She, of course, didn’t need a map to see them, but it would act as a visual aid for her guests. A mere thought and lights appeared across the area. Faith smiled at the light located in Swampscott.
“What?” Ed asked.
“A really nice man lives there,” she said pointing at the gleaming light.
“How did you know him?” her grandfather asked.
“When we started to feel something off. I took a tour of all the Buidseach in the area. There’s a family on the Cape, see. And that journalist, Olivia Abernethy, here in Boston.
“Braden Druce is our problem and, even if he’s here, he won’t show up because he’s cloaked,” Duncan said. I looked for him last summer after we terminated his brother. I wanted to have a talk with him and warn him off, but I couldn’t find him.”
“Do you even know what Braden looks like?” Ed asked.
“I haven’t seen him since he was fifteen, and he’s my age, so, no, not really. Although when they were young, he and Gavin looked a lot alike,” Padraig said.
“I’ve got that covered,” Duncan said taking out his cellphone. “He was pulled in a few years ago for being drunk and incapable. Of course, after he sobered up, he took leave of the Aberdeen jail, but he never erased his mug shot, so here he is,” Duncan said, holding up the picture for everyone to see. “I’ll send this to all of you.”
“Good man,” Padraig said.
“Faith,” Beth said, “you got Aaron uncloaked, could you drop back in and see about Braden?”
Faith hesitated. “I don’t know. I mean, I don’t think that I should drop in on God with every little problem.”
“An Dubh is not a little problem,” Padraig said.
“I have a thought. Be back in a minute,” Faith said as she rested her eyes, relaxed, mentally called for Elise, and drifted peacefully into the other realm. Within an instant Faith was with her new friend, this time in a small city. Faith could see hundreds of other spirits going about their lives.
“Thought I’d give you a change of scene,” Elise said.
“Thanks, this is cool and a little less eerie.”
“Do you have a question?”
“Yes, about binding someone who’s cloaked. Can it be done?”
“It can.”
“Can you or I do it, or do I have to ask the Divine?”
“Oh, you want to test your powers, huh?”
“I guess. My grandfather would certainly be impressed.”
“Well then, let’s impress him. What’s going on?”
“Braden Druce, I think he’s the head of An Dubh, sent a demon after me. We want to shut him down.” Faith stopped thinking for a moment that Elise might not understand her slang, and asked, “Do you what that means?”
“I’m the same age as you are. When I found out that I was dia, I chose to live on this plane, that’s all.”
“Could Finn live here?”
Elise nodded.
“He likes his life a lot, doesn’t he?” Faith said.
“Indeed, he does.”
“Say no more,” Elise said and pulled a small stream of light from the Earth, through the dimensions and back to her.
“Braden Druce is now without his Buidseach powers, but he is still cloaked. Only the Divine can ...”
“Could Finn have bound his powers?” Faith asked.
“Not unless he’d committed to living in this realm. All of our powers come from the Divine and the nearer we are to him, the more power we have.”
Then Faith asked, “Can you ever come and visit me?”
Elise smiled, and asked, “Would you like that?”
“I would.”
“Then I’ll drop by from time to time.”
When Faith opened her eyes, Ed asked, “Why were you smiling?”
“Oh, I’ve made a friend over there.” Then, regarding the business at hand, she said, “And Braden Druce, no longer has his powers but he is still cloaked.”
She had been quite right about her grandfather being proud.
“Wow,” he said, “This Fáidh business is really impressive.”
“Read the lore,” Beth and Faith, once again, both said in unison, seeming to find it equally funny the second time around.
“It would be even more impressive if you two would grow up,” Padraig said.
“Never gonna happen,” Faith said.
Chapter Sixteen
Finn and his manager were setting up procedures for when he went back to Great Britain.
“You’ll call me every morning, afternoon, my time,” Finn said.
“I will. How often will you be coming over?”
“I’ll be here about every three months. I’ve got family here who’ll be keeping an eye on the place for me.”
“You should have a private party for them.”
“I thought of that, but …”
“I know. It’s a lot with the startup, but we can handle it. If you want, that is.”
“Good idea. Let’s do it.”
“How many?”
Finn thought for a moment and said, “Eight or ten. I’ll text them and confirm,” Finn said.
“We can do that in our sleep.”
“Dining room two is a little big, but I guess it’ll work,” Finn said.
“No, we’ll use dining room one.”
“Is it ready?” Finn asked.
“You’re not planning for tonight, are you?”
“No, no. Will be ready tomorrow?” Finn asked.
“Absolutely. There finishing the floor today. Come on; let’s take a look.”
As they approached, Finn was duly impressed with the textured wallpaper and the ultramodern chandelier.
“Where’s the furniture?” Finn asked.
“Stacked up next door.”
“Stacked up!” Finn said beginning to feel his blood boil. “There better not be a scratch on that table.”
“You think I’m crazy. Everything is packed and padded.”
“Oh, all right,” Finn said, as he walked next door and looked in to see that nothing seemed to be in jeopardy.
Walking back to dining room number one, Finn asked the workmen, “When will this be ready to use?”
“We’ll finish today.”
“Then we should be good to go,” Finn said, and left to invite his family.
******
Ed and Faith had been invited to breakfast with Duncan and were at his hotel when Faith received the text from Finn. Imparting the details of the invitation to her companions, she graciously accepted for all three, ‘Ed, Duncan and I are in.’
While she was doing that, Ed was answering a text from his partner. It seemed that Maggie Dunham had agreed to meet under the conditions that it would be at the hospital and that it would be the next day.
The topic of conversation turned decidedly less cheery when Duncan brought up his own feeling that something ominous was coming their way.
“You still feeling it?” he asked Faith.
“Mum says it has to be Braden.”
“Has to be. He’s cloaked so we can’t dowse for him. You want to try to Fáidh for him?” Duncan asked with a grin.
“Oh, Fáidh is now a verb is it?”
“Let’s see what you can do.”
“Not until after breakfast” Faith said looking at the menu. This looks delicious.”
“After we eat, we can go up to my suite.”
“Suite,” Ed said. “You really went all out.”
“I’m a bachelor living in a seven hundred square foot condo at the end of the Earth. What have I got to spend my money on? I take a vacation every two or three years and enjoy the finer things.”
As they ate, a woman approached. Duncan got up and kissed her on the cheek. Faith was baffled, but Ed recognized her from the night they’d met at Finley’s.
“Ed, you remember Theresa.”
Ed stood to shake her hand, and Duncan introduced her to Faith, who took a light read when she shook her hand and was satisfi
ed with what she read.
“Stay and eat with us,” Duncan said.
“Can’t, I have to catch a plane. I’m going home to Virginia for a week. Just wanted to say goodbye.”
Duncan excused himself and walked back outside. Ed and Faith watched with both interest and amusement as Duncan and his ‘girlfriend,’ enjoyed a long and lingering kiss.
“Well, good for him,” Ed said.
“Oh, Duncan Stewart has never had any trouble getting a date,” Faith said.
When he returned, Faith enjoyed grilling him about the time they’d spent together, as well as any future plans they might have, causing Duncan to say, “I think I’d rather face Braden Druce in battle than be interrogated by you.”
“I’m just interested,” Faith said, “Now let’s go upstairs and see what we can find out.”
The rooms positively oozed modern elegance, and Ed said, “Bet Theresa loved this.”
Duncan just gave him a look that said, ‘grow up.’
“It’s lovely. If I didn’t live so close, I’d book a weekend. All right, now where shall I sit?” Faith looked around and then headed for a thickly stuffed brown leather sofa, and, as she sat down on it, said, “This will do nicely.”
Her expression could only be described as spiritual as she closed her eyes and asked to be transported to the other realm. This time, she didn’t ask for Elise, she, instead, asked to commune with the Divine.
Once again, God transported Faith to the Cosmos. This particular meeting place had more than disconcerted her the last time they’d met, and while that had been only weeks ago, her spiritual maturity had increased exponentially. So much so, that when she looked around at her surroundings, Faith said, “Thank you for giving me another chance to experience this. It’s amazing.”
God, like the first time they’d met among the stars, was not visible. He was in his true visage as an immortal with no perceivable form, but Faith had no doubt that he was with her, as she could feel his presence.
They were communicating telepathically when she said, ‘I believe that my family is in danger from Braden Druce and An Dubh, but Erebus cloaked him, so I can’t track him.’
She heard the voice of God say, ‘You are in danger, but, if all of my children choose the light, you will prevail.’
‘Elise bound Braden’s powers, but I was hoping that you could uncloak him.’
‘I uncloaked Aaron because his story has not yet been written. Braden Druce has chosen his path, and you will have to fight him, as he is.’
‘That may be true, but I can’t fight him if I can’t find him.’
Faith realized that she was debating with God, but she needed to understand their relationship, as much as she needed to find Braden.
‘I’m sorry. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say or not, but I just don’t understand. And, I know how presumptuous that I am.’
‘You are my child. Nothing you think or say is wrong, but, as I’ve told you, you have to live your life. Keep close to your family and friends. They will help you fight any evil that comes your way. You are fighting not only for The Blessed but all of my beloved children.’
His presence left her, and while Faith was disappointed, she was pleased to find that she controlled her ability to travel in and out of this realm. And, at this moment, she was in no hurry to leave. She floated among the planets and stars observing the colors and sounds. It was similar to what she imagined Earth’s galaxy to be like, but here, Faith could literally see stars being born. Faith took her time and found the planet where they usually met. Transporting there, she walked among its residents. She didn’t seek out Elise; Faith was trying to get her bearings. Finally, feeling powerful and at peace, Faith returned to her body.
“Are you all right?” Ed asked as she opened her eyes.
“Sure, why?”
Ed pointed at the clock. It was one in the afternoon.
“Wow. Sorry, I stopped to smell the roses.”
Ed and Duncan just kept looking at her.
“I took some time to explore. It’s really something. The bad news is that God said no. He uncloaked Aaron so we could save him. I think he’s had it with Druce.”
“But if he uncloaked him, it’d be easier for us to defeat him,” Ed said.
“Yup, that’s what I said. He said, “Deal with it.”
“Deal with it?” Ed said.
“Well, no, God was a little more formal. He said that as a group we can defeat him.”
“All right then,” Duncan said. “Where do we start. We don’t even know if he’s here.”
“Like any other case,” Ed said. “Plain old detective work, and that we can do. He had to fly over on a plane, right?” he asked not entirely sure what powers Braden might have.
“Yes,” Duncan said.
“Finn might be able to come under his own steam, but I don’t think that anyone else could,” Faith said.
“Braden’s no demi-god, so, if he’s here, he took a plane.”
“Then let’s get to it,” Ed said to Duncan. “We’ll head over to Logan.”
“Warrant?”
“We might not need one. I know somebody, and, remember, this doesn’t have to stand up in court.”
“I’m coming too. We were supposed to be on a date,” Faith reminded him.
The three piled into Ed’s car and headed to Logan Airport. Once there, they headed over to terminal E. Ed knew that the passport control officers were likely to give him some resistance, but saw a female officer working at the last station. Telling his companions to stay put, Ed walked past the other officers, up to the young woman’s station, flashed his badge, and turned on the charm. Several minutes later, smiling, Ed returned to his entourage and said, “He got here a couple of days ago. Now, let’s go see my friend in the TSA.”
A bit of camaraderie and negotiation between Ed and his friend got them a look at Logan’s surveillance tapes and, while it took a few hours, Duncan finally spotted Braden.
Then they pulled the tapes to follow him through the terminal, and eventually to the shuttle bus for rental cars.
After Ed took a moment to thank his friend, the three were off to see if they could find an address at the rental agency. Once again, Ed made his companions wait for him outside.
“What’s with you?” Duncan asked when Ed returned.
“I’m good looking, in case you haven’t noticed. Girls like me, and they like my badge. He’s staying at the Marriott.”
“I’m not exactly ugly,” Duncan said. “Remember, Theresa picked me out of the three of us at Finley’s.
Ed just laughed.
“All right handsome, let’s go,” Faith said.
“We have to have a plan. Let’s go back to your place and think this through,” Duncan said.
“You two go. I’m going to the Marriott. I want to confirm he’s there.”
“All right, but don’t confront him. You are not ready for that,” Duncan said.
“Actually, I am, but we can’t have a massive panther roaming the halls of the Marriott. I’ll confirm he’s registered and meet you at Faith’s.”
Ed dropped them off at Faith’s condo and drove across town. Arriving at the Marriott, Ed didn’t have to use his charm or his badge; he simply asked if Braden Druce was a guest and was told that was the case. However, when the desk clerk was distracted for a moment by a commotion outside the main lobby, Ed took a discrete look at the computer screen and saw that Braden was in room 504.
He still had no intention of confronting him but decided to take the elevator up to the fifth floor and get the lay of the land. Once there, he walked down the hallway toward the room but had to stop because, suddenly, he could barely breathe. He, in fact, could not breathe, at all. He ran down the hallway, hoping to get outside and get some air. Luck was with him, as a cleaning woman had left a door open to one of the rooms while she returned to her cart. He ran into the room, out onto the balcony and transported to Faith’s.
When he ent
ered her condo, they could see that he was drained of color, and could barely stand. He told them what had happened and Duncan said, “I need to see this for myself.”
“You might not survive. I was lucky to find an open room so I could transport away. If you can’t, you might not make it.” Then, taking a drink of the water Faith had just brought to him, Ed asked, “So, what was that? And why was the daoine, housekeeper all right?”
“It was something magical. We are. She’s not. But what?” Duncan asked. “I’m going over.”
They were about to protest, when Duncan said, “I’m not going alone.”
Taking out his phone, Duncan said, “Finn, we have a problem right now.”
Finn immediately knew that problem meant crisis and transported to Faith’s roof deck. Since he was now naked, Finn stopped in his room to pick up a robe and ran downstairs wrapping it around himself.
“You don’t usually do that,” Duncan said.
“You don’t usually say right now. What’s going on?”
Ed relayed what had happened, and Finn said. “The only power that could kill you just by its presence is a dark god. So, good thing you have a god of your own.”
“I wonder who we’re dealing with,” Faith said.
“I’m sure it’s Phthonus,” Finn said. “He’s the one Braden contacted, and I suspect, among other things, he’s looking for his demon.”
“Other things?” Ed asked.
“Probably going after Faith for Braden,” Finn said. “I’ll go deal with him.”
“Hold on,” Duncan said. “You can’t do battle in the middle of Boston.”
Finn paced, and said, “I can kill him. I just need to know where to do it and how to get him there.”
“Faith as bait,” Duncan said. “The question is, where?”
Faith walked over to her computer, searched for a moment and said, “There’s nothing going on at the convention center. Yesterday, I read that they were doing renovations, but hadn’t started. That gives us lots of space.”
“I don’t like you as bait,” Ed said.
“We’ll all be there,” Duncan said.
“We don’t need Faith, and I don’t need any of you. I’ll find him and draw him there.”
“And if you fail?” Duncan said. “Then what?”
The Power of Faith: Science Fiction Faith Ferguson Series Book 3 Page 25