Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2011 16:27:41 -0600
From: Jason Gordon <jaygordon_1981@hotmail.com>
Subject: Light in the Darkness II 6
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.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is sequel to the "Things that Go Bump" and "A
Light in the Darkness" stories. You should probably read those first!
Sorry for the long break but I've started a new and demanding job (third
job, anyway)!
I am now posting my stories to a Yahoo!Group,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jaygordon_1981/ as well. I'm putting them up
there a little in advance so I can make final edits before submitting to
Nifty, so if you are interested, you can check it out. It's closed
membership to avoid spam and flames, so just let me know!
Chapter 06
James and Sebastian were laughing and talking over dinner with Pete
and Richard when they heard the door to the yard open and Spencer step
inside. "Come join us for dinner," Sebastian called, and the man nodded,
sliding into a seat and helping himself.
"How's it going, Spence?" Pete asked, happily oblivious. "Haven't
seen much of you lately!"
The man blushed and said, "I've been busy."
"Oh!" Pete exclaimed, wagging his eyebrows. "Sounds hot!" Spencer
turned red with embarrassment, and Pete shrugged and asked, "What?"
"You don't have to talk about it, Spencer. We're just happy for
you, that you've found something outside our little world," Sebastian said
with a soothing voice.
There was a quiet at the table, and without looking up, Spencer
said, "I AM interested in someone."
"Good for you!" Pete said. "Where'd you meet her?"
"Uhm, I went out for a drink and the bartender," he began, and Pete
jumped in.
"Cool! Think she can hook us up?"
"I don't think Dean would be interested in having to deal with the
law on that one, Pete," Spencer said in passing. Everyone looked at him in
surprise except for Sebastian, who merely smiled knowingly. "What, you
have a problem with a couple of guys?" Spencer asked wryly.
"Have you told your ... family?" Sebastian asked in passing.
"Ahm, no," the man said, unsure.
"It would be a shame for them to find out you're dating from
someone besides yourself," Sebastian added.
"You're right," Spencer said.
"How would they find out?" Pete wondered out loud.
"Spencer's family is closely related to the Council. And have
little doubt we ARE all watched," Sebastian answered vaguely, letting
Spencer maintain his privacy as long as he like, and Sebastian could see
the gratitude in the young man's face.
"I'll tell my mother when I'm sure there's something to tell,"
Spencer said with a nod. "Changing subjects," he laughed, clearing his
throat, "I'd planned on being away tomorrow..."
"Big date?" Pete asked with a laugh.
"No," Spencer replied. "I have some business I promised I'd attend
to out of town, and I'd like to get it over with," he finished, meeting
Sebastian's eyes.
"Of course," Sebastian nodded. "Now tell us a bit about this
Dean!" the ancient vampire demanded encouragingly.
Spencer told his friends about the guy he was interested in,
leaving out the little misunderstanding they had had. The men talked for a
long time, and laughed together late into the evening. Dean was closing
the bar that night, and Spencer would be busy in the morning, so the man
had nowhere to go.
***
"Who'd have thought?" Peter asked as he stripped out of his
clothes.
"You really never wondered?" Richard laughed as he watched, naked
under the covers, propped up on one arm.
"No, not really! He's so ... masculine," Peter said, leaving
Richard in stitches. "WHAT?" the boy asked.
"Look in the mirror lover-boy! Look at yourself! Look at James,
and William, and Avery!"
"I guess," Peter said, his face a little red with embarrassment.
"And there's you..."
"And it makes me look a lot more butch when I've got you begging
for it," Richard joked. As Peter slipped in next to him, he added, "I
mean, sure, Sebastian is pretty, but he has a hard edge you can't miss, and
then there's Chase..."
"Yeah," Peter said, smiling. "Him you want to just hold."
"Something I should know?" Richard kidded. "I know what you mean,"
he added after a pause. "And he could take us all out if he took the
notion! Looks are deceiving!"
Peter's face darkened notably, and he mumbled, "I, of all people,
know that."
Richard pulled him in tight and whispered, "I'm sorry, babe. I
didn't mean to..."
Peter shook his head and rubbed his eyes, taking a moment. "It's
okay. I ... you know I love you, most, best, always. But sometimes in my
memory I see his face and my gut just clenches. Not just from disgust. He
was so beautiful, Richard."
"Peter," Richard said softly, "he seduced nations, destroyed
civilizations. And at the end of the day, you were able to turn away."
"I did terrible things for him. I was going to do worse," Peter
said.
Richard held him tight and kissed his muscular shoulder softly.
"It's over, Peter," he whispered, and felt the boy shiver in his arms.
"It'll NEVER be over," Peter whispered back, pressing back into the
man, trying to make as much contact as possible along the length of their
bodies.
***
Early in the morning, Spencer showered and walked to his closet and
tried to decide what to wear. He had some nice civilian clothes, but
thought it would be deceptive to travel in them when he was on business.
His military uniforms seemed like a good alternative, but there was too
much that would need to be explained. So he reached in and grabbed a
uniform he hadn't worn in a long time.
He pulled on the black pants and white shirt, before the crimson
thigh-length tunic which buttoned up to his neck. He hung the royal cross
around his neck and pinned on some distinctions that had been accorded him
over the years. After he pulled on his shiny boots and formal hat, he
looked in the mirror and a prince stared back at him.
Then, he walked out of the barracks and up to the house. He opened
the back door and stepped inside.
"Holy shit!" Peter said, dropping his spoon as he sat eating
cereal. "WHAT IS THAT?"
James just sat there with his jaw hanging open at the sight of his
friend in full-dress uniform. He would have been gorgeous in anything, but
this outfit was HIM. "Gentlemen," Sebastian said, leaning back, "I present
to you his Royal Highness, Percival Spencer, Prince of the Great Sea, heir
to the throne of the witches."
"Guys," Spencer said, "I am just me, okay?"
James nodded, but Peter smiled wickedly and said, "Yeah?" Spencer
nodded, confused, until Peter laughed and said, "Then zip your pants, your
highness!" Everyone laughed as Spencer's face got as red as his tunic and
corrected the issue.
"You're off to see our friends, then?" Sebastian asked. The young
man nodded. "I expect, but do not require, a report of your activities."
Spencer nodded. "Of course. I have no problem with that!"
"Thank you," Sebastian said kindly. "We'll see you for dinner?"
"I'll try to get back, but I'll let you know," Spencer said.
Sebastian grabbed the phone and dialed Sam. "Sam?"
"Sebastian, what can I do for you?" the man asked.
"I need you to open the portal, someone from my division is coming
through for the day."
"And who would that be?" Sam asked making his way down the hall to
the location of the portal.
"The crown prince of the witches," Sebastian said with a smile.
"Percy? How is he?"
"Ask him yourself," Sebastian said. "He'll be there momentarily...
Thanks, Sam."
Moments later, the portal flickered and Spencer was standing there
in his uniform. "Thanks, Rabbi Roth!"
"My boy, my boy! How have you been?" Sam said, putting a hand on
his shoulder, though he had to reach up to do it.
"Very well, since my transfer. I'm making close friends with the
guys there, and I'm getting out into the world more."
"It's one thing they often forget when `handling' you young ones,"
Sam said sadly. "You have to learn to be your own person in order to rule
people."
They were walking down the hall and Spencer stopped. "Before I go
... do you have a minute?"
"For you, anytime," Sam said, motioning him into his office, past a
very confused-looking Irma. "What's on your mind?"
"How did Sebastian and my mother get to know one another so well?"
Sam leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. "Sebastian
has had close relations with your ancestors for many generations, but he
was especially close with your grandmother. Your grandfather didn't like
him all that much, though. I don't know what you know about Sebastian's
role in WWII, but he was desperately injured. Shortly after the war,
Sebastian visited the UK for a couple of years, and during that time he was
in constant contact with your grandmother."
"I've never heard any of this..."
"I' m not surprised," Sam sighed. "No one likes to talk about
those dark days. Sebastian had made our victory possible, but there were
so many dark forces arrayed against us still. Dark wizards who had gone
underground after the war, the Communists trying to harness the forces...
In any case, your grandmother was taken while she was pregnant with your
mother."
"Taken?" Spencer asked.
"Kidnapped by a cartel of wizards bent on punishing the queen for
supporting the Council. They were going to make a message out of her."
"What happened?"
Sam smiled weakly. "What do you think happened? You're here, they
aren't! Sebastian tracked them down in a couple of days, contacted them
and agreed to meet them on him on his own. He took some nasty hits, but he
killed them all. Brutally. He's your mother's godfather, you know? Even
your grandfather couldn't begrudge him that."
"So that's why, when she called him, he came to help?" Spencer
mused mostly to himself.
Sam surprised him by asking, "Have you ever asked your mother about
that afternoon, Spencer?" He shook his head no and Sam added, "I thought
not." After a long pause, he said, "Your mother did not call Sebastian.
She called me."
Spencer sat back and had no idea what to say, so he waited for the
man to continue. "I was a very prominent member of the wizarding
community, but my loyalty was to the Council, so I betrayed your mother's
trust and called Sebastian, who came to her aid and helped her cover up the
death of the young man."
"Why didn't she call him directly?"
"She didn't know whether she could trust the Council and she was
trying to protect you," Sam said.
"Well, I was traumatized, but why was she worried about protecting
me? I was the victim!" Sam sat in his chair perfectly silent for far too
long, and Spencer stood up and demanded, "WHAT!?" And after another pause,
"SAM!"
Sam shook his head. "Tell me what you remember..."
Spencer sat down heavily and said, "We were having our lesson, and
he followed me to my room like he had been for a few weeks. I wasn't
resisting any more, I just let him do what ... whatever he wanted. Then
mom came home and found us and ... I always figured she heard me crying and
realized."
"But?" Sam asked, encouraging the thought.
"But I wasn't resisting anymore. Not whimpering or crying out. I
just laid there. And when I saw her... I was so ashamed, and then there
was a flash and it all went dark."
Sam reached out and grabbed his hand. "You were just a boy, Percy!
It was a spontaneous lashing out by your soul. You couldn't have stopped
yourself. To see you go on trial, even if it was open and shut! Killing a
mortal... It was all too much. I couldn't help, but Sebastian, he had the
connections, the power, the will."
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Spencer asked, his world spinning ever
so slightly off kilter. He was a killer.
"Would it have helped? Does it help to know now?" Sam asked. The
young man just shook his head, and put his head in his hands. "You need to
go home, Spencer. You're in no shape for business right now..."
"I don't ... I can't face them," he said with the broken voice of a
younger boy.
Just then the intercom buzzed and Irma's voice called out, "Rabbi,
your 11 o'clock is here. Should I tell him to wait?"
Sam opened the door and said, "Can you give us a minute, Chase?"
"Chase is here?" Spencer asked and the boy heard his voice.
"Spencer?" the melodic, boyish reply came, and Chase slipped past
Rabbi Roth. As he approached, he could see the man had tears in his eyes
and knelt at his feet. "What's wrong?" Rabbi Roth began to speak but
Chase held up a hand and the Rabbi smiled to himself and slipped out.
"What's wrong?" he asked again, peering deep into the young prince's
crystal eyes.
"Chase," he whispered, almost a plea, and though his eyes were
closed he felt warm fingers stroke his cheek and jaw. "I'm not ... what I
thought I was. I did something terrible. And they knew, but they never
told me."
Chase smiled and said, "I have no idea what any of that means, but
I can see that you are who you always have been, Spencer. You're just as
handsome and brave and honest as you always were, and I believe in you."
On hearing those words, a dam of tears unleashed from deep within
his soul, and Spencer collapsed forward to cry on the slight shoulder of
the slim figure before him. When he was mostly cried out, he whispered,
"When I was younger than you, I killed a man."
Without flinching, and without the slightest hint of judgment,
Chase asked, "What did he do to you?"
"He hurt me ... terribly," Spencer allowed.
"And did you plan to kill him?"
"It was an accident," Spencer said, "but..."
"But nothing. Let's go back to my place. William told me you
wanted to talk, and you need to relax."
"I should go back," Spencer said, trying, but not really trying, to
pull away.
"Nope. You're coming home with me. That's it." He held the young
soldier's hand and urged him up out of the seat and led him into the outer
office, never letting go. "Sam, we're going back to my place to rest and
relax. You want to come by for dinner this evening?"
"Of course," the man said, nodding with a grandfatherly expression.
"You have this under control young man?"
In a low voice Irma couldn't hear, Chase said in a mischievous
voice with a twinkle in his eye, "Is that any way to speak to your superior
officer, general?"
Sam rolled his eyes and smiled. "See you this evening, then,
gentlemen." When Spencer followed Chase out, Sam went into his office and
picked up the phone.
"Sebastian?"
"Sam? Everything alright?"
"He remembered everything, Sebastian..."
"High time," the vampire replied. "How's the boy?"
"Not our call," Sam answered. "But it happened. Chase is looking
after him. He just happened to be here."
"Of course he did," Sebastian said with a smile.
"Should we call Dora?" Sam asked.
"Let Spencer decide to do that in his own time. Let me know if
anything else happens. God forbid."
"Will do. I'm joining them for dinner this evening, so I'll call
you after."
"Thanks, Sam. Goodbye."
***
As they walked down the sidewalk to the waiting car he had
borrowed, Chase asked, "What's with the outfit?"
"It's my uniform – crown prince of the witches," Spencer said
with a sigh.
"You are full of surprises, aren't you?" Chase said with a smile.
"Reminds me I'm supposed to get fitted for my uniform before this Congress
thingie. That is what we're supposed to be talking about, right?"
"Your uniform? I think we have people for that," Spencer joked.
"Funny! Feeling better?" Chase asked as he turned on the car.
"A little, yeah!"
"Take it from me, Spencer, and I would know – when things get
too heavy, you just have to keep going. If you stop and dwell, things get
sticky. You can get lost."
"I guess you would know," Spencer replied and they rode back to the
house in silence.
When they arrived home, Chase heard Xavier call, "I wasn't
expecting you back so fast," but he trailed off as he emerged holding the
baby and saw Spencer in his uniform. He stood there, his mouth open,
staring.
Spencer said, "I've been getting that reaction today." Holding out
his hand, he added, "Percival Spencer. I prefer Spencer..."
"Of course," the man mumbled. "Your Highness."
"Give it a rest Xavier! Spencer's had a hard day," he said, taking
the baby from his uncle and passing it directly to Spencer. "We'll be
upstairs." Xavier nodded and just stood there. As they were walking up to
William and Chase's room, Chase added, "That was William's uncle Xavier!"
"Is he that impressed by the uniform?"
"Not the uniform, I think," Chase winked, "as much as the man
beneath the uniform. But he's taken!"
Spencer laughed, but asked, "What makes you think I'd care?"
Chase just raised his eyebrows knowingly and, after a long pause,
shrugged. "I guess in some ways it made what happened even harder, huh?"
Chase asked. "I mean, being interested in guys, and having a guy you kind
of like take advantage of you?"
Spencer smiled again and relaxed. "Yeah. It made it hard.
Impossible, really."
"So you just threw yourself into study, into your military career,
and ignored your feelings?" Spencer laughed and nodded, before shaking his
head. "What?" Chase asked, innocently.
"I didn't know you could read minds too!"
Chase looked surprised, and laughed. "I can't!" Then after a
pause he added, "Or I don't, anyway. Never tried. Never wanted to." They
sat silently for a while and Alex inspected this new man. "So, you're in
uniform because you wanted to talk. Feel like talking?"
"Not really, but let's get it over with..."
Chase took Alex and went downstairs to find Xavier on the phone
talking to Aiden. "We've got some things to talk about. I'll be away for
a bit. Do you mind?"
Xavier took the baby and asked, "Can he stay for dinner?"
"I'll insist on it," Chase smiled and winked. As he walked
upstairs he heard Xavier demand, "Be home by six; he'll stay!" And after
the answer came, "Of course he'll stay, Chase is asking!"
In his room, he said, "Give me your hand?"
Spencer hesitated briefly before taking the smaller, soft hand in
his own. He felt a gentle squeeze, just before Chase said, "Hold on!" And
Spencer stumbled a little as he realized they were no longer in the boy's
room.
"Where are we?" the man asked.
"You've never been here?" Chase wondered. "Of course not! This is
my place... I wanted us to have some privacy and I wanted to let you know
a little bit about me." Chase said. "This is the Temple of Solomon, or
rather the metaphysical reality to which it connects."
"Why are we HERE?" Spencer asked.
"Can I trust you?" the boy asked. The man nodded thoughtfully.
"Because, and you might have heard rumors, I am the keeper of this
place, the high priest of this Temple," the boy said in his far-away
melodic tone. "I come here to be more in tune, to think. Nobody really
knows how often I sneak away to come here, and it's not really safe for
anyone but me."
"Not safe?" the man asked.
"The Presence of the Divine dwells here," the boy said, walking up
to the altar with the man just behind him. "Can you feel it?"
"Behind the curtain," Spencer said.
"Yes... The longer you are here, the more you'll feel the desire
to join it. That would be a fatal mistake, tearing your reality apart.
For me, it's different..."
"Your power is different from ours," Spencer mused to himself.
"Yes," Chase answered simply, taking the man's hand again, softly,
gently, a gesture of intimate friendship. As he squeezed, he said, "What
do you want to ask me?"
"My mother asked me to come. The World Congress is a gathering of
wizards and witches, many loyal to us but many belonging to splinter
groups. My mother is concerned that a darkness is rising and will attempt
to gather followers at this meeting. She'd hoped you would support some of
her initiatives and defeat these attempts."
Chase turned to face him and said, "Insofar as your mother is
seeking the good, we are on the same side. Insofar as she is seeking to
consolidate her power, I'll follow my own reason and conscience. No
promises. Why don't you tell me some specifics?" he asked, waving his hand
and transporting a seat into the space so they could sit and talk.
Spencer filled him in on as much as he could, and Chase nodded
while he listened. "Our interests seem to be in the same place," he said
when the man finished. "You can tell your mother what we talked about,
though I'd prefer the where stayed between us?" Spencer nodded, and Chase
added, "Before we leave, there is one last thing I'd like to do?"
"What?"
"It's complicated," Chase said with a sigh. But Spencer looked
down and saw he was in a very simple white cotton robe. Chase smiled at
his surprised look and said, "You'll find your uniform in your closet at
Sebastian's, highness!"
Still holding the man's hand, Chase led him to the altar, and they
stood shoulder-to-shoulder. "Most high God," the boy intoned with the
powerful voice of an elder sage, "look upon your servant with favor. Shine
your countenance upon the downtrodden, show your forgiveness to the
oppressed. Embrace with love your little child." Then he turned to face
the man and put his hands on his shoulders. First, Spencer felt a warmth
spreading through his body, and then he saw the golden light emanating from
beneath Chase's hands. The last thing he remembered was the boy's cherry
red lips pressing against his cheek and a whisper he could not hear. And
all was black.
***
After a long morning of working with electrical energy and a quick
lunch, Carl and Edward were taking a little nap. Marcus was outside
getting things ready for later, and Chris was just finishing the dishes.
After he dried his hands, Chris stepped onto the porch and saw the man
working at the edge of the woods. As Chris approached, Marcus looked up
and smiled widely at him.
Chris walked up to the man and wrapped his arms around him, laying
his head on the man's broad chest. "When you're done, you want to lie down
with me for a nap?" Marcus smiled and winked at him and he said, "NO
TRICKS! I promise. I just want to rest, and I prefer to rest with you."
Marcus raised his hand to the back of Chris's head and pulled the
boy in for a passionate kiss. "I'll be in in a few minutes," he whispered.
Chris smiled and said, "I'll wait."
So when Marcus was through, Chris took his hand and they walked
together to their room, where they stripped down to their underwear and
crawled into bed. Chris was so tired, he didn't even push Marcus's
buttons, and both of them fell promptly to sleep.
***
"Where is he?" Xavier asked as Chase took the baby.
"I left him in bed upstairs," Chase answered with a cheeky grin.
"He's tired out." Seeing the look on Xavier's face made him laugh and add,
"He's had a rough time, Xavier, and he's working through some things he may
not have been entirely ready to face."
"I don't suppose I should ask?" Xavier said gravely.
"No, I don't think so," Chase said evenly.
Just then, a deep voice asked from the stairs, "Why is there a
naked man in our bed?"
Chase smiled at William and said, "He isn't naked. He has shorts
on, for crying out loud." Chase explained to William about Spencer's true
identity and that he had talked with Spencer about business, followed by
some intense personal matters that had exhausted the young man. "I needed
to do a healing ritual with him, then I brought him home to rest. How's
Avery?"
"He's being a little childish about having to work with Sebastian,
but he's getting over it."
***
In the evening, Marcus sat down with Chris and Carl. "We'll
continue to work on basic training in the morning, but I'd like to begin
exploring with each of you the heritage of your traditions. Carl, in your
case, this is easy; we know you are a Druid. But Chris," he hesitated,
"though you clearly have magickal power, we know nothing of your
background."
"There isn't much I can tell you. My parents aren't religious.
They don't have any real beliefs that I know of," Chris said.
"I know," Marcus said, "that's why I brought this." In his hand
was a crystal. "I'm no expert with this but it should be enough to give us
the insight we need. Chris, you grab the point and clear your mind,"
Marcus said. "It might take a few," he stopped abruptly because as soon as
the boy touched the crystal his mind was flooded with a familiar image.
Chase in priestly robes standing on the steps of the Temple. "Problem
solved!"
"Really?" Chris asked, incredulous.
"The image was immediate and absolutely clear," Marcus said.
Chris complained impatiently to a smiling Marcus, "AND?"
"YOU are a kabbalist by birth, the Jewish mystical sect to which
Rabbi Roth and Chase belong," Marcus revealed.
"No way," the boy said, suddenly quite sure it was true.
Marcus reached into his bag and pulled out a book on the Druidic
tradition of magick and handed it to Carl; a moment later, he had a volume
on Kabbalistic magick for Chris. "Gentlemen, study these works this
evening and tomorrow morning, we'll pick a few exercises for each of you to
practice."
"We're not learning anything new tonight?" Carl asked, sounding
disappointed.
Marcus smiled and said, "You're learning how to learn. Practice
some of the safer things on your own, and come to me if you need some help,
or if you get in to trouble." With that, he smiled and went inside,
leaving the boys looking at each other uncertainly.
"I think," Chris began, "only one of us should practice anything at
a time."
"Why?" Carl asked?
"So that the other is free to run get Marcus! What if one of us
accidentally stuns himself?"
"True," Carl said, as the weight of possibility hit him.
They read together for hours, occasionally stopping each other to
try some technique or spell without any difficulty.
***
William was changing out of his workout clothes a little later when
he heard Spencer yawn in bed. "Welcome back to the world of the living,"
he said, pulling up his jeans and giving the man a nice long look at his
ass.
"Pleasant welcome, that," Spencer joked. "What am I doing here and
where are my clothes?" he asked, lifting the covers to find he was wearing
a fairly tight, fairly skimpy pair of shorts.
"You'll have to ask my man about that," William said. "I'd loan
you some of mine, but you're bigger than me." He walked to the door and
yelled, "Babe! The prince needs some clothes!"
Chase hurried upstairs and smiled at the man laying in bed.
"Sorry! How are these?" he asked, reaching as if into the air and pulling
out some nice casual clothes.
William shook his head and said to Spencer, "I think he just does
this stuff to show off!"
"DO NOT! I'm just always learning," Chase pretended to pout,
winking at Spencer. "How do you feel?"
"Better," the man said, suddenly remembering what had happened
between them just before he had passed out. "Thank you."
"Of course! Now get dressed and come downstairs!" Chase said,
leaning against the door frame.
Spencer looked back and forth between Chase and William, and
finally asked, "PRIVACY?"
"You're no fun!" Chase said with a grin as he and William ran
downstairs. A few minutes later, the man followed, looking gorgeous in his
everyday clothes. "Spencer, you met Xavier earlier. This is his partner,
Aiden," Chase finished introductions about the same time Sam Roth knocked
on the door.
Aiden answered and welcomed the man in with a hug. "Good to see
you," he added. "Come on in! Spencer's still here!"
"Good evening, gentlemen!" the rabbi said as he entered the living
room. "And there is little Alex!" He slipped a hand beneath Xavier's and
lifted the baby from the man's arms, teasing Alex and making him laugh.
The men chatted casually over dinner and kept the environment
low-key for their guest. They were almost finished when the phone rang and
Aiden answered. "It's for you," he said mysteriously, handing the phone to
Rabbi Roth.
"Hello?" After listening, he continued, "REALLY? You're quite
sure?" And after a little more explanation, "Fantastic. I'll meet with
him as soon as you return. Goodbye!"
Seeing all eyes were on him, Sam explained, "That was Marcus. He
has determined Chris's magickal lineage, and he's one of us, Chase. He is
of our blood."
Chase nodded with a smile. "I thought he might be."
"You knew?" William asked.
"Not for sure, but there was a feeling I couldn't quite place.
Something familiar."
"Well, when he returns from training, I'm going to have him visit
me and begin a formal program with him. Perhaps you'll join us some,
Chase?"
"Sounds fun," Chase said. "That'll give me something to do while
William is off with Avery!"
Shortly, Sam returned to the synagogue with the young prince, who
promised to visit soon.
***
Back at Sebastian's, Spencer found an uncomfortable silence.
"HELLO?" he called as he emerged from the portal. He walked to
Sebastian's office and knocked but the door was locked and the security
system activated.
"HELLO?" he called again as he walked upstairs and out onto the
first floor. He knocked on Richard's door and again got no answer. On the
refrigerator, he found a note letting him know the guys had all gone out to
dinner and wouldn't return until late. Three of the four would be having a
more substantive snack after dinner.
And yet Spencer's feeling of disquiet never faded. In fact, it
increased. He walked around the house but found nothing out of order, so
he walked the perimeter and again found nothing.
At last, he called the security team arrayed around the outer
walls. "Team Alpha, report!"
"No activity, sir," came the immediate response.
"Team Delta, report!"
"No signs of life, sir," came his answer.
"Gamma Team?"
"Sir, half an hour ago, an unarmed civilian delivered a package to
the front gate mailbox!"
"Secure the package. I'll meet you at the gate in five!" Spencer
responded, and grabbed his Kevlar vest. He quickly jogged around the house
and said, "Scan the package for magick!"
A skilled veteran of the previous war performed an incantation that
revealed magick. However, only traces were present on the fingerprints.
"Explosives?" Spencer asked.
"Nothing. For sure!" a younger man replied.
Spencer grabbed the package and went to open it, when a private
asked, "Sir! Are you sure you should?" but Spencer silenced him with a
glare.
Inside the big envelope were two 8"X10" photographs. The first was
of a busy street, the second was of a college cafeteria. They only had one
thing in common. Each picture was centered on an extraordinary young man
in his twenties, circled in red marker. The resemblance was uncanny; if
James were ever to grow up, this would be what he would look like in four
or five years.
Spencer flashed the photos in front of the private and asked, "WHAT
does this look like to you, private?"
The young man froze, but at last answered, "A threat, sir!"
"That's right," Spencer said, as he turned to walk back inside.
"Secure the perimeter. Any more unscheduled deliveries, detain the
deliveryman! Good night, gentlemen!"
Spencer walked back to the manor house and logged on to an access
hub for the Council Subnet, which was secured at a lower level than
Sebastian's. But when he logged on, he got a security warning that the
system was upgrading its encryption. Apparently, he was outed to the
Council.
He looked around to see who was online and found one person he knew
he could trust. He typed out a quick message and soon a figure appeared on
his screen. "How are you enjoying the Far East, Horatio?"
"More like the Wild West these days," Horatio laughed. "I'm afraid
Roman doesn't care for it, so he occasionally goes on little vacations,
either into the countryside, or through the portals back to Italy."
"What's it like to be the youngest consul?" Spencer smiled.
"It's like coming into a very complex game right in the middle, but
no one else speaks English so you learn the rules by playing. But not
quite that bad, because I've been getting advice and assists from Richard
and Americ..."
"Not Sebastian?"
"He tries to stay above such things," Horatio smiled. "But what
CAN I do for YOU, your majesty?"
"Highness will do, I'm not king yet," the young man responded with
a sarcastic laugh. "I have a problem and everyone else is out." Holding up
the photos, he continued, "These were delivered by hand this evening to the
manor."
Horatio leaned in and pressed a zoom button until he gasped. "IS
that who I think it is?"
"I think so."
"This is going to get nasty," Horatio said glumly.
"Can you get someone to work on finding this guy? I think he's
been out of touch."
"Will do! I'll get back to you ASAP!" Horatio said, logging off
and getting busy.
"WHAT is going on?" Spencer wondered aloud to himself as he began
doing research himself, seeing if he could use probate records to follow a
money trail back to the man, but it turned out he never collected his
estate, limited though it was.
He was still on the computer when the guys got home, and they all
stopped in their tracks when he turned to face them. "What's wrong?"
Sebastian asked, concerned.
"I'm not sure," Spencer began with a sigh. "But I think James's
brother is in trouble."
"Josh? Did something happen?" James asked, almost panicked. Even
though his brother didn't come to see him when he was nearly killed, or
after the funeral, James felt a real attachment to his brother. They'd
been so close when they were kids.
"NO! But ... these were delivered this afternoon. I got here too
late and security let the courier go..." As he handed the pictures to
James and Sebastian, he could feel the ancient vampire's energy coming in
waves. They all could.
James grabbed Sebastian's hand and said, "Calm down, baby! We just
need to find him and protect him."
Sebastian nodded. "I'll get my men on it," he said.
Spencer replied, "I'm already on it. I asked Horatio to begin a
search for him a couple of hours ago."
"Good man," Sebastian nodded. "When we hear from him, we need to
go see your brother," Sebastian said to James. "He'll need more protection
than we can offer him in the open, at least until we figure out what this
means."
"I don't think he'll want to see me," James said sadly.
"He won't have much choice now that someone is using him to scare
us," Sebastian said firmly.
***
William put the phone down and looked at Chase. They put the baby
in the crib and stepped quietly outside and went downstairs to talk to
Avery and Xavier.
"That was Sebastian," the boy announced. "It seems they got a
threat at his house tonight!"
"He's a big boy," Xavier laughed. "He can handle it. I'm
surprised he didn't eat the messenger."
"The message was a picture of James's human brother. He was
circled in red ink!" William explained.
"How terrible!" Chase said. "What's this all about?"
"No clue," William said. "But I think we should all watch our back
for a while."
"Agreed!" Aiden declared.
***
Early in the morning, Sebastian's phone rang and James grabbed it.
"Van der Meer residence."
"James, is that you?" an Englishman's voice asked. "It's Horatio!"
"What do you have?" James asked abruptly.
"Good to talk to you, as well, old chap," Horatio laughed. "But I
understand. Your brother is currently living in Albany, NY." He gave
James the address. "And he's working at an accounting firm, Johnson and
Masters, which is probably where you'll find him today."
"Thank you, Horatio. Talk to you soon!" James said, and sat the
phone in its base. Sebastian was in his office downstairs; James made his
way to the first floor but slipped outside into the yard. With his wand,
he opened a door to an alleyway near his brother's apartment. It was still
early enough that his brother would be home. James took a last look over
his shoulder at the house before stepping through the portal alone.