Awen Rising

by O J Barré

  The spell had worked. Hallelujah.

  From behind the boulder, Emily slipped into a stand of pines. She covered her hair and tucked her curls inside the hoodie, then hightailed it down the path as noiselessly as possible. At the light on Moreland Avenue, she slipped past a dog walker and her three dogs and hunkered low to wait for the signal. Thus shielded, Emily glanced over her shoulder. Shalane was nowhere in sight.

  The light changed and Emily sprinted through the intersection, heart racing when she saw a police car idling in the line of traffic. Suddenly she thought of Taurus McGowan and Pete Peschi, the druid officers. They would know what to do. Praying hard, she put a couple more blocks between her and Shalane, then stopped to make the call. Pete answered on the first ring.

  “Pete, this is Emily Hester.” She sucked in air as she waited for his salutation, then threw herself on his mercy. “Remember Shalane Carpenter, the witch Mitchell was talking about?”

  “Yes’m,” Pete drawled.

  “After stalking me for months, she just found me and ambushed me in Oak Grove Park.”

  There was a quick intake of breath. “Are you okay, Miz Hester?”

  “Yes. But I think I messed up,” she admitted. “When Shalane attacked me near the Moreland Avenue entrance, I panicked. I tasered her, then I did a spell to wipe her memory. I’m pretty sure it worked, Pete. But if not, I’m afraid she will go to the police. Or that something might happen to her if she’s forgotten her way. Could you and Taurus—”

  “Absolutely, ma’am. We’re not far from there. You get on back to Wren’s Roost. Taurus and I will take care of Shalane Carpenter. What does she look like?” The incredible tension in Emily’s chest lessened as she gave Pete the description.

  “Thank you, Pete. Thank you so much. Is there anything I should do?”

  “Just go on home and don’t speak of this to anyone. We’ve got you covered, boss.”

  “Will you let me know the outcome?”

  “Absolutely, boss.”

  Emily hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. Sliding her cell in her pocket, she jogged toward Wren’s Roost with a grin on her face. He’d called her boss.

  “B-ahhhh-sssss,” she enunciated aloud. “I like the sound of that. And the feel.” There was a spring in Emily’s step as she crossed a quiet intersection and threw up a hand at a passing jogger.

  Boss. Her grin widened. Pete and Taurus would come through and Shalane would no longer be a threat. Or a concern. No more weather disasters. No more terroristic stalking. Remembering Shalane’s unexpected declaration of love, Emily shuddered. She had said they’d been together since…what had she said? Since before Earth? What the eff?

  A strong brownout washed over Emily. She stumbled on the sidewalk and stopped running to bend double. This time she was an angelic entity falling through space, massive wings beating furiously as she evaded the attack of one equally matched. Through space, Emily spiraled head-over-heels, out of control, wings limp by her sides. Then Shalane appeared again, oozing anger.

  Calling for God’s help, Emily used her powerful hindquarters to break away from her friend-turned-foe. Twisting, she blasted the colossus with one long fiery breath. The hold loosened and Emily dove, ripping free of the iron grip to somersault through space into oblivion.

  Then the vision faded, leaving Emily baffled and shaky. Was that the before-Earth Shalane had been talking about? Slowly, she looked up. She was within a hundred yards of Wren’s Roost. Dismissing the eerie vision, Emily trotted the rest of the way to the carriage house.

  Fifteen minutes later, she was stepping into the shower when her iBlast buzzed. It was Pete. She turned off the water to answer.

  “Miz Hester,” Pete drawled, “I wanted to let you know that we found Miz Carpenter right where you said, sitting on a boulder. Your memory spell worked.”

  “Excellent!” Emily crowed. “But how can you be sure?”

  “When we asked after her, she said she was fine—just sunning herself. Then she looked at her watch and jumped up and ran, saying she was gonna be late for some show. We watched until she drove away, but I don’t think you need to worry about Miz Carpenter, boss. If you’d like, we could tail her for you. We’re off duty in thirty.”

  “No, no. That’s not necessary. But thank you for offering. With any luck at all, we’ve seen the last of Shalane Carpenter.” Emily hung up and climbed into the shower to let the hot water stream over her head and body.

  Pete had called her boss again. Emily grinned, chest swelling with pride. She liked that. And the fact that Shalane had no memory of Ebby Panera. But even better? Emily was beginning to have a feel for Awen. She had performed the memory spell herself, but she’d been aware of Awen’s presence beside her.

  “Take that, Mama!” Emily gloated, rinsing her hair. “I’m not as pathetic as you made me believe.”

  Then she sobered, remembering the lizard-man. What was it? And what did it have to do with Shalane?

  She toweled dry. It was almost time for her combat lesson with Lugh MacBrayer. Emily would tell him her news and they could decide what to do next.

  **

  As it turned out, Lugh didn’t show up. Nor did he call. Or answer when Emily called him. Disappointed and on edge, she climbed into bed early, tugged her laptop from its case, and settled it on her lap. She had barely opened it in the six weeks she’d been in Atlanta, except to research druids, wolfhounds, and other peculiar things. And to take a glimpse at her files on the Hum.

  She accessed the browser and typed “lizard man”. Thousands of references appeared in the results.

  “Well, I’ll be.” Emily pulled at a lock of intensely-red hair, wrapped it around an index finger, and nibbled at the golden ends. Deeper and deeper into the web she went, reading page after page about the Reptilians, as they were more-commonly called.

  Most of the sites could be characterized as conspiracy theories, but a few were written by scientists and ex-military personnel. Or those claiming to have been kidnapped by the Dracos, as they were also known.

  Some of the sites claimed these Dracos had cross-bred with humans in order to infiltrate the governments of the world. Emily couldn’t help snickering. Could lizards even mate with humans? Just how would that work?

  Several claimed the Reptilians were descended from the Nephilim, which could be traced back to the Anunnaki. One said the Anunnaki had been aided by the Grays and opposed by the Pleidians, who passed down their spiritual beliefs and spawned ancient movements like Zoroastrianism, European Paganism, and Hindu Vedantism.

  “Wait just a minute,” Emily said in disbelief. “European Paganism? That would have to include druidry. Is this saying that the druid religion came from outer space? And from those who’d opposed the Dracos’ ancestors? What the hell?” As fascinated as she was repelled, Emily kept reading.

  The site went on to say that after linking the Reptilians to the Illuminati Cabal, the Andromeda Council had all but destroyed the reptiles in the early twenty-first century by targeting their underground compounds with high and low-frequency sonic beams. Despite that, over the last several years, reports of sightings and abductions had risen sharply.

  What the hell? Emily leaned against the headboard and stared up at the crystal chandelier. Illuminati Cabal? Andromeda Council? What a load of crap. But deep inside her, doubt stirred. What if it wasn’t?

  She let her mind empty and her gaze go soft, then reached for the vision she’d had when she touched Shalane. It had only lasted the briefest of instants and had shocked her such that she couldn’t be sure. But she’d had a vague impression of a shapeless blob, flashing lights, and a distinct face that looked almost human. It and the chest were covered in scales, and where a nose should be were slits. But the eyes—

  A shudder racked Emily’s body. The eyes had glowed an evil red.

  She studied the screen. The creature in the picture looked very much like the one in Emily’s vision. Only it was smaller and a distinct, almost iridescent green,
where the one in her vision was more olivine and beige. And this one’s eyes were black. The onscreen dude was eerily creepy, but not nearly as intimidating as the one in her vision.

  Emily closed the laptop. Weariness settled deep in her bones. Shalane Carpenter had found her again. Would the memory spell hold? Would it keep her shielded from the shaman? She certainly hoped so. And what about the lizard man? Sighing, Emily looked at her cell for the hundredth time in the last two hours. Still nothing from Lugh MacBrayer.

  Restless and needing to process, she put the laptop away and climbed out of bed to search for Hope. The Elder hadn’t been around all afternoon. Emily pattered to the living room barefoot, glad it was warm enough not to bother with a robe. She searched every room for the big cat, then exited the lanai to the back gardens. Out here it was balmy, though a cool breeze blew gently from the west.

  “Ho-ope. Here kitty, kitty.”

  Ralph scampered up behind her, meowing. Emily bent to tickle his head.

  “What are you doing out here, Bubbe? Did you sneak out behind me? Where’s our friend Hope?”

  Ralph meowed and rubbed against her, purring.

  “Say you don’t know, either?” She lifted him in her arms with a grunt. “My, my, I think you’ve gained a pound.” Snuggling her face into his fur, she carried him to the porch, then made one last attempt to find Hope.

  Back in bed, she switched off the lamp and smoothed the covers. But in her dreams, the moon was nearing full and played hide and seek with an ominous cloud shaped like Lord Voldemort. The dreams wove in and out of a restless sleep in which Emily tossed and turned, rolling from side to side so often and emphatically that she almost fell out of bed.

  At two a.m., Emily sat up straight and turned on the light. She checked her cell and resisted the urge to call Lugh, remembering her dignity. In desperation, she climbed out of bed to pour a finger of Da’s brandy in a juice glass. Holding her nose, she chugged it down sputtering and gagging, then trudged to the red room, determined to get at least a few hours of sleep before her date with Lugh. Assuming he bothered to show up.

  Emily sucked in air through her nose until her lungs reached their maximum excursion, then held it for four seconds. Letting it out to a count of eight, she held it four seconds, then started the process again, hoping against hope it would lull her to sleep.

  Fire Dragon

  T he Komodo dragon registered the rumbling deep in the earth beneath Zoo Atlanta. The commotion had started a while back, too far down to be detected by humans or their fancy instruments. But dragons were attuned to such things.

  In the wee hours of morning the rumble had changed, rising in pitch and intensity. That meant Draig Tienu’s earthen counterpart, Draig Talav, had broken through the mantle and was making for Earth’s surface to contact Awen. With a little finagling on Tienu’s part, she would emerge near the magma shelf and bring the molten rock with her. If so, he wouldn’t need the Awen to free him from the lizard’s body. The fire would do it for him. He only hoped his scheme didn’t land him in more trouble with the dragon master.

  Heat seeped from below the surface, warming the fire drake’s belly and dispelling the chill that had plagued him since winter. Barely-visible steam escaped a nearby vent, tickling Tienu’s nostrils.

  Talav and the Awen were coming. Tienu’s time was near.

  Zoo Atlanta

  T he day dawned flat and bright, with the sun hiding behind a layer of voluminous clouds that hugged the horizon. Annoyance warred with Emily’s excitement. She was supposed to be going to the zoo with Lugh MacBrayer. Only he’d missed their combat lesson the night before and hadn’t bothered to call, even after Emily left a message saying she needed to talk.

  She was dying to tell him about the lizard men. And about her run-in with Shalane, though Pete had said not to.

  But if Lugh didn’t show, Emily had decided she would share her news with Hope, then go to the zoo alone. She’d been too thrilled at the prospect of meeting Willie D, her sort-of twin, not to go. Then she would call and talk to Lugh when she got home. If he still didn’t answer, she’d call Morgan. Or Arthur.

  Emily inspected her outfit in the full-length mirror. She’d paired skinny black jeans with comfortable ankle boots and a form-flattering kiwi turtleneck. It may or may not make it to sixty-five degrees, but Atlanta’s spring winds were damp and capricious. To top the ensemble, she grabbed her red raincoat from its peg by the door. Along with the car keys. Just in case.

  By nine fifteen, Emily was vacillating between worry and anger. Lugh was usually punctual. What could have happened to make the priest stand her up two days in a row? Anxiety nibbled at her gut. She started to call his cell phone, then hesitated. She would give him a few more minutes. Damned if she needed a man anyway. Emily was perfectly capable of going to the zoo by herself. She’d been solo most of her life, hadn’t she?

  Her cell phone vibrated, and Emily’s heart lurched. Noting the four-oh-four area code, she answered quickly.

  “Emily?”

  It was Lugh. Thank God. Anger spiked now that she knew he was okay. “Where are you?” she demanded.

  “Um, leaving the house. Damn,” he swore under his breath, then yelled, “IN THE TRUCK!” so loud she had to rip the phone away from her ear. Putting it back, she heard, “…I’m really sorry. We’ll be there in five minutes.”

  “We?” she squeaked. Her answer was the beep-beep-beep of the disconnect signal.

  **

  Lugh ended the call and glared at the pair in his back seat. His nephew, Brian, had been cruising for a bruising since getting out of bed. Hamilton Hester, as the wolfhound Cu, had been even worse, insisting without compromise that he accompany Lugh and Emily to the zoo.

  Exhausted from arguing most of the morning, Lugh had finally conceded, hoping Emily could talk some sense into her father. Lugh thought it unwise to take a pony-sized dog anywhere near the zoo. But more to the point, it was supposed to be their first date.

  Climbing in the Land Rover, he adjusted his seat, grateful to be out of the biting wind. He frowned in the rearview mirror and tried one last time. “Sir, won’t you reconsider and stay here? Or at Wren’s Roost with Brian and Hope?”

  The stubborn man-dog shook his hairy head. “No sirree. I have a bad feeling about this, and since you insist on ignoring my better judgment, I am going with you. If anything happens, I will be there to help. If nothing does, then no big. Right?”

  Lugh rolled his eyes and concentrated on the road. Until a few weeks ago, Hamilton Hester had been a man commanding an empire. It stood to reason that he would want to orchestrate things. But Lugh wasn’t used to anyone telling him what to do, not since his parents had died.

  “There’s Emily,” Brian chirped as they pulled up the driveway.

  The change in the teen was most welcome—their new grand druid had been a positive influence on Lugh’s nephew. The redhead stood on the front porch, ogling his backseat passengers. Her gaze shifted and met Lugh’s. He waggled his fingers and shrugged, which brought a half smile to Emily’s lips. She nodded and wiggled her own.

  Lugh relaxed and grinned. She wasn’t mad. Thank the goddess. An ear-splitting explosion erupted from Cu, followed by a series of shrill whimpers. Lugh threw the truck in park and leapt out, happy to escape with his eardrums intact.

  “Good morning,” he circled the Land Rover grinning. Emily smiled back. His stride faltered when his guts did that crazy, melty thing.

  “G’morning,” she mumbled, gathering her stuff from the chair. “What happened to you last night?”

  “Last night? I was at Jocko’s.” She cocked both eyebrows and it suddenly hit him. “Oh shit! I missed our lesson. I totally forgot.”

  She took a step and literally pitched forward into Lugh’s arms. Fire coursed through him as her body met his. She hung suspended, purse pressed against his chest, his hands cupping her elbows.

  Unable to resist her uptilted nose with its smattering of freckles, Lugh kissed it and wat
ched the expressions flit across Emily’s face. He fought the nagging desire to whisk her to the bedroom, and lowered her to the ground.

  She curtsied ever-so-slightly and blushed scarlet, pixie face matching her wayward hair. “Thank you. I caught my toe on something.”

  “My pleasure, ma’am.” Lugh tipped his Braves cap and motioned toward the Land Rover apologetically. “I couldn’t shake those two.”

  “You invited your nephew, your dog, and my father on our date?” The question dripped with sarcasm. Lucky for Lugh, it was the good-natured kind.

  “No. I did not invite them on our date. Your dad has a bad feeling and insisted on coming. I protested. I did,” Lugh added when her eyebrows arched. “But as you can see, I lost.” He opened the front passenger door. Cu’s hairy mug hung between the seats, yipping a frantic greeting.

  Brian joined in, crackling with pent-up energy, “Hey Emily, we’re going to the zoo with you!” He bounced beside the wiggling dog, ignoring Lugh’s patent stink-eye.

  Emily ruffled Cu’s head and climbed in the Land Rover, swiveling to address the tagalongs. “What is this I hear about you guys crashing our date?”

  “Date? Uncle Lugh didn’t tell us it was a date.”

  Suppressing a grin, Lugh circled to the driver’s door in time to see Cu poke his muzzle in Brian’s face. “What else would it be?”

  To which Brian rolled his eyes and shrugged.

  “Something is about to happen, little wren,” the man-dog said. “I don’t know what, or when, or how—or even where. But my danger meter is off the scale. I’d prefer you stay at Wren’s Roost, protected by magic. But Lughnasadh refuses. So, my child, I am going to the zoo with you, whether you like it or not.”

  “You won’t mind staying in the car?” Emily asked.

  There was another canine outburst. “Hell, yes, I mind. I could do as little good in the car as at home.”