step back from him.

  He used his height to intimidate her, which she cowered to.

  He quickly looked her over, something about the entire situation had bothered him from the beginning. He knew that he had given Eliza a boost of his own power, but there seemed to be something different about her now, as he looked her up and down several times before resting his eyes on her bag. She moved away from him uncomfortably.

  “You knew I was coming for you.” He said calmly. It was a simple fact he wasn't asking her. He quickly locked his eyes in on hers. “How did you know I was coming for you?”

  the long moments of silence that passed between them seemed to go on forever, she never took her eyes away from him.

  “I.....I don't how to explain it.”

  “Try.” his voice was grave. He knew what effect he had on people, that's why he was so good at what he did.

  “I, I just felt you coming.” She stumbled over her words.

  “What kind of magick did you do Eliza to put you on the list in a matter of hours?”

  Her eyes widened. Did she seriously not think he would demand these answers from her?

  He waited for her to get herself figured out.

  She walked over to the bed, putting her bag down. Tyler knew she was buying herself time, he watched her carefully realizing that he couldn't see her Aura, which he normally could.

  "Are you going to answer me?" He asked

  "I was protecting myself." She offered not looking at him.

  "From who?" He asked

  "From Rodger." She still didn't look at him

  "The Inn Keeper?" Tyler asked rather shocked. Rodger was a drunk, and Tyler knew the man was too scared of him to lay a hand on Eliza.

  "Yes." She said letting out a sob

  "He was trying to force himself on me, I have no way to explain what happened, the room began to shake and all of a sudden magick came flying out of my hands, and then he was dead!"

  He watched her as she sat on the bed and began to sob hysterically.

  Deep down inside Tyler felt there was something wrong with the story, but he knew he wasn't going to get the truth out of her at the moment.

  “After it happened, I knew it would only be a matter of time before Bounty Hunters would show up to take me in, and they would think I killed a man who was defenseless. The only thing I could think to do was to pack, I just knew you would come. I felt that you would.” She let the last out dramatically before she threw herself on the bed and erupted into more tears, and louder sobbing

  Tyler didn't have the stomach to watch or listen to her. He quickly walked to the door.

>   She jerked up in mid cry

  “Your leaving?” he looked back at her. He should have never of brought her here to this place, it bothered him that she was on the bed that he last made love to Rhea on.

  “Don't go out, there are Hell Hounds around. You are safe here, I will be back.”

  “But, Tyler...”

  He slammed the door behind him before she could say anything else to him.

  He needed to focus on finding the Oracle.

  Tyler thought he would try her house first, but after he made the portal in he realized she was not there, it looked like someone had been there, someone human, due to ransacking, giving him hope. It looked like whoever it was, was looking for something specific.

  Her shop was only a couple of blocks away. Tyler took caution while he walked to it, this had been the place they all had spent a great deal of time, she had once held circles and meditation groups in the basement.

  Tyler stepped as lightly as he could in the store, he pulled out his sword, waiting for the slightest sound he could hear. He didn't want to use defensive magick, that would attract the Hell Hounds. There seemed to be nothing, but Tyler could see the recent mess in the Herb cabinet and knew that someone had been there again gathering or looking for something. He cautiously went into the basement Harnessing in his energy, toward the back of the room he could hear tinkling of jars, he took to the shadows as he made his way to the room.

  “I knew it wouldn't take you long Tyler.” The woman’s gentle voice came out of the darkness.

  Tyler kept his sword up ready to attack, over the years he learned that looks could be deceiving, and there were shape shifters that could harness energy of the one they pretended to be.

  The woman came into view holding jars of herbs. Her long hair had too much silver in it. She had aged a great deal.

  She barely