"What does it look like?"
"It looks like you are waking my daughter up from some much needed rest."
Gregore let go of Caislyn, picked up her sketch pad, and tossed it at Vesta. "Does this look like she's been resting? She's got this asshole here influencing her, encouraging her to train more and more. She can't even rest when she tries to sleep."
"No, because there you are trying to wake her up. Ash came in a few minutes before you did to check on her. You came in to disrupt everything. I don't see where you are the one in the right here, Greg."
"Damn it Vesta, back off!" Gregore yelled again. This time, it woke Caislyn up. She looked around, groggily, at everyone.
"What the hell is going on?" She asked.
"You were sketching, and pretty boy here decided he didn't like it." Ash said, tipping his head towards Gregore, who was still looming ominously above Caislyn on the bed.
"I was sketching?" Caislyn asked. "Let me see."
Vesta started to hand the sketch to Caislyn, but Gregore slapped it out of her hand. "No. We have somewhere to be, come on, get dressed."
"What the hell?" Caislyn's eyes had gone very wide, and the anger that was boiling up was evident. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You just woke me up in the middle of a vision, one I haven't had in ages, and now you're slapping my sketch book out of my mom's hands and demanding things of me?"
"Caislyn, you are pregnant! You shouldn't be training like this constantly, or with him. This is getting ridiculous." The rage boiling under the surface had nowhere else to go and Gregore couldn’t control the level of his voice anymore. Everything was coming out just under a demanding scream.
"No, you know what's getting ridiculous, Greg? You!" Caislyn moved back away from him. "I came in here to get some rest because I wasn't feeling well. I can't help that I started auto-sketching. It's not something I have control over. There's no part of training involved with that, it just comes. As for Ash being here, he wasn't when I first came in. I can only assume, since he isn't the madman trying to wake me up, that he was simply checking on me." Caislyn's anger was just as evident in her voice, "you know, unlike the asshole trying to wake me up in the middle of a nap because I happened to start auto-sketching. This is a part of me, Gregore, whether you like it or not. You need to either get on board or walk away. And you need to leave here while you think about it, because I don't want to even look at you right now!"
Gregore's face was obviously pained when he tried pleading with Caislyn, "Cais, I..."
"Save it and get out!" Caislyn pointed to the door that her mom had just vacated.
"I'm not going and leaving him here with you."
Caislyn screamed out an angry, frustrated cry. "Get out, Greg, now!" Gregore turned and left the room. Ash was still standing there, looking very unsure of what to do. "You too," Caislyn said quietly. He left without a word. Gregore heard the quiet, soft voice telling Ash to go too. He wanted to be jealous that she had spoken to the damn Fey with a softer emotion while she just screamed at him, but a part of him knew, he deserved her wrath. He just didn’t know what to do anymore. Every time he tried to show Caislyn that he was still the sweet, fun loving guy she had hung out with for years, something or someone got in the way. It was, to him, as if the fates themselves were stepping in to let him know that they could never have happiness together. ‘Maybe that’s true,’ he thought to himself, ‘but I abadondoned her once when she was right and she needed me. I won’t do it again.’ He looked back at the RV one more time, before to heading to clean up the dinner mess in the one next door. “I love you, Caislyn,” he whispered into the wind, “always have!”
***
DREAMS OF DEATH
Vesta waited until she heard Caislyn's even breathing, letting her know that she had fallen asleep again. She went into the room and tucked the covers up around her daughter and wished her good dreams, because right now she would need them to get through the mess that was her life. "I never wanted this for you," Vesta said quietly. "I tried to spare you the heartache your heritage would level on you. It seems I failed."
Vesta bent down to pick the sketch pad up off the floor from where Gregore had knocked it out of her hands earlier. She took it and went back in the other room to sit on the couch and study the image that was drawn to perfection before her. Jaxon was front and center with another woman in the image. They were busy trying to flank a man, but something in the background of the image caught Vesta's attention.
"This can't be," she whispered to herself. She held the sketch up closer, wishing there were more details in the shadows of the background. There in the window, a woman's face was evident as she was climbing out of the balcony window, trying to escape. "Melina!"
~*~
Caislyn knew the minute her dreams became something she could control. Ash had been working with her on how to recognize the signs. Soon, the river before her was flowing backwards and the trees were bending in to her to say hello. Caislyn stood in the now familiar forest around the gypsy camp commanding the world to do her bidding. Now that she had accomplished that without Ash around to help, she knew it was time to go find Jaxon. She set her concentration and began to drift through an endless sea of black, focusing on one fine pinpoint of light that always seemed to be just beyond her reach.
Eventually, that light started to get brighter, closer, and Caislyn kept reaching for it as she traveled on. Soon the beacon in the night began to take shape and Caislyn could see it was coming from a specific building. Once she landed firmly inside she made sure to continue to block her presence from those who might see her. Caislyn looked around and realized she must be in Jaxon's mind now, because she had never seen this place before, yet it had that familiar feel to it. The voice that sang out behind her caught Caislyn’s attention and she turned, expecting to find Jaxon there, but instead found an all too familiar face. "Oh my Gods, it's you!" Caislyn said out loud as she continued to watch the woman who was hovering around the room. Before long, Jaxon was coming out of the shower, towel drying her long locks that were starting to curl at the ends now that the weight of the water was lifting from them.
"Jaxon, do you know who this is?" Caislyn asked, but Jaxon didn't seem to notice her. Instead she continued to walk to the kitchen.
"I'm famished, you have anything good in here?"
"I'm sure we can find some bedraggled little imp to take advantage of out on the streets."
"No, I mean real food. I feel like I haven't eaten like a human in ages." Jaxon said as she disappointedly closed the near empty refrigerator and turned with a pout evident on her face.
"Well, Jaxon dear, last I checked you weren't exactly human." A small smile played at the corner of the woman's lips.
"Ha!" Jaxon said as she started opening cabinet after cabinet in search of something to eat, only to find them all mostly empty. She pulled out the container that held tea bags, some honey, and a crusty bagget that she wasn’t entirely sure was still edible. "No, I may not be human, but I still like to eat real food every now and again. What the hell, Brig, do you sop up the extras with this crusty ass bread or what?"
"Funny, Jax. As you know, we vampires still like to eat once in a while too. This place has the greatest bakeries. And for your information, I was distracted by a new guest after I got that. It’s not as fresh as it once was, but it should still be heavenly for you for now." The woman grabbed up a wallet and turned on her heels. “I'll run and grab something from the little cafe down the corner. I'd rather we not be spotted together just yet."
The dream Caislyn found herself in seemed more like one of Jaxon's recent memories replaying itself. Without warning the scene swished before Caislyn, causing an undo amount of nausea to sweep through her. She held onto her place in the dream world, and with a great amount of effort was able to keep from getting sick. Caislyn’s attention shifted to the kitchen table where the two women were plotting an attack on a house, in Italy.
"Jaxon," Caislyn tried to get Jax'
s attention again, but to no avail. "I don't know why this isn't working," Caislyn said as she grew ever more frustrated with the turn of events. Jaxon had to know who she was taking to, that she was important, that this woman was...
"Caislyn?" Ash was there briefly, calling to her, but he had a far away quality to him. Caislyn got the feeling that he was searching her out, but couldn’t quite breech some sort of barrier that would allow him in Jaxon’s dream. He called out to her one more time and then he was slipping away. His momentary presence seemed to agitate Jaxon, however; and as Ash slipped away Jax began to wake up.
Caislyn pulled out of the dream and found herself sitting up in bed in the RV again. Ash wasn’t there with her, so she wasn’t sure if he had really tried to find her or if she had imagined it. She put the thought aside for a minute thought, because she had something more important to attend to. Caislyn reached for the cell phone she kept to contact Seth, and began dialing his number.
***
SUMMONING A WITCH
Vesta looked in on Caislyn one more time, and then went back to the living room to study the sketch again.
"It has to be her," Vesta whispered to herself. She walked over to the RV door and made sure the lock was engaged, before she started pulling supplies out of the cabinets. "One way or another, I'm about to get us some serious answers."
Vesta began by clearing everything from the middle of the floor in the living room area. She thought briefly about taking all her ingredients outdoors, for more room, and the connection with nature, but she felt the confinement inside the RV would help the situation.
Slowly she began to pour salt in two symmetrical circles in the living area. She made sure they were close, but not touching. The summoning bowl and it's mixture were placed inside the first circle, before Vesta closed it with a chant.
"Let this circle hold those within,
Protect all that lie without,"
After closing the first circle, Vesta stepped into the second one and closed it behind her.
"Let this circle protect within,
while projecting without."
She closed the last circle fully and began to chant under her breath while concentrating on Melina and the scene Caislyn had sketched. She imagined Melina being ripped from that sketch and brought forth into the circle that now sat empty in front of her.
The strain on her own body was becoming evident, as she put forth more effort and began to draw from the still depleted well of her own magic. Sweat began beading up on her forehead with the strain as she tried to pull all the magic she could muster to the forefront of her consiousness.
"Melina, I summon thee," her chant now finished, Vesta was sure it was time, she began to repeatedly call out for Melina to make her entrance. "Melina, I summon thee! Within the witch’s circled, bathed with your essence, you shall come to call. Melina, I summon thee! Within the circle that shall protect, your secrets shall be spilt."
Vesta continued to chant her plea as she felt her energy and magic draining into the mix. It took a little longer, and a lot more out of her than she had hoped, but before long a haggard looking Melina stood within the circle in front of her, looking completely startled.
"What?" Vesta watched as Melina looked around, wide-eyed, until her glance came to rest on Vesta. "Vesta? I thought..."
"That I was dead? No such luck, and now that I've summoned you, start telling me what the hell has been happening. And don't leave a rock unturned, Melina."
"Vesta, I'm so..." Melina doubled over within the circle and fell into a hacking fit. Vesta wouldn't have bothered to care accept the coughing fit sounded wet and Melina stood again trailing blood from the hand that wiped across her mouth. "I don't have long. I'm fried, Vesta. You're summoning spell drew from my power resources too."
"Melina, what have you done to yourself?" Vesta couldn’t help the concern that was impossible to cloak now. “This is madness, how could you let this happen?”
Melina shook her head softly before continuing, "never mind that. The girls are in more danger than you thought they'd be in. I know what will hap..." Another coughing fit interrupted what Melina had been about to say. The coughs seemed excrutiating for Melina as she dropped to her knees within the circle, and looked up one last time at Vesta in between a bloody coughing fit. Vetsa thought she heard her say, "Caleb," and "ice skies."
She didn't get a chance to ask Melina about it, because the woman dropped to the floor in a heap, convulsing at first, and then going still. Melina was still contained by the protective circle she had been summoned into, not that Vesta thought it was necessary anymore.
"No!" Vesta grew anxious, but was loathe to break either circle at first. She heard someone trying to enter the RV and continued to watch Melina. "Come on, get up," it was a hopeless plea.
"Vesta?" Gregore was knocking on the door now, calling out to her, but she couldn't break either circle's seal in case this was a trick on Melina's part. Caislyn was sleeping in the bedroom, unaware of what was going on. She would be defenseless.
"Vesta? Caislyn?" Gregore was growing louder and more agitated. Vesta listened as he tried the door one more time.
"Melina?" Vesta called out to the woman she had once considered to be her friend.
"Damn it, what is going on in there?" Gregore shouted. His temper was evident in his voice as Vesta tried to control her own in response.
"Every thing is under control, Greg, go away" Vesta snapped her response without meaning to. Considering everything Gregore had been through with Caislyn recently, that probably wasn't the best idea.
The door splintered inward, and the force knocked Vesta over, causing her to slide out of her circle. She looked up in time to see Gregore's eyes go wide and Caislyn come running from the bedroom. Luckily, Melina still hadn't moved and her circle seemed to be intact.
"What is going on?" Caislyn questioned as she looked around at the cramped living room space where her mother was sprawled out across a broken circle, while another woman lay in a heap in another.
"That's what I'd like to know." Gregore added as they both turned to look at Vesta.
“I summoned Melina here in the hopes that I would be able to get some information out of her. I noticed her in the sketch Caislyn did. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a whole lot to say before she collapsed.”
“Collapsed? Vesta, it looks like she’s dead,” Gregore stated matter of factly.
“I was weary of removing the protective circle while Caislyn was still sleeping, just in case it was a trap.”
“I’m pretty sure, that’s not a trap!” Gregore pointed to the woman’s lifeless body. I’ll take care of it while the two of you discuss what just happened here.” Gregore moved through the protective circle and grabbed up Melina’s body. He carried it out of the RV to dispose of it as Caislyn turned to her mother.
“Mom, what were you thinking? You weren’t strong enough to do a summoning, look at you.” Vesta was still sitting on the floor, where she had collapsed herself only moments ago, shocks of gray hair now running through her otherwise chestnut locks. “Come on, let’s get you up on the couch.” Caislyn helped her mother up and then sat down beside her. “What happened?”
Vesta explained everything that happened to Caislyn, only when she was telling Caislyn about the name Caleb, and “ice skies” something struck her as odd. “Wait, maybe she wasn’t saying skies.”
“Ice eyes,” Caislyn said as she looked at her mother. “Caleb is the one who took you guys in the first place, and ordered Merriwyn’s death.”
Vesta simply nodded.
***
DEADLY REUNIONS
Jaxon and Brigid stood flanking Marc in the middle of the apartment's living room when Melina, who was moments ago desperately trying to climb out the balcony window unnoticed, suddenly disappeared. It wasn't like she fell, she just wasn't there any longer. "What the hell?" Jaxon called out. This caused Marc to turn around and look.
"That bitch," he swore under his breath
, "first sign of trouble and she jumps."
"She didn't jump, she just disappeared." Jaxon countered.
"Impossible, even if she had access to teleporting magic like your friend, and her Fey relatives, Melina had no juice left. Her magic was all but burnt out."
"She's not necessary anyway," Brigid began, "but you and I," she gestured between herself and Marc, "we have some history to discuss."
"You can't still be angry at me for having your family killed, Brigid. I think you'll understand they weren't worthy of saving. Especially that brother of yours." Marc actually winked at them with that statement.
Jaxon could tell Marc was goading her, and she also noticed Brigid's reaction. If she didn't step in and take control of things, it would get out of hand quickly.
Before Brigid could spring on Marc, Jaxon was there. "I need answers first," she said as she placed a calming hand on Brigid's shoulder. Brigid immediately responded to the touch and backed off a little bit. Jaxon’s other hand was now touching Marc too. She was projecting calm, along with a smattering of cooperation. He stilled beneath her touch.
"Fine, but we are going to make sure he's not going anywhere while you question him."
Jaxon made sure not to stop touching Marc while Brigid finished tying him up with everything they had available. Jaxon stood over Marc, hand on his neck, asking question after question. And the only answer he had for her was that she was asking the wrong questions.
"Fine," Jaxon said, getting frustrated with the entire process. "Let’s try this one for curiousity sake then, how did you become a vampire?"
"Ahh, now you're asking the right stuff. Maybe we should go back a little further and discuss what I was before I became a vampire. I think that story will interest you even more, Jaxon!"
~*~
Before Marc could begin his story the door to the condo burst open and Seth flew in at inhuman speed. "Jaxon?" He yelped before he could take stock of what was going on around him.
Incarnations Page 3
