Wanderers 3: Garden of The Gods (The Wanderers)

by Richard Bamberg

  “What’s wrong?”

  “There are wards here. Did you know your aunt practiced magic?”

  “What? No, that’s not possible,” Tess countered.

  “It’s not strong, but there’s definitely a ward on the house. Look there,” I said pointing at a vertical line of Hebrew text along the doorjamb.

  Tess studied the writing and shook her head. “That’s not English.”

  “No, Hebrew, Cabalistic script. It’s a very old spell to ward the occupants of the home against magic and spirits. Not something you often see these days.”

  “Aunt Emily isn’t even Jewish.”

  “You don’t have to be Jewish to use some of their magic, but being Jewish definitely makes it stronger. This spell is weak, one of the symbols has a curve that shouldn’t be there, and it damages the power.”

  “Okay, then Aunt Emily practices some Cabalistic magic. She’s still my aunt.”

  “I just wanted you to know. We’ll need her to invite us in if we don’t want to be handicapped while we’re inside.”

  “Handicapped?” Tess asked.

  “I’m certain I’ve told you this. The threshold of a home provides some protection against creatures of evil and against magic users. A ward takes that to a higher level.”

  “Well, I’m certain that Aunt Emily will invite us in,” Tess said and stabbed the doorbell.

  I triggered my enhanced senses spell and studied the wards while listening. As soon as the door chimes stopped ringing, I heard heavy footsteps coming toward the front door. The home’s wards glowed softly in my sight. They were mostly white in hue, indicating a religious magic that was usually indicative of magic cast by a person of strong faith. Interesting, I thought.

  The footsteps stopped at the front door, and it opened.

  A tall woman, nearly as tall as Tess’s five-ten, stood in the doorway. She had darker hair than Tess’s red-hued tresses. Her face gave her age to be in her early thirties. She had brown eyes, set well apart. Her weight appeared to be at least one fifty, and if her biceps were any indication, it was more muscle than fat. She wore a green t-shirt that was tucked into camouflage pants. The military didn’t call them cammies these days, I think they were calling them UCPs, Universal Camouflage Pattern, or some such nonsense. The Army never could name anything sensibly.

  The woman’s mouth gapped open.

  “Hi, Aunt Emily, surprise!” Tess said cheerfully.

  “Therese? Good God, girl, where have you been?”

  Before Tess could answer, her aunt wrapped her in a bear hug. Tess joined in the hug while I remained silent. I studied the woman’s aura and saw very little sign of magical capability. Odd, the ward couldn’t have been done by someone with so little indication of power. Could she have gotten a rabbi to do the warding?

  After a few moments, the women separated. Emily’s eyes were moist, and she gripped Tess about the upper arms and gave her a shake. “Where the hell have you been, soldier? You know I’ve been worried sick? They told me you were AWOL. What–Jesus H. Christ! Your leg. When did you get fitted for prosthetics?”

  “I’ll explain as much as I can Aunt Emily, but can we do this inside? Could you invite Rafe and me in?” Tess asked.

  Emily appeared to see me for the first time. She frowned and studied me sharply. “Who’s this?”

  “This is Raphael A. Semmes, but he goes by Rafe.”

  “Please to meet you, Aunt Emily,” I said cheerfully.

  She took a step back, and her right hand rose to hip level. It was the action of someone who expected to find a weapon riding there. I raised both my hands and widened my smile.

  “I’m harmless.” It wasn’t a lie. I was harmless for any relative of Tess’s.

  Emily hesitated, but then lowered her hand and stepped back from the entry. “All right, come on in, Tess, and I guess you can bring your boyfriend in too.”

  “Thanks, Aunt Emily.” Tess stepped past the entrance, and I followed. Crossing the threshold, I felt the surge of its ward against my own. I adjusted mine to be more suitable to the Cabalistic spell and joined Tess in the foyer. The foyer was floored with sixteen-inch Spanish tile. There was a skylight directly above us and the late afternoon sun lit the room with a cheerful glow. To our right was a short sunroom, filled with enough plants to make it a veritable jungle. It was open to a living room filled with formal furniture in some style that while I recognized it as a style, I couldn’t name it. On our left was a large room with an entire wall of windows facing west toward the setting sun. A cheerfully burning gas fireplace, encased in river rock, rose to a ceiling at least fourteen feet above the hardwood floor.

  Emily shut the door and turned to stare at the two of us. Then she motioned briskly for us to follow and walked into the large room. She walked straight toward the fireplace, stopped, and turned to face us. I followed Tess, and we stopped a short distance from Emily. The room was furnished in dark leather and darker wood. A uniform shirt was draped over the back of one of the chairs. I couldn’t see the name on the shirt, but it matched Emily’s UCP pants. The rank on the shirt looked like Command Sergeant Major. I was impressed.

  “Okay, Niece, explain to me why you went AWOL and where you were fitted with prosthetics. That hand looks to be top of the line. The Army didn’t fit you for one that good and your walk indicates that your leg must be at least as good as that hand. What’s going on kid?”

  I was only mildly surprised that my apprentice seemed to be having trouble deciding how to start. I took her left hand in my right, and we shared emotions. She was nervous, but not afraid. No, I’d say she was more embarrassed than afraid. I projected my confidence in her as warmly as I could.

  Emily noticed our clasping hands and her eyes widened. “Oh, my God! Did you run off and get married?”

  Tess’s emotions immediately switched to shock. She pulled her hand from mine as if I’d burned her. “Married? To Rafe? Goodness no!”

  I thought I should have been insulted by the strength of her denial.

  “Then what’s going on? Wait a second. The flyboys told me you left with a man on a motorcycle. Didn’t I hear a Harley just before you rang the doorbell?”

  “Yes, yes to both your question and your statement. Rafe did rescue me from the hospital, and we rode here on our Harleys.”

  Tess stepped forward, suddenly, and Emily made a flinch backward before she held her ground. Tess raised both of her hands to Emily’s face. “Feel my flesh, Aunt Emily. Do my hands feel like one of them is prosthetic?”

  Emily’s face darkened in thought and then her own hands rose to take Tess’s in them. She held them in front of her and ran her fingers across the skin and the short hairs on the back, and then she flipped them over and studied the lines and calluses on their palms. Her eyes rose to meet Tess’s. “How has this happened? You were missing this hand less than two weeks ago.”

  Tess laughed nervously. “I know. Isn’t it amazing? It’s Rafe’s doing.”

  Emily turned her head sharply to stare at me. I grinned disarmingly, I hoped.

  “What is he? Some sort of healer?”

  “Sort of, but much more than that, Aunt Emily. He healed my burns that first night and convinced me to leave with him. Since then he’s regrown both my hand and my leg. If it weren’t for Rafe, I’d still be in that hospital bed, waiting to heal enough to be fitted for an artificial hand and leg.” Tess turned her head to the side and ran a hand across the new growth of hair above her ear. “You didn’t see the burns on the side of my face, Aunt Emily, but I’d have been scarred for life if not for Rafe.”

  Emily shook her head slowly. “This isn’t possible, Tess. You can’t regrow hands and legs.”

  “You want to feel my leg?” Tess asked.

  “No, I don’t. It’s some kind of trick. It must be.”

  Tess turned slightly to look at me. “She needs convincing.”

  She held out her hand, and I saw her eyes dart toward my boot. I reached down and drew out Walt�
�s knife.

  “What are you–No, don’t!” Emily shouted as Tess drew the keen blade across the center of her palm.

  Tess winced slightly as the blade left a half-inch deep slice across the width of her palm. Blood welled up and began to pool in her palm.

  “Damn it, Tess, what did you do that for?” Emily plucked a white handkerchief from a pocket and reached for her niece.

  Tess stepped back out of her reach.

  “Just stay where you are and watch,” Tess ordered. She spoke the words to the healing spell I’d taught her, and I could feel the power amplification of Loki’s amulet kick in. The bleeding stopped within seconds, and Tess held out her hand, palm up to her aunt.

  Emily took the hand and dabbed at the blood. When she had Tess’s palm revealed, the fresh pink line across her skin was already closed, and the skin was darkening to match that around it.

  “Holy crap!” Emily said. “How can you do that? It’s got to be some kind of trick.”

  “No tricks, Aunt Emily. Rafe’s been teaching me things,” Tess said as she took the handkerchief from Emily. She dabbed at her hand once and then put the bloody material in a pocket.

  She was actually making sure she didn’t leave any DNA residue behind. I had to grin. My apprentice was learning fast.

  Over the sound of the fireplace’s flickering flames, and the pounding sound of Emily’s heart, I heard the sound of a garage door going up.

  “We’ve got company,” I said. “Are you expecting someone?”

  “What?” She glanced at a stylized clock on the interior wall. “Yes, it’s time for Ashley to get home. She called to say she was on her way.”

  “Ashley?” Tess asked.

  “Yes, ah, I’ll explain about her,” Emily said. With my enhanced senses, I could see a slight brightening of her facial skin.

  “What’s to explain? I was wondering how you could afford this beautiful house. I guess having a roommate to share the expenses makes sense,” Tess said.

  A car door shut, a garage door settled back down, and a moment later a door in the huge kitchen opened. A light-skinned woman in her late thirties came in. Her hair was pulled up, similarly to how Emily wore hers, and she wore the uniform of an Air Force officer with silver oak leaves, a light colonel. She took in the unexpected company and hesitated. Then she smiled and walked into the great room and directly up to Emily. Before Emily could say anything, the woman put her hands behind Emily’s head and pulled her face down to hers. They kissed.

  I noticed Tess coloring brightly, and I studiously turned to watch the setting sun.

  “You didn’t tell me we’d have company when I called,” Ashley said. Her voice was husky and sensual.

  “They just arrived a few minutes ago. Ashley, this is my niece, Therese and her friend Rafe. Tess, this is Ashley…my wife.”

  Tess tried to choke something out, but nothing came. I moved beside her and spoke up to give her time to adjust to the change in circumstances. “We’re pleased to meet you, Ashley. I must say I’m a little surprised. In my day we didn’t see these things.”

  Ashley frowned. “Your day? What are you talking about? Same-sex marriage has been legal for years.”

  “Oh, no,” I said with a shake of my head. “You misunderstand. I was talking about fraternization.”

  “That doesn’t apply when the individuals are in different units, and you can see we’re not even in the same branch of service,” Emily said.

  “Of course, I was just wondering. There have been a lot of changes since I served and I don’t really keep up with the trends,” I said apologetically.

  “When you served? You’re what twenty-two, three? You couldn’t have left service more than a couple of years ago,” Ashley said.

  Tess finally found her voice. “You’re married!”

  Ashley smiled and took Emily’s left hand in hers and kissed its palm while holding the ring finger up to clearly show the wedding band.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Tess. I wasn’t sure how you’d take it and with your injuries, well, maybe it’s just an excuse, but I didn’t want you to have any more shocks while you were recovering.”

  Tess stepped close and threw her arms around both women. The three hugged for a good minute, while I returned my attention to the sun that had reached the line of mountains to the west. I could hear little sobs from all three women, and I wanted to slink out the door and let them have their moment.

  Instead, I moved closer to the windows and killed the power to my enhanced senses tat. There, that was better.

  After another couple of minutes, during which the mountains gradually eclipsed the sun, Tess called me back.

  The women had taken seats. The married couple on the large couch, their sides touching, and their hands interlocked between them. Tess sat on a matching love seat adjacent to them, and I took a wing chair across the coffee table from the three women.

  “So, Rafe,” Ashley began. “Tess tells me you healed all of her injuries. I must say I haven’t seen a healing spell that could restore limbs.”

  I looked at her quizzically and then noticed the Chaplin insignia on her uniform. The Star of David above the ten commandments tablet informed me where the cabalistic warding had come from.

  “Ah, well, you learn something new every day,” I said without emphasis.

  “I don’t want you to think I don’t appreciate all that you’ve done for my niece, but why did you take her out of the hospital? It’s going to be tough to get the Army to drop the AWOL charges,” Emily stated.

  “Well,” I began, wishing then that I had left my senses tat active so that I knew what Tess had said. “Perhaps Tess should fill you in on my reasons.”

  Both women looked from me to Tess.

  Tess gave a short laugh and glanced at me. Her look was beseeching.

  I shrugged toward her. “They’re your family, and you wanted to see your aunt. It’s up to you to explain. I haven’t forgotten how much fun you thought it was when I was explaining to Laura.”

  “That was different,” Tess protested.

  “Not so much,” I said with a shake of my head to emphasize my certainty.

  Tess sighed. “All right. If I have to.”

  “You don’t have to tell them anything. We can leave now if you want,” I said.

  Emily gave me a hard stare, and I was reminded of that unconscious reach for a weapon.

  “You aren’t taking my Niece anywhere unless she convinces me it’s for her own good,” Emily snarled in the voice of a Command Sergeant Major.

  I kept my face neutral as Tess intervened. “Aunt Emily, Rafe is one of the good guys. Don’t make threats that you can’t carry out.”

  “I can carry out any threat I make,” Emily responded.

  “Oh, for goodness sake. Look, Aunty, Rafe has taken me on as his apprentice. I work for him now. I’m sorry about leaving the Army without giving notice, but there was no helping it.”

  “Look Corporal Sylvan. You are not leaving this house without a full explanation, or I will be forced to restrain you and call the MPs,” Emily growled.

  This time, I did smile.

  Ashley moved one hand from their position in Emily’s to the other woman’s bicep. “Sweetheart, you have to give her a chance to explain. Don’t be so cross with her. I know you’ve been worried sick ever since she disappeared, but at least hear her out before being all army about it.”

  Emily pursed her lips, but after a moment, she nodded. “All right, Tess, I’ll hear you out before I make any judgment. Go on, what’s this apprenticeship you’ve agreed to?”

  Tess spoke rapidly as if thinking that speed would lessen the impact of her words, “Well, it’s a long story, but the gist of it is that a Norse god sent a Valkyrie to reap me when I was killed in the IED blast. I was selected to become a Wanderer like Rafe, and that’s why he came to get me at the hospital.”

  Emily’s brow narrowed. I could hear her teeth grating together even without my senses tat.
Ashley turned to look at me for a second, her eyes wide. She turned back to Tess. “That’s not possible, Tess. There’s no such thing as Wanderers. It’s just a myth witches tell their children to keep them in line.”

  Emily turned toward her wife. “Witches?”

  Ashley gave her a smile. “There are witches dear.”

  “That’s as hard to believe as Valkyries and gods. What are you talking about? What are any of you talking about?”

  “I figured you must have been the one to put the warding on the threshold,” I said. “You know you made a mistake in the fourth character.”

  “Oh? And you would know because you practice cabalistic magic?” Ashley asked with an amused expression.

  “No, I have just seen enough of it over the years to recognize a mistake when I see it.”

  Ashley chuckled. “I doubt that anyone your age has had much of a chance to see any real magic.”

  “Frak that! Ashley, he’s a lot older than you are,” Tess blurted.

  Ashley glanced to Tess and back to me. “Excuse me, Rafe, but would you mind if I studied your aura?”

  I grinned. “Which one?”

  That obviously confused the rabbi.

  “What?”

  “I maintain an adjusted aura. It’s necessary in our work.”

  “Ah, your true aura, if you don’t mind?”

  “Certainly, anything to please Tess,” I said. Actually, there was just no need to hide behind an aura that would make me look like a low-level Wiccan magic user with Tess’s family. I consciously dropped the spell that maintained my camouflage. “Go ahead, look all you want.”

  Ashley concentrated for a few moments and then her eyes widened.

  “What’s going on here? What are you doing, Ashley?” Emily asked.

  “I’m just studying Rafe’s aura.” She choked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a predominately gray aura before.”

  I grinned. “You aren’t likely to ever see one again, except right there,” I said indicating Tess.

  Ashley looked toward Tess, and her hand rose to her mouth. “Blessed God. You both have gray auras.”