by S L Dearing
"Oh, Rona?"
As quickly as she turned, her face reflected a sincere smile.
"Please take Darla with you on this fact finding mission, won't you?"
"Of course, Beverly."
Beverly watched them walk away and smiled silently to herself.
Alia let go of Jerry and helped him and Brian get down from the altar. Kaley and the twins had been waiting patiently for their mother. Lisa and Brandon grabbed onto their mother's waist and held tightly. Alia looked into Kaley's eyes and saw her fear.
"It's all right, My Love."
Kaley wrapped her arms around Alia's neck and held tightly. Alia attempted to balance herself.
"It's ok."
Kaley reluctantly let go of her mother. Alia looked at Sean who smiled and winked at her. Ian was standing off in a corner, his hands in his pockets, unsure of what he had just seen.
"Ian? Can you and Kaley take Jerry and Liam back to the Keystone House? I think they need a nap."
Ian nodded and stepped forward, taking his hands out of pockets. Kaley tried to take one of them, but he reached for his cousins and Kaley felt as though she had been punched in the stomach.
They walked out of the hall and Kaley followed. Alia motioned to Sean and Myron. They stepped forward and waited.
"Beverly, I leave you to uncover this mystery. I think I'll let the dignitaries know what's going on. How soon do you think we'll have those talismans ready?"
Beverly shrugged.
"Sometime tonight, maybe."
Evelyn Tran threw up her hands and let her face drop to the table, rocking it from side to side.
"My goodness, Evelyn. Nothing was ever accomplished through being negative. Come on, buck up."
Sean grabbed Brandon and Alia picked up Lisa and took Brian's hand as they walked slowly out of the hall, listening to Beverly rallying the troops.
41
Thomas Blaylock led his men west to an area once known as the Angeles Forest in the San Bernardino Mountains; back to the castle they called home. As they rode through the heat, Blaylock wondered why they had been sent to kill the Catholics, not that he minded. It had been several years since he had had that kind of fun. In the past ten years, he and his men had been relegated to stay close to their castle and keep a low profile and they did, for the most part, with only a few exchanges in between, but he never knew why. Blaylock had needed last night's recreation.
He felt calm and free now, just like he had right after the War when he had the run of the land.
Now he was a general, the leader of his men, all of them almost as depraved as he was. He began to smile as he turned his thoughts back to the night before and the Catholic girl. He reached to his leg and ran his fingers through long strands of hair that were attached to a sporran. They were tied in knots around the metal ring, approximately eighty to a hundred different strips. Most were faded and frayed with age and wear, but there was one that he continued to play with that was dark and new.
He smiled at the thought of her young body and pale flesh. She wasn't more than sixteen and he knew she had never been touched. He felt himself harden at the recollection of her screams. Although he had told her not to fight, she had and he was glad of it. She had screamed and scratched, kicked and bitten. The first time he entered her, her sharp cries resonated in his ears, making him even more excited at the thought of taking her precious innocence. He didn't need an excuse, but that was when he let loose. He could still feel the sting of his hand against her skin and the sticky wetness of her blood. Her pain was exquisite.
She was bloody and disoriented at the end. Barely breathing, but still full of fight after hours of violation, he could see it in her eyes. He wasn't sure he could go as long as he did, but she was exciting. He almost regretted killing her, but that final moment was more precious to him than anything and he closed his hands around her neck. With each lunge into her, he closed his hands a little tighter. Her breathing became more and more constricted. She wheezed and gasped as her tiny hands pounded against his chest. She had clawed at him and struggled for air. In her last moments, she had dug deeply into his face and removed a good portion of his skin. He smiled as he fondly touched his wounded cheek. He leaned forward and pressed himself against the leather horn of his saddle. He pictured her face, pale and blue, as she struggled for air, tiny gasps that grew less and less audible as his hands tightened around her throat. She fought him to the last breath and then she was gone. He watched her eyes go dark and vacant, still wet from her tears and remembered his release, which caused him to do so again. He gripped the saddle horn and looked forward.
He reached to the hair again and smiled. She had been one of the best.
"Excuse me, General?"
Blaylock turned around and saw a young recruit at his side. He turned back with a frown, disturbed at being brought back to the long hot ride.
"Yes?"
"General, some of the prisoners are having trouble walking, Sir."
"And?"
"I wasn't sure if you still wanted them undamaged, Sir."
Blaylock smiled. The kid wasn't stupid. He looked back at the women and the priests who were walking behind several of his men. Their hands were tied at the wrist and the other end of the rope was attached to a wagon carrying goods they had taken. They had been traveling for about six hours through the desert. The prisoners stumbled and barely caught themselves, knowing that a fall might cause them to be dragged.
Monsignor Klaus was haggard and looked to the bright sky, secretly praying for the Lord to spare the women any more violence. He prayed for their rescue or release, and if that release would be death, then he was glad, at least they would be spared anymore suffering.
Father Leon silently cursed his own weakness. He wanted nothing more than to be let go. In his heart, he didn't care about the Monsignor or the women. He stumbled and every so often cried, mostly at his pain, but sometimes at his cowardice.
Blaylock laughed at the weary individuals he had taken and turned back around. He looked at the young recruit and then at his second in command, Gary Brollen.
"We'll rest then. After all, they don't want them damaged."
Brollen held up his arm and the entire squad stopped. He then looked at the recruit.
"It was your bright idea, so go and tell 'em why we're all stopped. And tell 'em thirty minutes."
The soldier backed up and rode off. Brollen sat silently next to Blaylock. Gary Brollen had been a talent agent before the war and he had always had a sadistic tendency. He had been at the top of his game and in peak physical shape when the bombing began. A year into the War he had met Thomas Blaylock. They fell into mayhem immediately, because like Blaylock, Brollen also had a taste for young girls. Brollen was six foot five and reminiscent of a gladiator, muscles everywhere. It was easy to see how he had once been very handsome, but now he was a mass of scars. The most noticeable was on his face. It started in the middle of his forehead and ran down the side of his nose and moved right across his cheek, in a deep jagged groove. Then it abruptly cut left just before it hit his ear and ran down across his mouth, ending midway down his throat. The white of the scar against his dark brown skin made it appear as if it glowed.
They both smiled and sat silently, staring at the mountain that lay before them. A screech came from above and a falcon landed on Blaylock's shoulder. It appeared to be smiling as well.
42
Justin Roberts and Stephan Merganser were sitting in Justin's quarters, listening to the streets.
"Brother Justin?"
"Yes?"
"I believe that Satan is trying to take hold of this village."
Justin turned his gaze to his co-president and sighed deeply.
"I'm inclined to agree with you, Brother Stephan. The air is thick with his workings."
"What are we to do? We cannot remove our people without offending the other dignitaries or Alia and her people. Yet, if we were to publicly pray, we would break the rules of the Gathering
and this village."
"I know. I have asked God's counsel on this matter but I'm afraid that we must wait for Him to send a sign."
Justin rose and walked to the balcony door. He looked outside and watched the bustling crowds enjoying the bright fall sun. Justin thought about the glory that was Jesus and how His father had given them so much. Although Alia and the majority of her people did not follow the teachings of Christ, Justin knew he had to do his utmost to protect them from the dark one.
In his heart, Stephan Merganser could only think of his boys. Elian so confident and proud, ready to follow in the footsteps of his father. But Stephan did not understand his youngest son. Albion had always been quiet and never far from his mother. When she was taken, a part of Albion was taken as well. He had retreated into himself and Stephan didn't know how to reach him. He was so deep in thought he hadn't heard Justin return to his chair.
"You seem preoccupied, Stephan. What troubles you?"
Stephan shook his head.
"My children."
"They are fine young men, Stephan, strong in the ways of the Lord."
"Elian is yes, but I worry so about Albion. He has never fully recovered from his mother's death, Justin. He grows more silent every day and he pulls farther and farther away from me. I fear he is being tempted."
"How do you mean?"
"I wonder if Satan isn't whispering in his ear, Justin, to do horrible things. He spends so much time alone."
"He was only eleven when Anne was taken, My Friend. Perhaps when you find a new wife, he will be better for it."
Stephan smiled and shook his head.
"And where would I find a new wife, Justin?"
Justin smiled and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms in front of him.
"There are many women who would gladly stand in line to be your wife, Old Friend."
"There are many good women of Crystal Shade, that is true."
"Yes, but I believe that your feelings for our hostess might interfere, Stephan. Perhaps with patience and caution, you would get her to see the right path."
"You have always known me better than I've known myself, Old Friend. I miss Anne so much some times. Perhaps it is just my own loneliness that drives me to desire Alia Stark rather than a woman of our faith."
"Perhaps, although it could also be that Alia is quite beautiful and you have been known to take up a challenge."
Stephan laughed and rose from his chair, walked outside and leaned against the edge of the balcony. He looked over at the castle and saw the turret, the gold and red curtains blowing gently from the window. The Lord would show him the way. Then he remembered... he had a meeting in a few hours.
43
Ian and Kaley had delivered the Liam and Jerry to the Turners and explained what had happened. Ellen went to put the boys down and Grant left to find Alia and Sean.
Ian went outside and sat on a chair on the balcony without a word to Kaley. She stood, silently fighting back the tears as she watched him, her frustration growing. Finally, a tear rolled down her face and she turned and left.
Ian had been thinking about everything he had seen in the last twenty-four hours. He ran his fingers through his long hair and turned to Kaley.
He saw she was gone, rose from the chair and walked into the room. He looked in the kitchen and down the hall and then ran back to the balcony to see her walking back to the castle.
"Dammit!"
He ran after her.
Kaley was furious with herself. She bit the inside of her cheek to try to keep from crying harder and let her hair fall in her face to hide the tears. She heard his words in her head over and over. He said he loved her, he couldn’t live without her and now he just didn't care. How could he turn it off so easily?
She was at the steps of the castle when she felt his hand on her arm. She turned and tried to break free of his grip, hitting him and pushing him away.
Ian stood quietly as she began to sob and she slapped his face, and then again. When she tried a third time, he caught her hand in mid-air and looked into her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Kaley. I am so sorry."
Kaley's sobs continued as she struggled against him in vain. He held her to his chest, fighting every urge to break down with her. Soon she collapsed against him, her face against his chest, sobbing.
"I'm sorry I hurt you, Kale."
Kaley raised her head and looked at him.
"You…ignored…me. I …tried to…comfort you…and you… and you… ignored…me. Do you…really love…me?"
"Oh, God, yes, Kaley, more than anything!"
Kaley continued to cry and Ian held her until her sobs subsided. He lifted her face to his and he gently wiped away her tears and offered her his handkerchief. They sat on the steps and Ian took her hands.
"I was thinking about everything that's happened in the last few days, these weird demons, Jerry getting infected…and Scott. That was real what happened to them. I can see that, but what your mom did and the healers…that was real magic. My whole life, I've been taught about Jesus and the power of the one true God. But that wasn't in God's name or Jesus Christ's. I don't know what to believe. I’m so confused right now. I guess I was kind of… I guess I am kind of shell-shocked."
Kaley once again felt foolish for her behavior. There was so much she didn't know about men. She wiped the last of the tears from her face and took a deep breath.
"You know, my dad was Catholic. So was my mom once. She never stopped believing that Jesus was the Son of God. Actually, she believes in everything."
Ian shook his head.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"My mom believes in one great power. She believes that this power isn't good or bad; it's both because like in nature or in us, there are both. She believes that it makes up all the gods through the faith of the believer. It's all about the manifestation of the power. Jesus existed, we know that; he's the Son of God because there were many who believed and it was their faith that brought him to earth. My mother follows the path of the Morrighan, the Celtic goddess. She chose the path of the pagan because of her own issues with Christianity. Magic happens everywhere, Ian. The miracles of the Catholic Church are magic, just like what we saw at the Hall, only in the name of Jesus Christ and not the Morrighan. There's no reason for you to doubt your faith. Your God is real, as long as you have faith."
"You know, I should have just told you how I felt in the first place."
"Yeah…maybe I should have asked you what was wrong."
Ian smiled and shrugged, then looked over at her.
"I'm sorry, Kale."
"Me too. This whole 'love' thing is harder than it looks."
Ian raised his eyebrows.
"Are you trying to tell me something?"
"Yeah, it's hard."
"Oh. Yeah."
Kaley was looking at him as he looked down at her fingers and she shook her head as she silently went over her words in her head. Then it struck her and she smiled.
"But it's worth it."
Ian smiled and looked over at her.
"You sure?" he asked.
Kaley nodded.
"Because I love you, Ian Turner."
He smiled and sighed, leaning into her face, their lips touching as they gently kissed.
"I don't ever want to be away from you, Kaley."
He kissed her again and they sat on the steps of the castle and talked, oblivious of everyone around them.
43
The healers of Lia Fail had spent the remainder of the day making talismans and when they had finished Vivian and her staff distributed them.
Alia had called a meeting of the dignitaries and everyone agreed that they would worship in their respective areas for the duration of the Gathering. Alia assured them that the talismans, in the fashion of their beliefs, would work as long as they had faith and to the Atheists, Shintos and Buddhists, she asked that they indulge her and just wear the jewelry that had been so thoughtfully made for the
m.
Day had once again given way to night and the people were celebrating the Gathering. Music was playing and people drank and danced, seeming to forget about the events of the last twenty-four hours.
Coeli sat on the bench in front of her father's memorial, looking at the reliefs and remembering. She was lost in her thoughts when she felt a wet nose in her hand. She looked down and smiled as Madison licked her hand.
"We've been looking for you."
Sam slid onto the bench next to her. Without thinking she leaned against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. He didn't hesitate to reciprocate.
"What's wrong, Shay?"
"Nothing."
"Liar."
Coeli smiled, pulled back and looked at the memorial as Sam caressed her face.
"I was just thinking about my dad. I miss him."
Sam leaned over and kissed her cheek. She smiled but her eyes welled up with tears and he frowned.
"Aw, c'mon, Shay. Don't cry."
Coeli shrugged and looked down.
"With everything going on, I just realized we only have a week left. The last two days have gone by so quickly and with everything else, it just seems like… I don’t know."
"What?"
"It's not enough time, Sam. I want more time."
Sam took a deep breath and nodded. Coeli got up and walked to her dad's memorial. She moved her hands across the portrait of him and another tear slid down her face.
"I didn't have enough time with him, Sam. It's not fair. Why do we have to cram everything into ten days and then wait another six months to see each other again?"
Sam looked at her and raised his eyebrows.
"I thought we were talking about your dad."
Coeli shrugged and walked back over to the bench.
"No, we were talking about time. Time we have left and time to do the things we want and say the things we want to say. Pretty soon you'll go home and we won't see each other for another six months."