Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:40:23 -0600
From: Jason Gordon <jaygordon_1981@hotmail.com>
Subject: A Light n the Darkness II 19

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction which will include t/t and
m/m relationships, and probably some sex too.  If it is illegal in your
area to read this, or if you are not old enough to read this (you know who
you are), stop here.  Otherwise, please enjoy.

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Chapter 19


***************************************

Currently, A Light in the Darkness II Chapters 19-30 are available at
jaygordonstories.com ,(The latest chapters are for registered users only,
so if you don't register you won't find them!), as well as new stories not
available on Nifty, so check it out if you like the story!

ALSO:

A Light in the Darkness volume 1, which folds the two stories [Light and
Things That Go Bump] together, eliminating the repetition and smoothing out
the transitions is available in both a convenient kindle and print
version. BTW if you are Amazon Prime members you can borrow the book from
their lending library for free and I get paid! My ultimate goal is to
release two books on Kindle and in print formats only this year.

The Kindle version is available, at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007P0CA3I/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title

The paper copy is available at: https://www.createspace.com/3832918

***************************************



Sam came into the lobby and invited the men into his office. Closing the
door, he said, "I'm sorry we have to begin like this, but there's no profit
in waiting until we get Chase back." Marcus, Chris, Carl, and Daniel all
nodded somberly. Edward leaned against the wall and looked at the ceiling.

"Sorry I'm late," Lt. Spencer said, interrupting the tense moment. He
couldn't meet any of their eyes, his inner shame so great, growing steadily
day by day, but he tried to make his voice sound cheery.

"Think nothing of it, Lieutenant," Sam said. "Shall we take this to a safer
realm?" With that, he opened a door to his own training ground and led the
men through. "We don't know much about how the powers of priests differ
from those of wizards like Spencer and Marcus and those of mystics like
myself, so we're touch and go here, guys. But Chris and Carl have shown
remarkable progress in traditional magick, Daniel. So let's begin! Marcus,
if you'll help bring Daniel up to speed, I'll take the more advanced
students. Spencer, would you mind working with Edward on his potions? I
understand he's something of a prodigy... Unless you'd like to try your
hand at magick too, Edward?"

"No, thank you sir. Not right now anyway," Edward replied, shaking his
head. So they broke up and spread out in the huge space. Spencer led Edward
to a distant workspace lined with supplies.

"Why don't you grab a medium-sized cauldron and tell me what you've been
working on," Spencer instructed quietly.

"Spencer," Edward said, dropping his voice. "How are you doing?"

"Can we not talk about it?" Spencer replied flatly. Edward dropped his gaze
and looked sad. "I'm sorry, Edward," Spencer said. "I just don't know how
to talk to anyone anymore. What my mother's done! How can they trust me?"

"Because Chase trusted you, for one," Edward replied, stepping closer to
the man.

"Chase trusted everybody, my mother included," Spencer retorted.

"NO, HE DIDN'T," William responded, having arrived late, and noticing their
intense conversation, he had approached. "He didn't trust your mother any
more than he trusted the Black Thorn, though they have turned out to be
somewhat different that everyone thought."

"What?" Spencer asked.

"Chase's grandfather had the same talk with him you did, and Chase came
home and told me about it. He was very skeptical – you both told him the
same story, practically. The only difference was the villain. He wasn't
sure he could trust your mother or his own grandfather, but he NEVER
doubted you. And THAT IS good enough for me. Plus, you turned your back on
everything you've known to help us," William explained. Then he took
Spencer by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug.

Then he whispered with a tearful, but bright smile, "And he told me what
you did for Charlotte's bachelorette party. Only a true friend would do
that. And, by the way, BRAVO!" The last he added, leaning back and
winking. "You look after yourself!"

"I forgot there were pictures," the man replied with a blush.

"Don't worry, no one can see your face," William answered with a pat on the
back. "Now, don't be a stranger?"

"Thanks," Spencer said. "Oh, by the way, I was on guard duty at your house
the other day and had an encounter with a very aggressive guy. Gorgeous
artist looking for Chase. He thought we had made the rescue, so he knew
part of the story..."

"Well-tanned, muscles like a greek boy-god, with a smile that makes you
bone up?" William asked, making Edward snort.

Spencer nodded with a blush, "TOO TRUE!"

"Dorian Brandt," William said. "How did you get him to leave?"

"Told him it wasn't a good time, and he asked me to dinner. I went and he
put his best moves on me, but I told him no. He kissed me when we got back,
and I had a much harder time making him leave."

"Looks like Dorian has a new crush! Good luck. He's relentless! He put the
moves on Chase with me standing there with the baby!"

"Oh, God," Spencer groaned. "Dean won't be amused."

"On the bright side, I'll owe you one when Chase gets back and I don't have
to deal with that horn-dog painter all the time," William said, trying to
sound positive. "By the way, Dorian is Silas Brandt's son," William added,
making Spencer pale.

"Dear Lord," the young prince exclaimed. "What have I done?"

"Don't judge him by that, Spencer," William said. "Don't get me wrong, he
rubs me every which kind of wrong! But not the, `I'm an evil villain' sort
of wrong, so much as the `your boyfriend should be flattered by the
opportunity to ride me' kind of wrong." Again, Edward snorted. "I'm not so
sure how to feel about the Black Thorn anyway, anymore, except for what
happened to Chase." With a smile, William shrugged. "Still, there's Dean,
and Dorian COULD make trouble there!"

Spencer tried to whip up a smile, but only managed a pale grimace before
Edward grabbed him and asked, "Can I see the pictures of your ass?" Then he
was all red-faced smile.

***

Sebastian had been on the phone since the early hours of the morning with
those consuls who'd agreed to return to the Council after the recent
events.

"We've tried summoning Daemon into a circle, but we can't get a lock on
him, Sebastian," Christen reported.

"How are we going to hold him if we catch him?" Americ added.

"I have a thought about that," Sebastian said. "How are your relations with
the Windsors?"

"The former consul to the United Kingdom would have better access, but I
can pull some strings," Americ said. "Why?"

"We need a very powerful circle to start with," Sebastian replied.

"And you want to use Stonehenge as the base for a magickal circle,"
Christen deduced.

"Exactly," Sebastian said. "It's worth a try, and we have to be ready so
that, as soon as we figure out how to draw him, we can hold him!"

"But HOW will we get him?" Avery asked.

"Sweeten the pot," Musa replied. "His kind can't resist temptation."

"Bait," Sebastian said. "I don't like it."

"Well, do you have a better idea?" Musa asked.

"No," Sebastian said, disgruntled. "I know who we have to ask, it just
pisses me off."

"Why?" Americ asked.

"Because he's the only person who piques Daemon's interest close to Chase,
and he's a human boy," Sebastian said. "Chase's best friend, Matt. He is
... very important to me as well."

The meeting broke up shortly. "Christen, a moment?" Sebastian asked, and he
and the woman entered a private chat. "How does Dora feel about you being
in the newly reconstituted Council with the rest of us?"

Christen sighed as she sat back in her chair. "I've been stripped of my
status in the queen's realm. But I made my choice. It's Spencer I'm worried
about; she's been acting very unpredictably, of late, so I understand. This
thing with Chase is just one instance. The power grab she has planned for
the World Congress could change the balance of things and put even the
Council at a disadvantage, Sebastian."

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," Sebastian said. "Should we be
really worried about Spencer?"

"If I wasn't a Council officer, I think she'd have had me imprisoned. Percy
was her greatest betrayal," Christen answered.

"NO! Her biggest betrayal was of all of us!" Sebastian answered. "Sam
hasn't said but I assume he's on the outs too?"

"Oh yeah! He went with a Black Thorn team to attack her ritual, for
goodness sake!" Christen replied. "I've told him to stay inside and travel
by portal whenever possible. An assassination attempt is inevitable."

"She's gone mad if she thinks," Sebastian began.

"Sebastian, she's not going mad, SHE IS MAD! That's the thing. The only
people who seem to have noticed are those Black Thorn bastards," she said,
cutting him off.

"Don't think I miss that irony that the ancient enemies of the crown are
showing themselves the great seers of our time," Sebastian replied. "Watch
your back. When we get Chase back, we'll deal with her."

"If we get Chase back," she said cautiously.

"WHEN!" he answered. "Talk to you soon, Christen!

***

A few days later, their plans were beginning to take shape, and Sebastian
had a meeting with necessary Council personnel and the boys.

"So the plan is simple. We use the circles of Stonehenge to form the base
of our circles, and then we draw Daemon in, using summoning rituals, and
bait," he explained.

"Bait?" James asked. So far, Sebastian had kept this part from even him.

"Yes, so far Daemon has evaded our summoning, so the only way we can think
of to draw him in for a sure thing is to lure him in with something, or
someone, he wants," Sebastian explained.

"But he's got the person he wants the most," William said. "Who else is he
interested in?"

"Who does he taunt most?" Sebastian asked. "Who, whenever he has the
chance, does he turn his charm on? There IS someone who has his full
attention."

"That would be me," Matt said with absolute certainty. "From the very
beginning."

"I'd noticed," Sebastian grimaced. "You'd be helpless against him," the
ancient vampire added, though he'd begun to doubt that. "You'd be inside
the circle with him and Chase. He'd be fully capable of opening up on you
with his full power."

"I'll do it," Matt said.

"Let's be clear," James said, looking into Matt's eyes in earnest. "You
could get taken as well, or worse."

"I know. Let's do it!" Matt said.

"We're coming too," Edward said, surprising them all.

"You couldn't protect yourself either," William said, shaking his head.

"We're all coming," Chris said, squeezing Marcus's hand. "We're stronger
together!"

"Agreed," Carl said. Sebastian looked at William and the two of them knew
there was no arguing. In a few days, they'd all be in the English
countryside at one of the world's most mystical locations.

***

William was packing his bag when he heard movement behind him. Looking over
his shoulder, he saw Daniel standing in the door looking concerned. "What's
wrong?" he asked as he kept packing.

"Why can't I come?" the boy asked.

"Because you can't REALLY defend yourself against what's coming, and we
can't afford the distraction," William said plainly. Then he sighed and
turned to face the boy. "I'm sorry, Daniel, but I can't sugar coat
it. Every person we have to protect is less energy we're devoting to
getting Chase back!"

"I know," Daniel said, almost whispering. "But Matt can't protect himself
at all! Not even as well as I can with a few lessons!"

William smiled and laughed gently, walking over and putting his hands on
Daniel's shoulders near his neck. "That's what this is about?"

Daniel nodded, his smile fragile. William laughed softly and pulled the boy
into his arms and gave him a big hug. "You'll never get used to this part,"
he whispered. "What did Matt tell you about all that happened in the winter
and spring?"

"Just vague things, like how that caused all this because it outed Chase to
my parents' cult, and stuff," Daniel said.

William sat on the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to him. When
Daniel sat, William lay back on the bed and sighed. "I guess the thing to
do is start at the beginning. One day in the early fall, I wanted to go out
to a friend's house. I was living with my family near D.C. and my parents
wouldn't let me. So I snuck out of the house and went anyway. On my way
home that evening an explosion knocked me unconscious. It was my house, and
it killed my parents," he began to tell the exhaustive tale of the events
that had brought them thus far. He told him about how he met Chase, and
later Sebastian and his crew, as well as the others at school, and
explained more about his thoughts on Chase and Matt's friendship.

"Matt's going to do what he has to do for Chase, no matter what! Matt went
into hell itself with us without anything more than his heart, and he came
back without a scratch. So he may not have powers, but he's a big boy, and
he's got some big boys watching out for him. He's going to be fine!"

"Damn right I am," Matt said cockily, smiling as he leaned against the door
frame. "You boys have a good talk?"

Daniel rose and wrapped his arms around Matt's waist. "You guys go,"
William said. "I'm still packing and I want to play with Alex before we
leave. It'll be a few days!"

"I did have something in mind," Matt said, winking at Daniel. "Come with me
young man!" he teased. Daniel followed him out into the dark and they
climbed into Matt's car and drove off. They didn't notice they were being
followed, protected, because Sebastian was in the sky.

***

William was sleeping soundly when he heard a board creak and he whipped
around with his wand ready to draw blood, when he realized the intruder was
just a diminutive boy in boxers. "Daniel?" he asked groggily. "Everything
alright?"

"It's me," Edward said hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" William asked.

"I had a dream," the boy said, sitting on the very edge of the bed, facing
away from William. "About my mom," he added.

He felt a big warm hand on his bare shoulder, and felt William pull him
back. "Get in," William whispered. He pulled the covers up over them and
held Edward in his arms. "I'm so sorry, Edward. I remember how it was at
first, the dreams. The worst is when you wake up after a great dream, and
you ... wake up," he said with a bitter laugh.

"I just saw them kill her again," the boy said pathetically, and William
could feel Edward's tears on his shoulder.

"Shhh," William said. "Would you like me to call Carl to come over?"

"No," the boys said grudgingly. "His parents think we spend too much time
together as it is! But can I stay with you?"

"Of course!" William said. "Everything okay with Carl?"

"Yeah, great! Better than great! But his parents have started giving him a
hard time.  They think we're too young!" Edward said with a little
bitterness.

"They must think we're a terrible influence," William said with a wicked
smile that perked Edward up.

"My yes!" Edward replied, eyes twinkling a little. "But like everyone else
they also don't really know what to do with you two, do they? Where'd they
get the baby? Who let them have it? Why would they want it? Who'd have ever
guessed William for a poofter?"

William laughed at the last bit. "Who would've?" he asked rhetorically. He
knew there was a time when he could never have imagined life like he had it
with Chase, when he could never have imagined the heartache he could feel
at being apart from him. But that boy had lost his parents and been torn
from the world and thrown in with such a ragtag group of misfit boys. He
didn't exist anymore; he'd become something better.

William hugged Edward and said sleepily, "Everything will be alright
Edward!"

"Or we'll turn them all into toads and be shut of the lot of them," the boy
added with a pirate's gusto and his little British clip before chastely
kissing William on the cheek and turning out the light. "Thanks," he
whispered as he curled up into the muscular boy at his side and fell into a
gentler sleep.

***

"Gone for a night and look what we miss!" Matt exclaimed, waking William
and Edward with a shock. "We might have stayed closer if we'd known there
was a sleep-in."

"And just what did you two boys do out all night last night?" William
asked, pinking Daniel's cheeks.

"Nothing as naughty as all this I bet," Matt said, wrapping his arm
comfortably around Daniel. William smiled to see the boy laying his head on
Matt's strong shoulder and relaxed into the hug.

"Well, I hope it was enough to be worth missing out on this," Edward
grinned cheekily up from William's chest.

"We had fun," Daniel said, smiling up at Matt with a look they had all seen
before.

Matt looked down into his eyes and the world went a way for a second. "We
sure did," he grinned.

"Do tell," William insisted, and the boys just grinned at him.

"It was ... private," Daniel said softly.

"I'm just kidding, Daniel," William said, getting up and revealing his
long, browned muscles without any shame, setting a good example for the shy
newcomer, and Edward followed his lead. William began to dress as he
chatted with his friends, and Edward returned soon from his room all ready.

"How do you feel about getting back to England, Edward?" Daniel asked.

"It's been a long time, but we won't be anywhere near my old home north of
London. Still, it'll be nice to be there again," the boy said, his accent
growing a little more defined in anticipation.

"I bet," Daniel replied.

"How about you?" William asked. "Gonna be able to let us borrow your man
for a couple of days?"

"Yeah, we talked, and I feel better," Daniel said, blushing lightly. Of
course, that was nothing new!

"Don't worry," William said to Daniel, "when this is all over, if you want
to go somewhere, we can make that happen!"

***

"Sebastian, is there any reason to believe that this will work?" Sam asked
as they sat waiting for their group to assemble. Council agents were
presently securing the location, which the British government had shut for
a few days due to "security risks" as a favor.

"Sam, do we know for certain that it won't work?" Sebastian countered. No
one besides him knew how many times the Council had failed in its attempts
to return Chase. But they all knew that Dora Spencer and her supporters
were growing more vocal in their opposition to Sebastian by the day, as the
International Congress drew nearer. "We HAVE to get him back before the
Congress," Sebastian said.

Sam nodded. "Have you kept in touch with Silas since the Jerusalem
incident?" Sebastian asked.

Sam sat back in his chair and crossed his legs. "Yes... Yes I have, as a
matter of fact." Sam offered no more details for a moment, before adding,
"He'd like to meet with you before the Congress..."

Sebastian grimaced. "You realize I hold that man and his entire
organization partially responsible for this outcome! Their assistance was
essential to the Order's capture of Chase, which allowed Daemon..."

"I understand, Sebastian, but their intentions," Sam cut in, only to be
himself cut off.

"Their intentions are IRRELEVANT TO ME!" Sebastian said, slamming his fist
into the bed and nearly rising from his seat. "You don't accomplish good by
doing evil. Perhaps in the short term, but in the long run... What have we
learned if we haven't learned that?"

"I know, but they were helpless in the face of the Royal office, and no one
would help them. We wouldn't listen to them! Now that we know what we
know," Sam said, "surely we have to reevaluate our position?"

"Sam, I may not be the person to do that reevaluating then, because what I
know is that a person I care for very deeply was harmed by the Black
Thorn's Machiavellian scheming, and my inclination is to go down there and
roll around in their blood, not make friends. So," he took a breath in the
midst of his rant, "I've been doing them a great favor by not taking
meetings with them!"

"Well, may we at least release Felix?" Sam said and now Sebastian did rise
to his feet.

"FELIX ABERNATHY IS SCUM AMONG SCUM!" Sebastian shouted, waves of angry
power radiating from him dangerously. "For the love of God, how can you ask
me that?"

"Let me see him," a voice said from the door, shaking both men in the
office.

"William," Sebastian said, calming considerably. "I don't think that's such
a good idea."

"Let me see him, please," William said, nodding.

"We need to be going," Sebastian began.

"It can wait. I only need a few minutes," William replied.

Sebastian and Sam stood and walked out to the big concrete floor in the
basement and conjured the circles before summoning Felix from his cell in
Ashaer. William sat a chair across from the man, who looked terrible, and
sat down just outside of the circle. "Give us a moment," William said,
never breaking eye contact with the man inside the circle.

Sam and Sebastian found the others waiting upstairs and began to chat
nervously, not knowing what to expect from downstairs.

"Do you know who I am?" William asked darkly.

Shakily, and with great effort, the man replied, "You must be William."

William nodded. "You're the man who helped the Order take the love of my
life from me."

"To elevate him, to give him power, to save our world from the Queen!"
Abernathy replied, unrepentant.

"What of the cost? What about Alex?" William asked.

"I ... didn't know about him until it was too late," the man admitted. "But
no harm was to come to either of them," Felix added insecurely.

"Hmmm," William said, "The best laid plans of mice and men."

"Has something happened to my grandson?" Felix asked, real concern on his
face.

"Oh yes! You know he wasn't what they thought, but they had our friends,
our child. And so he had to make a deal to defeat the Order and save us
all. A deal he wouldn't have had to make without your holy plans!"

"What deal?" Felix asked.

"He called forth Daemon from the pit!" William answered.

"The lord of incubi and succubae? Peculiar choice for the cause," Felix
considered.

"After Chase defeated Sammael, Daemon ascended to the high throne. Chase
called forth the Lord of Hell to take the Order, but in return he allowed
Daemon one kiss. That kiss remains to this day unbroken, and despite all
our efforts, there seems to be no way back. Funny thing is, you lost the
most powerful ally you might have had in the upcoming
Congress. Congratulations."

"My grandson is a prisoner of Daemon's desire," Felix mumbled to
himself. "What have I done?"

William scratched over the ground with his foot, breaking the two circles
with a crack and approached the man with a blank stare and raised his hands
over the dazed prisoner, now back in the earthly realm.

"PLEASE?" the man began to beg, and William stopped. "Just once before you
... may I see a picture of my great-grandson?" William reached into his
pocket and pulled out his wallet and handed the man a photo of Alex. "He's
beautiful," the man whispered and looked away from William, clutching the
photo.

William reached out and a pure white light burst forth from his hands,
surrounding the man like a blanket. He could hear Felix gasp as he realized
he wasn't going to die that night. When the light dimmed, Felix could feel
what the boy had done for him. He had taken away as much of the pain as he
could with his power. "Your friends in the Black Thorn can handle your
long-term healing," William said, as he turned his back on the man.

"William?" Felix asked.

"Yes?" the boy replied.

"When you get him back, tell him I'm sorry. So sorry," the man said,
struggling to get to his feet before falling.

"SAM!" William called and the man hurried down as William helped Felix
up. "Tell him yourself," William whispered to the broken old man. Then to
Sam, William said, "Get him where he needs to go, and then let's get this
show on the road!"

Upstairs, William found the room quiet. Sebastian looked at him and asked,
"You released him?"

William nodded. "It's not what I wanted to do, but it's what Chase would
have wanted. Hate can only get you so far. I don't always know the answers
and I sure as shit wish he was here to give them to me. But I know that's
what he would want."

Sebastian's brow furrowed but he nodded. He knew the boy was right. It
didn't make it any easier to take. "You have to tell Steve," Sebastian said
with a shrug.

***

Sam knocked on the door, Felix weighing heavily on him despite the magickal
assist. Shortly, the door opened and Silas gasped, grabbing Felix's other
arm. "Let's get him on the couch," Silas suggested. "They released him?
Why? Is it over?"

"No," Sam said grimly. "I asked, and I thought Sebastian was going to blow
a gasket, but William decided to let him go."

"Hmmm," Silas said. "Well, thank you." There was an uncomfortable silence
which Sam desperately wanted to fill with heartfelt words. "Get him back,
Sam," Silas said before turning and beginning to tend to his injured
friend, leaving Sam to let himself out.

***

The team stowed its gear at the Council safe house in Bath before heading
out to the site. The little country inn was overrun with teenage boys and
twenty-something men, an unusual occurrence for what seemed to be a small
mom-and-pop operation. In reality, of course, as a front for a major
shadowy syndicate, the owners were surprised by nothing. Still, these kids
seemed like the real kids they actually were, and that WAS
different. Despite the seriousness, there were all sorts of shenanigans and
public displays of affection.

Besides Sebastian and a few other real agents, only William was moderately
subdued. Matt was subdued for Matt, which involved chasing guys in the hall
snapping them with towels and that sort of thing. By the time they got
settled, it was getting dark.

"We'll go out first thing in the morning and work through setting up,"
Sebastian said. "Let's try to relax this evening."

Games were brought out, chess and cards and Monopoly, and even some of the
serious young agents joined the boys.

After dinner, William pulled Sam aside and said, "I'd like to go out to the
site tonight and walk around. Could you take me?"

The man gave him a grandfatherly smile and said, "Perhaps you'd rather
Avery took you?"

"Avery's enjoying time with the boys," William smiled at Avery, who had his
arm casually draped over Chris's shoulder. "Besides, I asked you."

Sam nodded and went to speak quietly to Sebastian before leading William
outside. "Did your parents ever bring you to England?"

"No," William whispered.

"Your mother loved it here," Sam said.

"She talked about bringing me all the time," William smiled sadly.

Taking out his wand, Sam traced a fiery portal in the air and smiled. "Then
you're going to love this." They stepped out onto the windswept Salisbury
Plain, lit by the full moon in the mostly clear night. A few hundred yards
below them, the stone circle looked smaller than William expected. "When
you see it from a distance, it's always underwhelming," Sam said, putting
his hand on the boy's shoulder.

But as they approached, the sheer size of the stones was easier to
grasp. And then he felt it, still a distance from the stones. The gentle
humming rising up from the ground fairly crackled at the edge of his
consciousness. Sam grinned. "You feel it? We've just entered the outer
circle!" William looked at Sam confused and the man explained, "There used
to be a much larger circle surrounding the inner complex, mostly wood and
small stones. We know it was here because of the post-holes." After the
walked on a bit in silence, Sam said, "Take out your wand."

William did as instructed, and as the instrument moved through the air, the
atmosphere felt thick around it. "What is that?" he asked.

"The power," Sam said. "This site was chosen by the ancient architects,
wizards of the oldest order of magickians in Western Europe. Their religion
is as old as mine. They were the ancestors of the Druids, the Celts, and
the Norsemen, magickally. The magickal complexes here are SO much older
than anyone suspects William because they don't know the right
questions. They didn't need technology to build this because they had
wisdom."

Sam took the tip of his want and ever so gently touched its tip to a spot
between William's eyes just above his nose, his third eye, and suddenly
William found himself standing in the midst of a large ritual complex far
more complete than any reconstruction. He was seeing it as the Druidic
ancestors had constructed it.

He walked outside and saw the huge wall surrounding the complex. Tall,
fierce-looking men with staffs manned the walls and sat around fires. The
soldiers at the wall had painted their skin with mud and wore skins for
protection, while the priests around the fire reclined nude, smiling and
talking, their fair skin glowing by firelight, their red hair startlingly
radiant. Suddenly, one of them, younger than most, looked at William and
their eyes met.

William was startled; he had thought he was having a vision. But then he
realized only the boy could see him. When the young priest stood, he was
about 5'10" and built more like Chase than William. His skin was the color
of pure milk though his shoulders were dotted cutely with freckles, which
also added a touch of cuteness to his face. When he was nearer, he brushed
his long red bangs from his face and revealed eyes that could only be
described as sapphire, though the stones would look dull in this young
man's presence.

He spoke to William in a long-lost language and saw the confusion on the
boy's face, so he smiled and raised his hands to the sky, stretching his
lithe muscles enticingly, and suddenly William could understand, as the boy
was in the midst of his chant, "... invoke the ancient spirit of wisdom!"
Seeing that William understood him, he grinned, revealing subtle
dimples. "Who are you, strange spirit?"

"Strange spirit?" William laughed.

"What sort of alien skins are these you wear?" the boys said, touching his
soft cotton shirt curiously. "I should rather prefer you dressed in our
garb I think," he added with a giggle.

"What?" William replied, smiling helplessly.

"It would please me if you would take your odd skins off!" the boy
translated with a melodic, nymph-like laugh.

William blushed and said, "I'd prefer not to..." Seeing the boy's
disappointment, however, he took off his coat and pulled the shirt up over
his head. Before William could stop him, he felt the boy's soft hand on his
chest and beginning to travel down his abs. "No, no, please," William
hurriedly said. "I am devoted to a special boy!"

"Of course you are," the boy said, drawing his hand away with a sad
smile. Then he winked and said, "Still there is no harm in letting me
see..."

William shook his head and kicked off his shoes before shucking his pants
and underwear. William blushed harder as the boy walked around him and
admired his ass and cock. "You don't think me cute?" the boy asked with an
adorable smile.

William blushed and said, "Surely you can see that's not so!" as he visibly
hardened. The boy's eyes widened and his own member responded in
turn. Slipping his arm under William's, the boy rested his hand on
William's hip and said, "Well, not for lack of trying. Come, let me show
you my temple!"

"Your temple?" William asked, surprised. As they walked, he enjoyed the
feel of the smooth flesh against his own. It was a feeling he missed
greatly.

"I am Carollan Mac Cionaoith, High Priest of the Plain, and this is my
temple," the boy smiled over at him and let his head rest on William's
shoulder a little as they walked.

William laughed and asked, "Do you have a son?"

The boy smiled at him and said, "I've done my duty. Now I seek the man who
will be mine.... I hoped you were him, particularly a few moments after you
took off those horrible skins," Carollan added with a smile.

"Some man more deserving than me will find you and never let you go,"
William said, squeezing him tight.

"Why did you ask about my son?" Carollan asked.

"Because I know your descendant," William smiled.

The boy looked at him curiously and inquired, "My people remain on the
Plain?"

"No, but your descendants are spread all over the world and they keep your
religion alive in their hearts, worshiping in sacred groves and holy places
the world over," William replied. "But I am visiting your temple's ruins,
which still stands in six thousand years."

Carollan looked at him and asked, "The altar is secure?"

"There isn't an altar stone," William said.

Suddenly Carollan grabbed his hand and led him, running, toward the center
of the circular complex. They entered the inner sanctum and Carollan asked,
"You have never seen THIS stone?"

"No," William said.

The boy looked intense, his eyes glowing lightly, as he said, as if in a
daze, "The power of this place is in the nexus, but there are nexuses
crisscrossing the world. As in all magick, it is the focus that
consolidates and concentrates its power, and the focus of this site is its
stone. In latter days, this stone is the focus of all foci! It must be
located. Everything hangs in the balance!"

William looked into his eyes and knew what he meant – "I need the stone
to save him..."

"To say the VERY least," Carollan added cryptically. "You must go, but
before you do... Tell me about my descendant?"

William smiled. "He's gorgeous, which isn't surprising, is it?" Carollan
blushed for the first time and smiled. "He's much taller and more muscular
than I, and he has a beautiful, beautiful boy who loves him dearly. He is a
loyal friend."

"Then my people have done well. You have given me a great gift," Carollan
said with a smile and leaned in to give William a peck on the cheek. Just
before he disappeared, William saw him smile and felt the boy's hand
squeeze his ass tightly. When William returned to Sam, he was laughing and
crying, as he fell to his knees, feeling the energy humming in the grass
beneath his hands.

"How long was I gone?" William asked.

"Gone?" Sam asked. "I touched your third eye and then you collapsed. Less
than three seconds passed, but you never left."

William shook his head and said, "I was gone. I was here at Stonehenge when
it was active. I met the high priest!"

"Are you sure it wasn't a dream?" Sam asked, and though he was sure, he
shook his head no. He didn't want to explain what he had heard. They had to
try this, altar or no altar. They had no other answers, no other hopes.

***

"So Carl's grandpa grabbed your ass?" Matt laughed, propped up on his elbow
in bed. Matt and William were sharing since most of the young guys were
partnered up with their boyfriends on this mission. Given that the bed was
a small double, this meant that even though he was on his side, the full
lengths of their bodies were pressed snugly together. Matt's free hand was
resting on William's chest.

"Yeah! But next to you know who, he may be the hottest guy I've ever seen,"
William confessed with a blush.

"You're too kind," Matt teased, "but you really should tell Chase that HE
is the second hottest guy when you tell him this story!"

William smiled and softly punched Matt in the bare stomach. "YOU are a
distant third," William laughed.

Matt looked at him and said, sincerely, "Really?"

"You really thought you'd be higher?" William asked.

Quietly, Matt said, "I thought I'd be much lower on the list."

"To be honest you aren't a distant third," William said, "but a close
runner up. You're as handsome as Chase is pretty. You two would have been a
beautiful couple!"

Matt laughed, "God, yes! You know the thought didn't really occur to me
until you came along. I mean I knew Chase was gay, or I was pretty sure,
but I never let my mind go there until I saw that a guy like you... I mean
I guess that made me see that the part of me that ALWAYS was in love with
Chase wasn't bad. But I let go."

"You loved him enough," William nodded, and softly put a hand on Matt's
jaw, causing the boy to close his eyes. "You're beautiful, Matt. You've got
a beautiful soul." Matt, though his eyes were closed tight, could feel the
warmth of William's chest against his as the boy rolled into him. He could
feel the hot breath as William kissed him ever-so-softly on the lips, and
then he felt the boy's cheek against his as he whispered, "And I'll always
love you for that."

Matt wrapped an arm around his waist and drew him into a much tighter
embrace, and they held each other in the room's soft light.

After a while, William leaned back and smiled, "So... You and Daniel?"

"What?" Matt answered with a grin. "Boy is adorable!"

"Agreed! And sweet," William replied.

"He's also so funny, when he lets his hair down," Matt said with a
grin. "And the fact of the matter is, when I'm around him, my stomach is
full of butterflies and my cock is hard as a rock!"

"Your cock is always hard as a rock," William teased.

"It's cause I never get any lovin'," Matt pouted with a grin.

"I bet you and Danny will work that out soon enough," William said.

"I'll wait for Danny as long as he wants. In the meantime, I get to warm my
dog between your buns," Matt teased, wagging his eyebrows.

"No, no, no," William replied. "You got that backwards!"

***

"Everyone rested?" Sebastian asked over breakfast in the morning, and from
the number of blushes he received, he figured little sleeping had actually
been accomplished. It was the blushes from William and Matt, as well as
those from a few of his young agents, that surprised him.

Seeing the ancient vampire arch his eyebrows at him made William's blush
deepen. "Matt and I were a little cramped into that bed," he answered the
look. "We're both big boys." Seeing the reply coming – that they were
all big boys – he added emphasis, "We're both BIG boys. Big boys who
aren't sticking it to each other, so..."

Now even Sebastian was red, even before Matt added, "And it's a damned
shame because with these tools we could have wrecked each other last
night!" before popping another piece of bacon into his mouth with a smirky
grin at Sebastian. That grin said, `You shouldn't ask!'

A few moments later, Sebastian cleared his throat and handed out
instructions to assigned teams. One team, the largest, led by Spencer and
Sam, would lay the outer circle, the last line of defense and, by and
large, the weakest.

Sebastian had a second group establishing a circle without precedent in the
architecture of the place, between the outer circle and inner complex. The
outer circle of that complex would be secured by Marcus, William, and
Americ, who had joined them in the morning. The center was going to be laid
down by James and Sebastian, Musa and Avery. If the center fell, the rest
would only give them time to regroup and retreat, and they all knew it. By
evening, candles, as yet unlit, dotted the plain in intricate designs, and
the practitioners had all retreated to private locations to meditate in
preparation for the evening's magick. That left Matt alone to wander and
ponder the significance of the coming night.

"Scared?" a voice shocked him from his reverie in the twilight.

"No, you?" Matt asked with a smile, not turning to face the voice.

"Truthfully," Sebastian said as he appeared at the bigger boy's shoulder,
taking his hand gently, "a little..."

"Comforting," Matt grinned and squeezed the soft hand in his own. "Why do I
feel so close to you?"

"I don't suppose, `Because I'm here,' answers your question?" Sebastian
asked as he leaned into Matt with a soft laugh.

"Not quite," Matt said, drawing him closer still with a half-hug.

"You are one of the most intriguing people I've ever met," Sebastian said
honestly in the falling darkness, though it wasn't the whole truth
either. "I think in part it's what Daemon sees in you. You share a lot,
this tremendous beauty, this sensuality and easiness, but what in him is
all darkness and chaos is all light and laughter in you. I think that's why
I felt so drawn to you initially." Matt looked down at him, skeptical and
also surprised at the forthrightness. "As for why you're drawn to me, I
suspect in part it's my devotion to Chase, which we share, and in part
... well, one shouldn't say such things."

Matt's eyes lingered on Sebastian's too long before he looked away. "No, I
suppose not," he replied.

"You know, it's funny," Sebastian said as he stared deep into the dark. "I
lived a life of horrors for nearly three thousand years, and spent the last
half a millennium trying to make up for it, trying to find something
better." Sebastian started walking and, since he had not yet let go of
Matt's hand, the boy was soon in step with him. "I've made some wonderful
friends and had some very special times with them – Avery and Musa,
Americ and so many others – and then I met James and the world changed
for me. It became a lighter place. Which is why I couldn't let him go."

"Let him go?" Matt asked.

Sebastian smiled at him weakly and said, "You've not heard the story then?
James was very nearly killed by his father. Actually he was killed by his
father but before he died I gave him my blood. He was dying in my arms and
he couldn't ask for help, but I couldn't let him go. But later, in the
hospital ... Matt, what I'm about to tell you I've not told anyone, not
even James."

"Why not?" Matt asked.

"Because I'm deeply ashamed," Sebastian said, and Matt let go of his hand,
wrapping his arm around his shoulder.

"I have a feeling you shouldn't be," Matt said with a smile.

"I came into his hospital room and found an angel looming over him, Richard
absolutely helpless of course. As was I... His name is Gamaliel."

"Never heard of him," Matt said.

"I'm not surprised. He is one of those very specialized angels, very
powerful and important, but they don't get much press. Gamaliel attends to
the Holy One, and at his discretion is dispatched to earth to retrieve the
souls of the righteous."

"So he's an angel of death?" Matt asked.

"No," Sebastian replied. "When a very special soul passes, God sends
Gamaliel to retrieve the soul at the moment of death and spirit it up to
the highest heaven to be with God..."

"Oh, God," Matt muttered.

"Indeed!' Sebastian said darkly.

"BUT," Matt said, collecting himself, "Do you think that, in a timelessly
distant future, James will lose his soul?"

"No, I don't believe that," Sebastian smiled and squeezed him back.

"Then you just prolonged the inevitable. And gave him an eternity to love
you, if you both want it," Matt answered.

Sebastian turned to face him and they stood close together. "Thank you."
After a brief pause he continued, "After James, meeting, and growing to
love, Chase and you and William has been the most confusing and wonderful
thing to happen in my long life."

Matt hugged Sebastian and stood quietly as the winds swept by them. "You
know, it is okay to love more than one person? Each in his own special
way?" Matt whispered.

"I suppose you'd know,'' Sebastian said with a sly grin.

Matt smiled and said, his eyes tearing up, "I do know."

"He's going to be alright," Sebastian said, rubbing his back softly. "And I
you're right. I know you're right because I love you too."

Matt kissed him on the cheek and said, "I'm really feeling the love these
days," with a happy laugh.

***

As the men began to assemble, Matt sat in the center of the stone circle
and contemplated what was coming. He knew Daemon and he had a connection, a
very dangerous connection. Just being near the demon made him question
everything. But now there was Daniel, and Chase was in the balance, and he
was sure that was more than enough.

"Is he ready?" Sam asked Sebastian.

"He's ready," Sebastian said with a frown. "He's been ready. The question
is, are we?"

Sam stared at him for a moment and shook his head, before calling,
"Everyone, take your places!"

In the middle of the circle, Matt stood alone, ringed by the inner circle
standing stones. At the north point of that circle stood Avery Salazar,
while Sebastian stood at the east, Musa at the south, and Americ in the
west. Sam was in charge of the middle circle, ringed by less experienced
wizards, like William, Xavier, Aiden and a hand full of agents. Wizards and
witches of all calibers ranged beyond the outer circle, ready to open gates
in case of all-out retreat.

"Guardian spirits of the north, I summon thee to close this magickal
circle," Sebastian's voice resounded, as he began the summoning. As the
inner circle closed with Americ's, "Blessed be!," a loud crack split the
sky and a single bolt of lightning set a nearby tree on fire. The candles
around the circle spontaneously lit and Sam began the process at his
circle.

When the second circle closed, the ground beneath their feet shook
violently and somewhere, a flock of birds was disturbed, filling the night
with their cries. The outer circle took the longest to close, and was the
least powerful, but combined they were formidable.

"It's time, Matt," Sebastian called.



*****************************************



Thanks to Mary for looking over this chapter.

More to come soon.  If you enjoyed this story, you might consider my other
on-going stories at Nifty, Fantasy/SciFi, Devil's Gambit, as well as Feels
Like Falling in Highschool.

Or, better, send me a note and join my new web site, jaygordonstories.com

For registered members (free), there's live chat, a forum, and stories are
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