The Dark Gifts Birthright

by Willow Cross

  It was obvious Brogan was furious, but not a soul there could understand why. It seemed like it was Jenna that brought on the fit, but why would such a dear, sweet youngster, bring about that kind of reaction in the old man? After Brogan regained his composure, he stared into the fire and refused to talk.

  Gregorio cleared his throat, trying to get Brogan’s attention. It did him no good, the man was not about to speak.

  Finally, Michael spoke to the man. He was sick of this lunatic and the games he was playing. “Have you lost your mind? What in the world would have possessed you to act that way in front of a small child? That little girl is family to all of us, and you nearly scared her to death.”

  There was nothing but silence from the old man, so Michael went on, every word pin-pointed with anger, “I’m waiting for an answer. What do you have to say for yourself? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip your old throat out right now, and leave you for dead?”

  The old man shook his head and laughed at that, then stood, looked Michael in the eye, and with a cold fury said, “Your assuming, boy, that I would let ya take my life. Ifin you could, then could be I’d be skeered. But since ya cain’t, I think I’ll be waiting a bit for the worry to start botherin me.” He spat on the ground and sat back down. Looking over the shocked group, he shook his head and started to chuckle, “Well ifin that don’t beat all. Ya’ll are older than dirt, well most of yun is, and ya ain’t got no more sense than an ole cow led to the slaughterhouse.”

  “Are we wasting our time, or do you have something relevant to tell us?” Gregorio asked.

  “You folks might ought to sit back down, this is gonna take a bit, I can tell.” He waited for everyone to find a spot, and then began.

  “It’s like this here, ya’ll have a fox in the hen house, and ya ain’t even bothered to find it out. Now that young’in you got there? She ain’t a bad girl, but what’s in her, that’s a whole other matter. That’s a dark evil that’s got hold of that child, and ifin ya’ll don’t get rid of it, then your gonna have more trouble than ya can shake a stick at. Now I cain’t be sure how long it’s had her, but I can tell ya that its deadly, and what it knows, them others knows, I know ya’ll want me to tell ya how to fix what’s about to come, but I think there’s some telling that your side needs to do afor I can help with that.”

  Outraged, Athena was the first to come to Jenna’s defense, “That child has been nothing but sweet and good. What you’re saying is impossible!”

  Brogan chucked and replied, “Impossible is it? Ya’ll searchin’ for traitors, ain’t ya? Ya’ll looked and looked and cain’t find nary a one? Ain’t no dark magic been used up there in that ole castle, huh?”

  Minerva spoke up, her eyes as cold as ice and her voice steely, “I can assure you that no dark magic has been used at the castle since we moved in. We would have sensed it immediately, no witch of mine would dream of using dark magic!”

  “Now I didn’t say twer a witch that used it, did I? Tis that child ya’ll speak so highly of that has use of dark magic. Ain’t ya never worried about how she come about knowing what she knows?”

  They all looked at each other with one thought on their minds, how did Jenna learn to use time portals? According to Brogan, it was going back in time that changed this present and made things worse. Who are the voices that spoke to the girl? Cass had explained it as raw, natural, physic talent, but what if it was more?

  Liz leaned forward, her voice sincere as she spoke from her heart. “Sir, we all love that girl. If there is something that can help her, then I would like to know. If there is something possessing her, then how did it get into her, and how do we get it out?” Brogan squinted and peered at Liz.

  He watched her long enough that she became uncomfortable. Then he smiled and winked at her and said, “It’s ‘bout time you spoke up, girl. Ya ain’t gonna make much of a Queen, ifin ya cain’t learn to say your piece.”

  Michael burst out laughing, throwing his hands up in the air. “Well that settles it. The man is completely off his rocker.”

  Liz exploded from her seat. “Are you crazy?” Then turning to the others there asked, “Are you seriously going to listen to this guy? Can’t you see he’s crazy?”

  “Oh, I can see it.” Michael answered through his laughter.

  Gregorio smiled and shook his head. “Well now. I think we’ve probably covered the appropriate issues. Thank you for having us. We appreciate your…umm, hospitality.”

  Minerva and Athena appeared to be deep in thought. Neither woman said a word, both sets of eyes rested on Liz.

  “Well I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve had enough of this crap. Michael?” She said holding out her hand.

  “Absolutely, my love.” He said as he took her offered hand and stood. Another wave of amusement hit him sending quakes throughout his body.

  Shaking her head, and grinning, Liz gave him a gentle shove. “Seriously?”

  Brogan reached out to her from across the fire.

  Her smile vanished as her body reacted of its own accord, and turned to face him.

  “The stars don’t lie, child. They says what they says, and ifin that other what put his nose where it don’t belong, hadn’t done what he done, you’d been queen by now.”

  Then looking around at the others still gathered there, he said, “Ain’t you been a wondering how this here girl achieved what did so quick like? Ain’t it seemed to ya’ll like she musta been born to be what she is now? It’s her birthright.” His eyes settled on Minerva as he repeated softly, “It’s been hers from the moment she were born, and you know it.”

  Minerva nervously shifted her feet while meeting Brogan’s gaze. Although no one answered his questions aloud, each of them knew that they had wondered just that, but all of them had decided that it must be the witch in her blood that allowed her to do so.

  “The stars cannot lie, child. You are what you were meant to be. The universe has wondrous things in store for you. What you have become and what you will grow to be, is your destiny.” With his last declaration, every bit of accent was gone. His voice had taken on the quality, not of some cantankerous old man, but of an ancient one filled with wisdom.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The Magnificent Unveiling Of Brogan The Great

  Brogan brought his arms out to his sides. “Close your minds. Let no one enter and let nothing out.” His body became straight and tall. A pale mist floated above his skin. The mist lifted higher, pulling away the facade of the withered old man. He grew taller and thinner, his hair grew longer and whiter, the scraggly beard on his face became full, white as snow, and grew down almost to the waistband of his long black robes. In his left hand, he held a staff that was as tall as he was. Black as night, it shimmered as if covered in diamond dust. The man standing before them now looked nothing like the crazy old man he had been, there was a majestic air about him now, like some great king from a long forgotten past.

  Gregorio was the first to stand. He walked over to the new image of the man with a broad smile across his face. “Greetings and salutations, dear friend. I was beginning to wonder what new mess we‘d brought to our doorstep.”

  Brogan smiled apologetically and replied, “It could not see me in my natural form. It must not know I am here. Already, it sits in your castle and wonders who the crazy old man is, and how I know of it. The child does not know it exists. It consumes her more each day, in a short time now, it will own her completely. There will be no hope for her then.”

  “Father, what is going on? How do you know this magician?”

  Gregorio sighed and began to explain, “This is the Great Brogan, last and most powerful of the Druid Wizards. We have known each for a thousand years or more. Many a battle we have fought side by side.” Then looking askance at Brogan, he said, “I heard of your death five hundred years ago, knowing this ‘new’ Brogan I had assumed he was named after you.”

  “How does it know you
?” asked Liz.

  “It has been my enemy for centuries.” Brogan answered. He raised his hand to rest on Gregorio’s shoulder. “I need to know which among you are closest to the girl.”

  “That would be Angie.” Athena answered.

  “What change has occurred to Angie’s personality since dealing with the child?”

  “Nothing.” Liz jumped to her feet. “First, you want us to go after Jenna, now you think something’s wrong with Angie. She is perfectly sweet and wonderful, there is nothing at all wrong with her.”

  “Not nothing, Liz.” Athena said softly.

  Ignoring Liz’s outburst, Brogan stretched out his hand to Athena. She grasped it in hers and stood facing him.

  “Tell me.”

  “She is still my daughter, Brogan, but she has taken on a viciousness that she did not have previously. She seems smarter and more capable now than any of us had ever given her credit for. She has become a deadly fighter and killer.”

  “But she did so well in training. She worked hard to learn everything Michael tried to teach us.” Liz pleaded.

  “She did not do well, Liz, she was satisfactory and that is all. You know how shocked we all were when she managed to kill Sekhmet.” Michael’s reply seemed unfeeling and harsh to Liz, but she had to admit he was right. Everyone had been completely astonished that little Angie had managed to kill the ancient beast.

  “I imagine that was when it fully entered the girl. Upon Sekhmet’s death, the thing left her body and entered into the child. But it was at work long before that day I’d wager.”

  Minerva, head hung low, told Brogan how Cass had explained to them that Sekhmet had targeted the child for turning, almost as soon as Cass had met her. She told him of the plans the old beast had for the girl, and of the girl’s magical training, and her discovery of time portals.

  Brogan listened quietly to Minerva’s tale, when she finished he asked about how the child had come to be with them. This time it was Athena that explained how they had found her in the clearing crying, her arrival to the farmhouse and what had happened there.

  “This type of evil leaves a taint on the soul. Angie is in danger just being near her, she has been chosen to be its protector. I imagine it happened that first day.” Brogan explained.

  Liz spoke thoughtfully, “She left my arms that day. I'd been holding her and she jumped out of my lap and went over to Angie. Angie had been so terribly sad that we could not find her mother, and wasn't speaking to anyone. Jenna put her hand on Angie’s knee and they looked into each other’s eyes for a short time, then she crawled up into Angie’s lap. Angie started coming back to herself then and acting more normal, except that from that time on, she wouldn’t let hardly any of us near Jenna. We all thought she was just protecting her.”

  “She was protecting her, Elizabeth, but more importantly she was protecting the thing inside her. Someone in pain, especially someone with a broken heart, is easily wooed by this creature.” Brogan answered.

  “What is this creature you speak of?” Michael asked.

  “Its name is Baael. He’s a powerful demon. His main endeavor, for thousands of years, has been to gain dominion over the vampire nation. Sekhmet was the most powerful of her time, but it made a grave error in judgment when it settled in her. The demon did not recognize her weak and slothful nature. It did not know she would go into hiding. All this time, it has searched, through her, for a better host. There are probably others among you that it is controlling even as we speak. It has to be destroyed. Its plan is to make the child the new vampire queen. Your coming has long been prophesied among my people, Elizabeth. It was foretold, that when you finally came to power, the wickedness that created Nosferatu would be put to rest. A new era in vampire history will be recorded, and for the first time, the mortal world will live in safety from those of your kind. This is what it is trying to stop. It hates everyone and everything, but of all God’s creatures, it hates mortals the most.” Brogan sighed and without warning, took on the appearance of the withered old man again.

  Gregorio began pacing in thought, while the others remained still and quiet.

  Brogan seated himself again and pulled out his notebook.

  Gregorio stopped in front of Brogan and asked, “If it is a demon, then a priest must perform an exorcism. Regardless of your prophecy, we still live in darkness and are damned. We cannot have a priest here.”

  The old man looked up at his massive friend and laughed, “I’m not speakin’ of takin’ it out. I said we needs to kill it.”

  Motioning for everyone to take a seat again, Brogan began to spill out his plan. None of them were to let on that he was anything other than a crazy old man. When they returned to the castle, they were to act angry and unsettled. Athena was to take Angie aside during the next day, and enter her mind and shut it down. The connection between Angie and Jenna was mental only, so when her mind was shut, the other could not enter. Then she was to be sent away.

  The first thing that Baael would try to do is to enter the mind of another, it had great need of a protector. It needed the child to itself to complete its control of her. Whoever was to become the child’s guardian must have absolute control of their mind.

  The child must be isolated, far away from the castle. When Brogan began the process of killing the demon, it would undeniably reach out for help from others it had already been working on.

  While this was going on, Liz was to take a time portal and go back in time and make sure the child was not taught magic, and most importantly, to see to it that time portals were not discovered. They were going to be discovered, but not by her.

  Much of what Brogan told them seemed cryptic. Knowing exactly what the future held was impossible. Every action from every person in the world changed the outcome of the future every day. The only thing he could be certain of was that Jenna would seize power of the vampire nation through force, and with the help of the renegade army. If that were to happen, the entire world would eventually be destroyed. Although the mortal world rarely gave them much thought, except for storybooks and movies, it was their responsibility to see to it that no immortal gained power over the mortal world.

  It was nearing dawn when the group returned to the Citadel. Angie waited for them at the front gate. Jenna had been asleep for hours, but Angie was still furious at the old man for scaring her, and still considered killing him for it.

  The group walked in grumbling about the crazy old man and his wild ideas. Angie listened quietly, walking beside her mother. She stopped and stared at Athena in amazement.

  “Mother? Your mind is closed to me. What has happened?”

  “Come with us to our room child, there is much to tell that should not be said in hallways and corridors.”

  For a moment, Angie shied away as if the idea of being alone with her mother was repulsive to her, then she shrugged and resumed walking. Gregorio and the others kept moving ahead of Athena and the girl. Not once did they react as if anything unusual was going on. Liz and Michael left them when they arrived at their hall, while Gregorio, Athena, and Minerva continued on with Angie, steps echoing through the empty corridors.

  Daylight would help tremendously with what needed to be done. Although the others at the castle worked on their sunlight immunity, most slept the entire day. No eyes would be watching to see what was about to happen.

  ***

  Michael was mad at her again. It seemed like lately, no matter what she did, he was angry.

  “I just won’t have it.” Michael said.

  “Brogan said nothing about taking anyone with me. Besides you have your own work to do.” Liz tossed her clean clothes on the bed and began undressing.

  “He also said he couldn’t tell or see everything.” Michael stalked over, picked up the pile of clothes, and held them tightly in his arms.

  Liz rolled her eyes, put her hands on her hips and stared at him. “Do you have any idea how many outfits I have in that arm
oire? That is not going to stop me.”

  “For your information, this is not stopping you. This is making you take time to think this thing through. Now this,” he said, throwing the clothes on the bed and pulling her in his arms, “this is stopping you.”

  She looked into his face. “You’re being unreasonable.”

  “How am I supposed to keep you safe, when you are constantly doing things that are dangerous?”

  “Hello?” She rapped against his chest with her fist. “Immortal, remember? Virtually impossible to kill. Undead and all that crap. Ring a bell?”

  “You don’t take anything seriously.” He sighed and released her.

  “Look, all I’m saying is, if we are going to listen to the man and believe what he says, then we need to listen to the man.”

  “Right, because you're going to be queen now.” He laughed as he plopped into a chair.

  “No. That’s horse pucky. Because we’ve already mucked things up pretty good. I don’t see any need to make it worse.”

  He sat there for several minutes searing through her with his eyes, while tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair. The old chair had dents in the carved antique hand rests from the force of his angered tapping. Finally, he hissed out at her, “You don’t even have a plan. What is the point of going back, when you have no idea what you are going to do? Just because that crazy old man told you that you were to be queen of the vampire nation, does not mean you can just run about doing as you please! Let me remind you that no one has given you control of anything yet.”

  “That is not what I’m doing, Michael.” Liz groaned and sat in the chair across from him.

  “Do you have any semblance of a plan?”

  “I think I do.”

  “Well? Care to share?” he growled.

  “Oh for Pete’s sake! I’ll tell you what I’m thinking, and I would like your input and ideas, but would you stop acting like a three year old for just one minute?”

  Michael waited, still angry, and once again, began tapping at the arm rests.

  “Do you have any idea how old that chair is?”