Jill felt the jolt of her sister Candy touching Megan’s shoulder and Mike joining Steve. The siblings funneled all of their capacities into Jill.
And it still wasn’t enough.
“Are you ready, Jilly?” Jill heard.
She nodded. Her mother, Anjelika grabbed Delphie’s feet. Mike and Candy touched her mother’s shoulders. The family made a healing circle around Delphie’s prone body.
The power surge was tremendous. Jill could almost smell her senses burn like bread left too long in the toaster. Her ears roared with the sound of Delphie’s blood and the power pouring through her body. Jill held on tight.
She felt the tide shift. The blood began to seep backward. The torn artery began to heal.
“We must stop,” Anjelika yelled. “The police are on their way.”
Two at a time, her siblings let go. Mike and Candy first. Megan and Steve next.
“1-2-3,” Anjelika yelled.
Anjelika and Jill let go at the same time. They rose to standing. Anjelika took Mike and Candy’s hands. Jill took Steve and Megan’s hands. Steve took Mike’s hand and Megan completed the circle by taking Candy’s hand.
“Take in this healing with love, for the best use of your soul and body,” they said in unison.
Crying, Valerie took Jill’s place at Delphie’s head. Valerie caressed Delphie’s head and hair. She kissed Delphie’s cheek and pressed her own face to the cool skin.
“She’s breathing,” Valerie said through her tears. “Oh God, she’s breathing.”
“What are we going to do with…?” Jacob said over Johansen’s body.
“Children,” Anjelika said.
Jill moved to Johansen’s body. Sitting down, she placed her hands on his head. The wound, created by the hockey stick, diminished leaving only small gash where he’d hit the floor. His shoulder healed to full use.
“Go,” Anjelika said.
Steve and Candy touched Johansen’s body. Mike and Megan followed.
“What are you doing?” Jacob asked Jill.
“We’re releasing the negative effects of the healing into his body,” Jill said. “For every positive energy, like healing, there is a negative energy, like illness. If we dabble in one, we get the other. Rather than take it into our own bodies, we are releasing it into his.”
“Your turn, Jill,” Anjelika said.
Jill put her hands on Johansen’s abdomen.
“You will tell them that this man entered your home and took Delphie hostage,” Anjelika said to Jacob. “You believe he’s a friend or old friend of Delphie’s but you don’t know. You confronted him. He fought with you, breaking everything, then blew up the Chapel. Startled by his own explosion, he collapsed and hit his head. When he did, Delphie screamed that her head hurt and fainted. He might have done something to her, but you’re not sure.”
“That’s it?” Jacob asked.
He bent down to help Jill to standing. He wrapped her in his arms.
“Yes,” Anjelika said. “Delphie will need a hospital and surgery.”
“And Val?” Mike asked.
“She should be all right, but you need to do what makes sense to you.”
“I’d rather stay with Delphie,” Valerie said.
“Get cleaned up,” Anjelika ordered. “Go now.”
Mike helped Valerie to her feet. They ran toward the door and up the stairs to Jacob’s bachelor studio. Not two minutes later, the Denver police ran into through the Castle through the side entrance. The paramedics arrived moments later. After stabilizing Delphie in the living room, she was off to St. Joseph’s with Valerie at her side.
The Police department’s noise and confusion brought Sandy and the kids from the tunnels. Jill and Sandy took Noelle, Nash, Paddie and Katy upstairs to the loft. Jill’s family arrived moments later. Anjelika and Sandy set to work on a pot of chili and corn scones. Dinner was almost ready when Valerie called from the hospital.
Mike had asked their friend Dr. John Drayson to act as their liaison. Dr. Drayson said the doctors had diagnosed Delphie’s aneurism. The aneurism was significant and on the verge of bursting. They must operate immediately or Delphie would surely die. As it was, her chances of surviving were limited. Dr. Drayson agreed to attend the surgery to keep them apprised of what happened.
When Anjelika agreed to stay with the children, the rest of the group left for a long night at the hospital. Sam arrived just after they descended on the OR waiting room.
Unaware of all that had gone on that day, Sam said: “I told her to take care of her blood pressure” then broke down. Jacob and Valerie held their father until Sam was able to regain some control. Blane arrived moments later with warm turkey sandwiches, fresh chocolate chip cookies, and coffee. The group ate and waited.
No one dared mentioning the obvious. Delphie had always waited in these rooms for them. Delphie was there for every operation, broken bone, or illness. With her prayers, spells and incantations, Delphie was their cornerstone of hope for every hospital visit. With her crazy bottle red hair tied up in a knot, Delphie would say, ‘No need to fret. The Goddess loves us.’
Now Delphie’s life hung in the balance.
Together, Jacob, Jill, Sam, Valerie, Mike, Blane, and Sandy waited through the night for news from the surgery suite.
Denver Cereal continues at DenverCereal.com
Glossary of Characters
Aden Norsen:
CEO at Lipson construction; single father of Nash and Noelle; boyfriend of Sandy.
Alex Hargreaves:
Identical twin to Max Hargreaves; ‘The Fey;’ the leader of the Fey Team; wife of Dr. John Drayson; sister to Colin and Samantha Hargreaves.
Anjelika:
Megan, Mike, Steve, Candy and Jill’s mother; grandmother to Katy; wife of Perses.
Art Rasmussen:
Member of the Fey team; boyfriend of Samantha Hargreaves.
Blane Lipson:
Jacob’s ‘cousin;’ raised in foster care; either the child of Sam Lipson’s father or brother; assistant to Jacob Marlowe at Lipson Construction.
Bree or Briana Lipson:
Step-child of Sam Lipson.
Becky Lipson:
Step-child of Sam Lipson.
Candace or Candy Roper:
Daughter of Anjelika; sister to Jill; partner to Jazmyne.
Celia Marlowe:
Wife of Sam Lipson; mother to Valerie Lipson and Jacob Marlowe; died of cancer nine years before Denver Cereal begins.
Cleo:
Black and white cat belonging to Sandy.
Colin Hargreaves:
Brother of Alex, Max and Samantha Hargreaves; Homeland Security Agent; Fey Team member; father of Paddie Hargreaves.
Delphinium or Delphie:
Psychic; beekeeper; master gardener; best friend of Celia Marlowe; girlfriend to Sam Lipson.
Heather:
Jill’s childhood friend; one of Jillian Roper’s group of best friends.
Honey Lipson:
Second daughter of Tiffanie; step-daughter of Sam Lipson; wife of Sgt MJ Scully.
Jacob Marlowe:
Son of Sam Lipson and Celia Marlowe; boyfriend of Jillian Roper; brother of Valerie Lipson; president of Lipson Construction; owns his own rehabilitation business; carpenter; hockey player.
Jazmyne:
Wife of Candy Roper.
Jillian or Jill Roper:
Daughter of Anjelika; mother of Katy Roper; girlfriend of Jacob Marlowe; ex-wife of Trevor Mc Guinsey.
John Drayson, MD:
Vascular surgeons; husband of Alex Hargreaves.
Julie Hargreaves:
Mother of Paddie Hargreaves; wife of Colin Hargreaves.
Katy or Katherine Roper:
Daughter of Jillian Roper.
Leslie Roper:
Wife of Steve Roper.
Margaret Peaches or Sergeant Margaret Peaches:
Fey team member; partner of Sergeant MJ Scully.
Max Hargreaves:
Id
entical twin to Alex Hargreaves; brother to Colin and Samantha Hargreaves.
Megan Roper:
Daughter of Anjelika; partner of Tim; mother to Ryan and two other boys.
Mike Roper:
Son of Anjelika; husband of Valerie Lipson; hockey goalie; artist.
MJ or Sergwant Michael Scully Jr.:
Fey team member; partner of Sgt Margaret Peaches; husband of Honey Lipson
Molly:
Bookkeeper for Jacob Marlowe’s rehabilitation business.
Nash Norsen:
Son of Aden and Nuala Norsen.
Noelle Norsen:
Daughter of Aden and Nuala Norsen.
Nuala Norsen :
Ex-wife of Aden Norsen; mother of Nash and Noelle Norsen.
Paddie Hargreaves:
Best friend of Katy Roper; nephew of Alex and Max Hargreaves; son of Colin Hargreaves.
Pete:
Husband of Molly; Father of her children.
Perses:
Paid assassin; rescuer of Jillian Roper.
Ryan:
Oldest son of Megan Roper and Tim.
Sam Lipson:
Husband to Celia Marlowe; married to Tiffanie Lipson; boyfriend of Delphinium; father to Valerie and Jacob Marlowe-Lipson; step-father to Brianna, Becky, Honey and the ‘step-whore.’
Samantha Hargreaves:
Sister to Alex, Max and Colin Hargreaves; girlfriend of Art Rasmussen; best friend of Valerie Lipson.
Sandy:
Best friend of Jillian Roper; one of Jill’s group of best friends; girlfriend of Aden Norsen; hairdresser.
Sarah:
Yellow Labrador belonging to Jacob Marlowe.
Scooter:
Gift from Celia and Delphie to Jillian on her marriage to Trevor McGuinsey; taken care of for last 4 years by Delphie after Trevor put him up for adoption; Katy’s constant companion.
Seth O’Malley:
Godfather to Sandy; best friend of Sandy’s step father.
Step-sister or Step-whore:
Eldest daughter of Tiffanie Lipson; sister to Honey, Briana, and Becky Lipson; step-daughter of Sam Lipson; second wife of Trevor Mc Guinsey.
Steve or Stephen Roper:
Son of Anjelika; middle child of Roper family; medical nurse; husband of Leslie.
Tanesha Smith:
Childhood friend of Jillian Roper; one of Jill’s group of best friends.
Tiffanie Lipson:
Second wife to Sam Lipson; mother of Briana, Becky, and Honey Lipson and the step-whore.
Tim:
Partner to Megan Roper; father of Ryan and two other children.
Trevor Mc Guinsey:
Ex-husband of Jillian Roper; assumed father of Katy Roper; fiancé to the step-whore.
Valerie Lipson:
Daughter of Sam and Celia Marlowe; wife to Mike Roper; soap opera and movie actress.
Wes or Wesley Kapanski:
Hollywood producer; Was engaged to Valerie Lipson at the beginning of Denver Cereal.
About the author:
Claudia Hall Christian is an author and a beekeepers. She lives in Denver, Colorado.
Connect with Me Online:
Weblog: http://on-a-limb.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ClaudiaC
Facebook: http://facebook.com/claudia.h.christian
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CookStreetPubsDenver Cereal is published every day at http://denvercereal.com
Go to DenverCereal.com for:
A signed copies of Denver Cereal,
Information about Claudia Hall Christian,
Extra side stories and special features,
Discounts for book clubs and libraries,
Much more!
The story continues at DenverCereal.com
Also available from Cook Street Publishing:
Denver Cereal Series:
____ The Denver Cereal : Invited to her ex-husband Trevor’s engagement party, Jillian Roper shows up in thigh high leather boots. ISBN: 978-0-9822746-4-4 $13.95 + $3 s/h
____ Celia’s Puppies : The story continues as Celia’s much loved people begin to face their demons. Life and love hang in the balance. ISBN: 978-0-9822746-5-1 $13.95 + $3 s/h
____ Cascade : The never resolved past comes back to haunt Sandy and Delphie. Situations escalate to a final, startling resolution. ISBN: 978-0-9826417-0-5 $14.95 + $3 s/h
ALEX THE FEY SERIES:
____ The Fey : Haunted by the past, and terrorized in the present, Sergeant Alexandra Hargreaves must reach past her pain, through memory, and beyond the grave to find her self and her future. ISBN: 978-0-9822746-3-7 $14.95 + $3 s/h
____ Learning to Stand : Fragile and lost, Alex struggles to move on and fails. When a small child’s life is in danger, only she can save him. Alex must muster the strength and courage to learn to stand again. ISBN: 978-0-9822746-8-2 $15.95 + $3 s/h
____ Who I am : Is Alex the Fey? As Alex grapples with doubt, her world fills with turmoil. In the midst of the chaos, Alex leads her team to find a missing UN field operative & destroy a child prostitution ring. ISBN: 978-0-9826417-2-9 $15.95 + $3 s/H
_________________________________________________
Also available at CookStreetPublishing.com
And Smashwords
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