Age of Aquarius

by Tawdra Kandle

  But who was supposed to have it? The only person in the room just now with powers was Cathryn herself, and enhancing her ability to hear minds wasn’t going to do a damn thing to help us.

  Her eyes widened, and she rolled them several times, pointedly, toward the corner of the room.

  I frowned. Colby?

  Cathryn gave a barely-perceptible nod.

  Another explosion went off, and this time it must have been closer to us, because the entire house groaned as it shook. The huge man holding Cathryn and his three back-up goons were momentarily distracted, and I took that opportunity to slip away from the sofa and stumble along the wall. Under the pretext of cowering closer to Joy, I grasped Colby’s hand, passing the eternity stone to him.

  Instantly, I was rocked backward again, but this time, it had nothing to do with an external force. Something had happened the moment we’d touched with the stone between us. And now, as I watched, Colby began to shimmer with—something. I wasn’t sure what.

  “Give us the vessel now!” the giant roared. “Or prepare to shed your blood.”

  He’d no sooner snarled out the last word that everything happened at once. The four other men rushed toward Joy. I noted almost absently that they had knives in their hands, and since I was still hovering by Joy and Colby, it was a pretty good bet that I was going to be skewered by one of them. I wondered what it would feel like. And if I died, who would be my death broker, since Lucas was fifty years behind me now?

  And then from my left, through the kitchen door, there was another blur of movement. Henry moved with a speed I’d never seen in him before, racing headlong from the doorway straight for Cathryn and her captor. He led with his shoulder, knocking against the two like a linebacker mowing down the opposition.

  The huge man, taken by surprise, loosened his hold on Cathryn long enough that she broke free. The giant turned his attention to Henry, and before I could understand or process what was happening, he’d sunk his fingers into the cook’s neck and plunged a dagger into his throat.

  Cathryn screamed, the most horrible, heart-rending noise I’d ever heard. Blood spurted from the older man, and I caught sight of his eyes, already blank and staring as he fell to the ground.

  In our corner of the room, Colby was fending off the four attackers with amazing moves that I had to think came courtesy of the eternity stone. He punched with precision and kicked their legs out from under them. One of the men caught me by the arm and slashed his knife at me, but I feinted to the right so that it only nicked my arm, stinging me. I held my arms over my head, cowering and praying for help as I prepared for the worst.

  “What the hell?” I recognized Cillian’s voice. He’d been upstairs checking on Michael, but now he was at my side, delivering a well-aimed right hook to the fellow who’d been about to slice and dice me.

  “Jackie, where’s the stone?” He panted, glancing at me.

  “Colby has it.” I pointed at the man who was still adroitly defending Joy. “Cillian, Henry . . . can you help him?”

  Cill took in the scene in the middle of the room: Cathryn on the floor, sobbing over her friend’s body. The man who’d just killed Henry yanked her upwards by the hair and lifted his knife toward her throat.

  “No!” Cillian reached toward Colby, gripped the other man’s hand. A flash of light flew from where their hands were linked, and I saw the young Irishman’s eyes narrow and then flare. The giant emitted a groan of agony, dropped Cathryn and gripped his own head, his voice turning into a sickening gurgle just before he collapsed.

  “What did you do?” I gasped, though I had a sneaking suspicion about the answer to that question.

  Cillian spared me a glance. “Stroke,” he answered succinctly. “Blood clot in the right place at the right time.” He released Colby’s hand and took me by the arm. “Jackie, we’ve got to get you out of here. There’re too many of them, and Colby won’t be able to keep this up.”

  The goon who Cillian had punched was back on his feet now, glowering at us. Colby was still defending Joy, but Cill was right; he was tiring, even with the help of the stone. We were seriously outnumbered, and I couldn’t see any way out of it. Michael, Marly and Zoe were upstairs, but none of them had the power or strength necessary to fight this battle.

  Suddenly, a blinding light filled the room. I cried out, covering my eyes, and Cill wrapped an arm around me, hiding his face against my back.

  I heard a loud and thunderous voice coming from close by.

  “You will not touch the chosen vessel!”

  I snuck a peek, ducking under Cillian’s arm. Seth stood in front of Colby and Joy, but he didn’t look anything like the laid-back guy who I’d gotten to know over these past days. He was taller, for one thing, and he shone with an otherworldly-light.

  One of the bolder attackers made a run at Seth, who flicked a hand his way. Instantly, the man fell to the floor. The others paused, looking at each with panic and sheer terror, before they charged the angel. This time he didn’t even bother moving his hand. One glance, and all of them were flattened, lying motionless.

  “Seth.” Cathryn’s voice was hoarse. “Can you help? Can you . . .” She raised a tear-stained, anguished face to him.

  “I’m sorry, Cathryn. Henry’s gone. He gave his life in defense of someone he loved—you—and he has moved onto a great reward.” A single silver tear ran down the angel’s cheek. “Our loss is great, but his gain is incomparable.”

  The silence in the room was deafening after the noise of the battle. Joy gave a little whimper, and Colby slid his arm around her.

  “Are you all right? Were you hurt?”

  She shook her head. “No. Just terrified beyond belief.” She touched Colby’s cheek. “You defended me. You protected me. Thank you, Colby.”

  He smiled, and the gentle curve of his lips transformed his face. “Always, Joy.”

  “Joy, it’s time.” Seth held out his hand and led the young woman to the center of the room. “The ritual is underway. This is your moment.” He paused, glancing back at Cill and me. “Jackie, you’re to hold the eternity stone and rest your hand on Joy’s shoulder. You are her handmaiden here. Colby, touch her other shoulder. You are her champion. Cillian, sit with Cathryn, please. She needs you now.”

  We took our places. My hand shook a little as I laid it on Joy’s shoulder. She turned her head to meet my eyes, and I saw trepidation there. I gave her a little squeeze of encouragement.

  Seth raised his voice. “Zoe, Marly and Michael . . . it’s time for you to come down, too.”

  Startling a little in my surprise at this turn of events, I watched as the three others appeared at the top of the steps, glancing around cautiously as they began to descend.

  “The stone will allow all of us to take part in what Joy has to do now. Stand behind Jackie and lay your hands on her back or her arm. As long as you are touching her, the power of the stone will pass along through all of you.”

  Marly smiled encouragingly at Joy, touching her cheek gently. Michael, who looked better than I’d expected for someone so recently at death’s door, lay one hand on my back. Zoe beamed at me and circled my wrist with her small fingers.

  I could still hear Cathryn’s soft sobs, but I knew that Cillian was doing everything he could to comfort her. Seth, still in his angelic glory, stood in front of Joy, tipping her face upward with one finger.

  “Joy, the chosen vessel of light, do you give us permission to work through your being?”

  I was at once impressed and touched that Joy was given a choice. She’d been created for this task, protected for years by the host, and yet even now, she had the option to walk away. She could say no.

  She nodded, her face sober. “Yes, I give permission.”

  Seth laid his other hand on her head, and at once, everything in the world changed.

  If I had ever been here before on another time around the wheel

  I would probably know just how to deal

  With all of you
/>
  And I feel

  Like I’ve been here before

  The day the world went away.

  “Déjà Vu” Lyrics by David Crosby

  1967

  Joss

  “Well, this is just lovely. How the hell are we supposed to do anything to stop the ritual when they’ve got us locked up and under guard?” Sionnach crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the closed door of the hut.

  “Simmer down.” Lucas spoke through a clenched jaw. “We still have advantages that they don’t know about. That’s why I didn’t vamp out when they were hauling us in here—I want that element of surprise. Veronica’s in there with the leadership, and even if she’s being restrained, too, she’s in a good position, if we can all work together.” He glanced at me. “Joss, you can broadcast, can’t you?”

  I shrugged. “I could before I died. I assume I can now.”

  “Wonderful. See if you can focus in on Veronica and let her know we’re okay. And then we’ll move on to the rest of the plan.”

  Rafe rubbed his forehead. “God, my head is killing me. I’ve been blocked by powerful people before, but that was intense.” He’d been doing his best to manipulate Donald Parcy’s mind after we’d been escorted from the leadership hut. For a few minutes, everything had gone well. He was getting somewhere. And then as I’d watched, Rafe’s neck had snapped back, and he’d stumbled a few steps as though someone had hit him. He’d tried to reestablish the connection, but someone strong was blocking him—and striking back, too.

  And then, before we could regroup, a bunch of men with long hair, love beads and tie dyed T-shirts had taken us by the arms and half-marched, half-dragged us into this hut, locking the door behind us.

  “There’s a rest-of-the-plan?” Sionnach inquired. “When did the plan include us being held prisoner? I see this as a setback.”

  “Of course, we knew this was a possibility.” Seamus nodded. “Cathryn’s been working this out for years now. She looked at every angle and every possible snafu. We have contingencies.”

  The fox spread her hands. “Lay it on me, brother. What’re we doing?”

  “First Joss is going to talk to Veronica. Then you’re up. Ready to spin one doozy of an illusion for our fine friends just outside?”

  I raised one hand. “Can we all be quiet for a minute or two? I don’t know precisely where Veronica is just now, and it will be easier if I don’t have distractions.” I worried the edge of my lip between my teeth. “Also, just a caveat emptor, I’ve only ever broadcast with one person before . . . and I had a strong connection with him.” I kept my gaze averted from Rafe’s. “I’m not positive I can do it with any random person.”

  “Okay, so buyer beware. Got it.” Lucas nodded. “Try it anyway. We’ll be quiet.”

  I screwed my eyes shut and focused, picturing the camp and the hut where we’d left Veronica. Relaxing into that feeling of searching for the right mind vibe was like using a muscle that I hadn’t worked out in a long time. Still, I knew the minute I’d zeroed in on the vampire’s head.

  Veronica. This is Joss. Are you okay?

  She startled at the unfamiliar intrusion into her mind. Joss? Oh, thank goodness. I’m fine. They have me locked in a room, though.

  I smiled. “Got her. Hold on.”

  Same here. We’re all in a hut across the commune from where we left you. But not to worry, because Lucas says there’s a plan.

  Excellent. I’ll wait for you, or I guess I’ll see you at the ritual. Ben knows I’m trying to stop it, but I don’t think he’s aware of the details. Joss, you’re going to have to bring your firepower to this fight. It isn’t going to be easy.

  “Veronica says Ben is onto her, but she doesn’t think he knows everything. She’ll wait there for us.”

  “Great. Let’s put our part into motion.” He wheeled around to face Sionnach. “What we need here is an illusion, and a strong one. The two guys standing out there have to believe that they should unlock the door and then leave. Can you spin something like that?”

  Sionnach lifted one slim shoulder. “If I can’t, someone should take away my kitsune card. I’ll make it happen.”

  “Why don’t I just bend their minds?” Rafe had buried his head in his hands, and his voice was muffled. “Wouldn’t that be easier?”

  “First of all, you’re not in any state to be messing with minds right now.” Seamus frowned. “No offense, man, but you look like shite.”

  “None taken. Feel like shite, too.” Rafe didn’t move.

  Lucas took up the thread. “Second of all, this is complicated, with both men having to believe the same thing. Illusion is more comprehensive than manipulation in this circumstance.”

  “Fine. Sounds like a plan.” The fact that Rafe wasn’t going to argue was indicative of how bad he felt, I realized. Frowning, I touched the back of his neck. It was odd that I could do that again. I’d gotten used to being able to see and talk to Rafe—and everyone else—without being able to come into physical contact with them. Being non-corporeal was wild and took some getting used to, but I was learning that being solid was also a transition. For me, it was a limited time offer, too. I knew that after we traveled back to 2017, I’d be mostly ghostly once again.

  “What are we going to do once the doors are open and the guards gone?” Sionnach cracked her knuckles. “Are we planning to rush the main hut and take them all out?”

  “Not until it’s time for the ritual. The first thing we’re going to do is clear the commune, so that we don’t have to worry about company once we’re ready to stop the big shindig. When it’s nearly underway . . . then we attack. That’s when they’ll be vulnerable.”

  “All right. Let me get to work here.” Sionnach stared straight out the window, but I knew she wasn’t seeing the waning light. She was weaving an elaborate fantasy that she would feed to the two men who were sitting outside the door, guarding us.

  I closed my eyes and reached out to Veronica again. We’re all fine here. Sionnach is working on getting us out. Is there anything we should know about at the main hut?

  For a moment, there wasn’t any response. And then I heard her. Liesel the vampire is here. She’s sticking close to Donald. Ben is around somewhere, and he’s strong. You have to be aware of him. Paige is here, too, but I’m not sure where. We have to save her.

  I drew in a deep breath. We’ll do our best.

  “That was pitifully easy.” Sionnach turned the knob of the door. “They were definitely ready to believe whatever story I told them.”

  “I would think people in this era are more open to believe and trust than they are in our time,” Rafe remarked. “They’re not quite so jaded.” Some of his color had returned, and he seemed to have gotten through the worst of the pain.

  “Maybe.” She raised an eyebrow at Lucas. “So now what? I think it’s dark enough for us to start evacuating. Some of them might take a little convincing.”

  “That’s my job.” Rafe smirked. “Pretty sure none of this group are going to fight back.”

  “We’ll spread out in two groups. Rafe, you and Joss go left. Seamus, Sionnach and I will take the rest of them. That way, each group has a mind influencer and someone with firepower.” Lucas grinned, and I shivered when I saw his glittering white fangs. “Or tooth power.”

  “Good thinking. Let’s get moving, and we’ll meet back here when we’re finished.” Seamus’ gaze lingered on me. “If you run into trouble, get the hell away and back here. Lock yourself into the hut.”

  The first few people Rafe and I came across were easy to convince. I explained that the police were planning a raid out here, and Donald wanted everyone out of the way until the danger had passed. Those who were dubious—or who asked who the hell we were—Rafe used his abilities to convince.

  “Think we’ll get the whole camp cleared?” I asked as we snuck through the trees.

  Rafe heaved a sigh. “Not sure. Anyone we get out is safer than those left, so we’ll just do our best.
” He slid me a sideways glance. “Freaky to be back in the woods with you, Joss. I keep having flashes of de-ja vu.”

  “Yeah.” It was still so recent for me. I remembered clearly running with Rafe through the forest in Georgia, desperate to escape Mallory Jones. I’d thought we had a chance, and then there she was. Within a few moments, I’d felt the exquisite but momentary pain when she struck me down.

  What had been more excruciating had been lingering there, watching them drag Rafe to a hole in the clearing and toss him into it. They’d put my body in a shallow grave near him, but that had meant nothing to me. I’d hunkered down by Rafe, miserable as I felt his waning will to live, his sinking into death . . .

  And then Nell had arrived. She’d destroyed the camp and saved Rafe, taking him away from there. I’d watched them leave with a mix of sadness and relief: I wasn’t sure if Rafe was going to pull through—he was pretty damn sick when Nell saved him—but I was betting on the determined witch I’d seen in action. Still, no matter what happened from that point on, Rafe wasn’t mine any longer. For a brief, sweet time, he had been . . . but that had ended. The minute he’d left the camp, I’d gone on to the afterlife, never expecting to see him again.

  “I heard everything you said to me, you know. In the camp, when you were in the hole. It killed me that I couldn’t answer you, that you didn’t know I was nearby.”

  His face bleak, Rafe nodded. “I wanted to die. I hoped I would. I couldn’t imagine a world without you in it.”

  “But you found out that you could go on. I’m so glad you did.” I thought of Nell and the love I saw in her eyes each time she looked at Rafe.

  He stopped, resting his back against a tall tree and jamming his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “So am I. But I want you to know, Joss, that it wasn’t easy. You weren’t expendable or easy to get over. When I began to fall in love in Nell, I felt so fucking guilty, like I was cheating on you. It nearly killed me—again.” He lifted those compelling green eyes to me. “We never said the words, Joss, but I loved you. I loved you so damn much.”