Taylor, Diane

by Shadow Demon (Triskelion) (lit)

  I rubbed the back of my neck, wincing as my hand came in contact with the new tattoo across the back of my shoulders. It took Joey three days to do the entire thing, and I handed him the full price for it, plus a tip for putting up with my bitching. “Well, I can tell you a little bit more, but most of it needs to remain untold, because it’s too dangerous to have people know.” When they both nodded, I grinned, “Afterwards, Stephanie, you did say something about joining you in the Circle. Maybe something magical will happen to explain the entire thing.” I found myself actually looking forward to this.

  Rachel looked up at the clock. “Give it a couple of hours so that the moon can reach its zenith.” She looked between Steph and me with a grin on her face, “I always found it more romantic doing it in the light of a full moon.”

  Stephanie blushed a deep crimson while looking at the other woman. “Oh? And here I thought we were talking about the ritual, not your love life.” I winked, one-eyed at Steph.

  “And you’re stalling, Terri. Out with it,” Steph said with a mock growl, eyes sparkling. “Before I decide to chuck the three fold rule and strangle you.”

  “More wine, first.” I held out my glass for a refill. “Steph knows most of it, but I’ll begin at the beginning for you, Rachel.”

  I paused to listen internally for any advice from the Goddess. Strangely enough, She had not spoken to me at all since before the showdown. Looking at two of my favorite people, I began. “Okay, here’s what happened. Mind you, this is an edited version...”

  ****

  Two hours later, both of them had run the whole gamut of emotions across their faces as I finished my story. “And now I’m sort of in limbo as to what I’m going to do next. Maybe I’ll turn to doing my own photo work and make a name for myself with wildlife photography.” I downed the last of the wine. “I always did have a thing for animals.” I knew there were a lot of blank spots in the story, but sometimes not knowing keeps you alive. Both of them knew that as the story finished.

  Stephanie smiled and patted my arm. “You’ll find your way, even now. But, I think, it’s time for you to ask advice from someone higher than yourself.” She chuckled. “Come, get dressed for the ritual. It’s just going to be the three of us.”

  She handed me a gorgeous dark green robe. One that belted in the front and looked suspiciously enough like a bathrobe. Stephanie caught my look and grinned. “We improvise with what we have, Terri. Use the bathroom and shed clothes.”

  Once in the bathroom, I took time to examine the tattoos and the scars. The brilliant artwork Joey did was beautiful. The tail of the dragon wrapped around the left bicep, while it’s head lay over my right shoulder to rest along the collarbone. I had to grin. “Never wake a sleeping dragon.” I murmured and turned around to view the back of it. It was, indeed, a sleeping dragon. The whole design was integrated to look as if the bat was showering cherry blossoms onto its iridescent scales. It always surprised me how bright the colors were. I’d kept it under wrap until now, but both of them would probably notice at least some of it tonight.

  The circle scar with the pink starburst bullet wound in the center of it decorated my left shoulder. The healing process would take time but intense therapy allowed me to go for several hours without the arm sling. Every now and again, however, it would twitch and remind me about over abusing it. The healing scar on my right bicep ran from elbow to shoulder, but it didn’t hinder my movement. They told me I’d been lucky the muscle hadn’t been severed. Lucky only because the sword that did it was razor sharp.

  Out in their backyard on the outskirts of Seattle, a small fire was burning in the center. I followed them out, “I don’t know what you two want me to do. Help me out here.”

  They both smiled and tugged me onwards to the fire. For once, the thought of being near an open flame didn’t bother me. In fact, the warmth welcomed all three of us. As both of them joined hands with me, they began a singsong chant in what my mind identified as Gaelic. Its soothing tone allowed my mind to relax and sink into the rhythm. I began to hum the tune an octave lower than the chanting itself, providing a base for their voices. By the time they stopped, the temperature had dropped significantly, causing me to edge closer to the flames. Being barefoot didn’t help matters as frost began to form on the grass. At their urging, we circled the fire, three times clockwise. I came back to the place in the South, just in time to see the flames explode upwards in a shower of sparks.

  Leaping back, I blinked, watching in shock as a woman warrior emerged from the flames. Rachel and Stephanie didn’t seem too bothered by it. Instead, amusement lit their eyes as they watched my expression. The warrior stepped towards me and laughed heartily. “So you get to see me on your birthing day in one of my other guises! Good for you.”

  I knew that voice! But this woman looked like a Celtic warrior! At least, that’s what I thought She appeared to be. “Damnit woman! Will you stop doing that to me?” My words caused Stephanie and Rachel to howl with laughter. I sighed and looked at Amaterasu, “I’ve had too many ups and downs in the past few months. Not that I’m not glad to see that you are still around. I just didn’t expect you to be, well, here.”

  She smiled at me indulgently. “But it’s so much fun to toss you for a loop,” she grinned. “You need to be shaken up every now and again, right ladies?”

  My two friends got control of their laughter and grinned like idiots. “Who are we to argue with our favorite Goddess?” they teased the entity.

  “Okay you three. I take it you had this planned for a while now.” They nodded and I shrugged, “You knew I was going to survive that fight, didn’t you, Goddess?”

  She shrugged and the heat from the fire warmed my soul. “Nothing is absolute, Terri. But I had complete faith that you would.”

  I blinked at the woman whose body flickered as if it were still part of the firelight, maybe She still was. After all, Her element was the Sun, and fire was part of that element. “I am… at a loss at this moment in time.”

  She nodded. “I thought at much. On that topic, I cannot give you any advice except have faith in yourself. Never give up on something good. You’re good at what you do, Terri. My suggestion would be to go back to what you enjoy doing.”

  I nodded. “I was thinking of possibly doing a photo gallery presentation. I don’t know.”

  “You’ll find your way in life. And if you need someone to talk to, simply look in the mirror and say one of my many names, I’ll find you.” She reached out Her hand and caressed my face. “Your soul weighs heavily with the lives you have been forced to take. I can see that. I can’t help you lift that burden, but I can tell you that the karmic debt has been paid. You were their balance point. Even your Father had a three-fold karmic backlash coming. At least you made it a clean death.”

  “At least some good came out of it, then. My dad may have been a bigoted bastard, but he didn’t deserve to be corrupted and turned into the very thing he had a hatred for.” I shook my head, then looked at the three people before me and sighed. “I need a vacation”

  They looked at each other and laughed. “After the fiasco you’ve been through, I‘d say so.” Stephanie grinned.

  My arm started to ache, causing me to wince. The Goddess noticed, “You need to rest, and heal, daughter. Go to bed and all will be well in the morning. Happy Birthday.” She looked fondly on the other two. “And you two. A pair of mischief makers you are, My Blessings to you both.” With that, She walked back into the flames, which parted and swept back together as if the curtain between worlds had moved just for Her.

  “She does like to scare the crap out of me on occasion.” I was suddenly very exhausted. “Can we finish up so I can get some sleep at my hotel?”

  They nodded and the ritual ended with some non-alcoholic wassail and banana nut bread. After getting dressed, I found them happily tucked into the kitchen with the rest of the wassail and shared a final drink with them. As we were all exhausted, they sent me back to the hotel in a c
ab, paying the fare in advance. The ride had been nice enough, but my mind refused to stop running in circles. Once in my hotel room, relaxing and sleeping for the next year sounded like a good idea. I left a trail of clothes all the way to the bed, only to find that sleep can be as evasive as water flowing through fingers. When the phone rang in my room at ten am, I had been pacing the floor the entire night.

  I reached for it, snatching the receiver from its cradle on the third ring. “Hello?”

  It was Stephanie. “Hey hon. How are you doing?”

  I grumbled at her cheery voice. “Not too bad. I haven’t slept yet. Too restless.”

  “That bad, huh?” a pause. “Well, this might cheer you up. I received a phone call that might be just up your alley. I have a person who is interested in finding a photographer to come to Spain and

  photograph his herd of Andalusian horses for him.”

  My curiosity piqued. “Really? Why me?”

  A hint of amusement. “The poor guy didn’t know the first thing about photographers and remembered me from some of the articles I did on the US - Spanish relations. I got the call at eight am this morning from Barcelona. Diego Castaneda is his name. He asked my opinion of who might be the best person to get photos of his entire herd. The only person I could think of was you.”

  Spain. Markus. In my mind, I saw Markus’s face that last time. Angry and unforgiving. Steeling myself against the emotional pain, my heart contracted at the thought of him. He had been the one responsible for making me afraid to dream at night. My life was hell enough without suffering the torment in my dreams. Everywhere I looked, there would be something that reminded me of him and the times we shared. My gaze fell on the origami collection as tears made their way down my face, blurring my vision.

  Stephanie started sounding concerned. “Hey, Terri? You okay? You want me to give him someone else?”

  Wiping my eyes and getting control of my emotions, I calmed down enough to speak without letting my emotions color my voice. “I’m fine, Stephanie. Just old memories I need to put behind me.” Yes, I thought, put the past behind you and get on with your life. It’s over. Get on with living your own life. “What are the terms of employment? I have a feeling this is going to take some time.”

  “A houseboat that he has at a private dock on the Mediterranean coastline, full use of all the facilities on the grounds of the Castile de la Sol, transportation to and from Barcelona if you want, shopping trips, and a big fat paycheck when the job is done. An advance incentive of ten thousand dollars is already confirmed in your bank account.” She said smugly. “Of course, I got a commission for getting you on the job and out of your doldrums.”

  I had to grin. “Maybe that’s just what I need. When do I leave and how big is the payout?”

  She named a six-figure paycheck and I whistled. Must be an expensive herd, I thought. Then her next words had me scrambling. “The first class tickets are at the front desk and you’ve got twenty minutes to pack and haul ass down here for breakfast, because I’m not going to wait for you any longer than that.”

  I blinked. “You’re downstairs…?” I wiped a hand over my face, “Ok ok, I’ll be down. I take it I’m off to the airport as soon as I get food?”

  “You got it, sweetie. See you in twenty.” There was a click as Stephanie hung up from the main lobby.

  “So much for getting any sleep.” I ran for the shower. Ten minutes later, while drying my hair with one hand and working on trying to pack the rest of my stuff in the suitcase, Stephanie walked through my door, burbling with laughter, carrying a full tray of breakfast. Thirty minutes later, and a trip through customs, the intercontinental flight left the ground, heading for the unknown. Unknown was right, as I fell asleep shortly after take off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Eighteen

  >I opened my hotel room curtains to the sights and sounds of Barcelona. Mr. Castaneda had graciously allowed me a few days to get accustomed to the region before getting to work, giving me time to play tourist. Which is what my body needed, no hassles, just time to rest and allow my body to heal the rest of the way. This was my second day in Barcelona. I walked into the room on the first day and, the moment the door closed, collapsed onto the bed and into a deep sleep. Not even the church bells were enough to wake me.

  Today, I dressed in casual clothes and grabbed my camera. Down at the front desk, the clerk generously found me all the information needed for tours and transportation in the city. One of the buses dropped me off at the open-air market along the seashore without incident. For the first time in a long while, I was able to relax and take in the scenery without worrying about assassins, missing a photo op, or having someone breathe down my neck because of a deadline. The sense of freedom from such things was almost overwhelming.

  The warmth of the sun heated my skin, reminding me to put on some sunscreen before I burned. The clouds were non-existent, and the sun shone like a bright candle in the sky. What attracted me most of all, however, was the scent of flowers blooming in the market stalls, the tang of salt air from the Mediterranean wafting in from the bay, and the pleasant aroma of food that floated out from many of the restaurants that dotted the market area. I got some outstanding photos while shopping for myself. Clothes to supplement my wardrobe and a few small mementos here and there to remind me of this beautiful spot that graced the Earth with its presence. I had learned early on that the smaller things were more precious than something huge and bulky.

  Back to the comfort of my hotel room, exhaustion fought for supremacy. Yet, like in Seattle, the surroundings had me too jazzed to sleep. I picked up the camera, headed out onto the balcony of my hotel room, and took some photos of the sun as it set over the whitewashed buildings of Barcelona. In some parts of the world, the colors are brighter, the hues richer, and the whole sunset is more spectacular than what we have at home. It made me glad this job took me away from the snowbound streets of Seattle to this moment in time. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. I say that pictures capture a moment in time for all eternity.

  Soon, however, the stars were twinkling and sounds drifted up to my ears from the streets below. The siren’s call of a city alive with music and laughter. The strains of a lone Flamenco guitar floated up to my ears from somewhere in the neighborhood in a blatant invitation that could not be refused. After a shower, I dressed in a dark iridescent green shirt of light cotton over a pair of jeans while a sturdy pair of sandals decorated my feet. My hair, still growing out, finally brushed my shoulders. For the first time, twin streaks of white hair became noticeable at my temples. The contrast of the black fabric of the eye patch against the white hair made it quite striking. Smiling, I reached for the medallion that lay on the vanity. The darkened metal, colored thread, and glass beads complimented the green shirt underneath the short, dark gray, bolero jacket. A pair of fire opal earrings went into my ears, a final pass with a brush through my hair, and it was time to go have fun. My room key and identification went into an inner pocket of my jacket, and I closed the door behind me with a soft metal click.

  Nightlife in Barcelona is a truly enchanting experience. The scent of night blooming flowers, the sounds of people having a good time in open-air cafes, nightclubs, and simply walking along the seashore is exquisite. Like ambrosia to the senses after the noise of Seattle. Walking along the quay, my ears perked up at a familiar sound and followed it to a small bar just at the very edge of the city on the seaward side of the street. From the outside, it looked as if people were having a very easygoing time around what appeared to be no more than a small building. In actuality, after I went inside, it turned out to be a refurbished boathouse on an old dock, with reinforced flooring and new supports. The rest of the dock had been turned into an outdoor seating area with an absolutely stunning view of the water.

  I got a beer from one of the ladies tending bar and strode to the outdoor area. Once there, a sense of melancholy washed over me. The small, vine covered railing, the water la
pping against the rocks, the music and the odd splash of a fish made me close my eye and groan softly. This became too much like my dream and the emotions were almost too much to bear. Something intruded on my emotional turmoil at that moment, an odd feeling that made the hairs on the back of my neck bristle like porcupine quills. I knew the sensation like an old friend. The feeling of eyes watching me while my gaze looked out over the water. Time to make myself scarce, my common sense whispered. Finishing my beer, I slowly turned to make a full scan of the area before heading back inside the bar. Once there, I ordered another beer, determined to enjoy the evening without having to run for the hills or hurt someone. Even so, my back went against the wall while my attention wandered around the crowds and the entertainment. A pair of flamenco dancers showed their moves on the wood floor to the applause and cheers of the crowd. They were impressive and I added my applause to the already noisy accolades.

  Time flew like shooting stars across the sky and soon the clock behind the bar urged me to head back. The feeling of being watched had disappeared hours ago. I hailed a cab, which delivered me to

  the hotel, and my room, without any problems. It had been a wonderful evening. Now I needed to get some sleep because tomorrow, Diego Castaneda expected me at the Castile de la Sol to begin my work.

  Chapter Nineteen

  >The drive down the coastline the next morning became visually delightful. As the city gradually gave way to suburbs, and suburbs to countryside, the flora and fauna became more pronounced. It was more than beautiful, it was breathtaking. I rolled down the window of the limo to inhale the intoxicating aroma of the wildflowers along the side of the road. The early morning dew still decorated the ground in small drops that glimmered like diamonds. Miniature rainbows emerged when the sun kissed the moisture, creating a stunning display that few people ever witness in their lifetime. Or maybe most people just don’t get up early enough to appreciate what Mother Nature has to offer