Chronicles of Stephen BoxSet

by Kenyon T Henry

  “You aren’t supposed to,” Colvin said.

  Chapter 7

  After six weeks of continuous training in both prophet and warrior abilities, a few days back home in St. Louis felt better than Stephen had imagined. He enjoyed training. However, a daily regimen of combat training with Shannon, prophet training with Colvin, and warrior training with Aidan left him emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted.

  The first two days back home, he, Patty, and Vincent spent some time at the office, talking with the others, and meeting with people they had been putting off. As far as the company was concerned, these two days at the office had been more productive than he remembered being in a long time. Largely, the meetings confirmed that leaving Johnathan in charge as the new executive VP to handle day-to-day affairs was the right decision.

  After a long second day of meetings, Stephen expressed how pleased he was in seeing that the different divisions, as well as the non-profit arm, continued to do well. It wasn’t long enough in the office to accomplish everything he hoped, but with Johnathan’s help, Stephen, Vincent, and Patty reviewed everything that had needed their attention.

  He walked outside his office building, enjoying the sun shining down on him. He knew it was the same sun, but it just felt better here, despite the colder weather creeping in. He pulled the collar of his leather coat up around his neck as the wind picked up. A chill ran up his spine.

  A sharp gust whipped by, carrying smells from the restaurant across the street, making him realize just how hungry he was. A burger and fries were just what he needed. He walked across the street and found Patty already seated in a booth, waiting.

  Stephen caught a whiff of her perfume as he bent down to kiss her lips, and lingered to enjoy the scent for a moment before sitting down next to her.

  “Where’s Vincent?” he asked, as he picked up the menu. “He left the office before me.”

  “He went to pick up Shannon,” Patty replied.

  “Is there something going on between them?”

  “I don’t know? Did he say something?”

  Stephen fidgeted with his menu out of habit. He always ordered the same things. “No. It’s just tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I came here so we all could be together. You’re my family. It’s odd to me that Shannon isn’t staying at Enclave with Sam. Don’t you think it’s odd?”

  “Not really.” She shrugged. “Shannon was telling me last night that Sam rarely goes home anymore. Shannon likes being in DC, but wants to spend her holidays doing family stuff away from Mighty problems when she can.”

  “Yeah, I can see that. Growing up in all this must give you a completely different outlook on it.” Stephen waved toward the front. “There they are.”

  Vincent and Shannon walked over and sat down. Vincent helped take Shannon’s coat. Stephen grinned at Patty. She elbowed him and gave him a look.

  Stephen, don’t you dare get inside her head! Stephen heard Patty’s thought loud and clear.

  He smiled wide. “So, Shannon, how are you liking St. Louis?”

  “It’s cold, but grand. I love the buildings downtown, the park, sculptures—all of it. It’s been great. The arch is much more intimidating in person. The photos I’ve seen don’t quite do it justice.”

  “I’m glad you joined us,” Patty piped up, smiling.

  “Thanks for letting me come and stay at your place,” Shannon said to Patty. “It’s a lovely little apartment. I do hope I haven’t been a hindrance.”

  “No, I’ve enjoyed having someone to talk to who isn’t a guy.” Patty laughed. “And it’s nice to have someone else like me around, who doesn’t have some special gift. With Stephen, Vincent, and Alistair, I can’t always be certain there isn’t something going on behind the scenes.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Stephen’s ability allows him to hear others’ thoughts and share his own.”

  “It’s more than that,” Stephen interjected. “I can actually see what’s going on inside their minds, experience their thoughts and memories as they do. I see them just as much as I hear them. And when I share myself with others, it’s similar.”

  “Really?” Shannon sounded intrigued.

  “Not exactly,” Vincent added. “Stephen has to tone it down for our benefit. To see and hear the way he does could drive us insane. I understand it is a lot to handle.”

  “That’s true,” Stephen jumped back in. “I have to tone it down most for Patty. And she’s the one I’d like to share it all with the most.”

  Patty grabbed Stephen’s hand and squeezed it lightly. I love you, babe.

  I love you too, sunshine. He wanted to share this moment with her in silence.

  “You two are so lucky. I’m glad you have each other.” Shannon put her finger to her chin, as her eyes drifted up, as though lost in thought. Then her attention snapped back to the table. “I want to experience your gift.”

  “You want Stephen to share his thoughts with you?” Patty said.

  “Sure, he could do that. But I’m curious what it’s like to have someone inside my head.”

  “I do not think that would be a good idea,” Vincent said.

  Shannon frowned. “Why not?”

  “When Stephen is inside, he can see everything.” Vincent toyed with a napkin. “Nothing is hidden from him. It can be a humbling experience. He will see things about you—know things about you—that you may not even know.”

  Shannon looked at Stephen. “Can I trust you?”

  Stephen looked at Patty and then to Vincent. Both sat silent and expressionless, waiting for him to respond.

  “That’s not the question. The question is, whether or not you do.” Stephen looked at Shannon, waiting for her to give an answer. He saw she was considering it all and sensed her certainty.

  “Yes . . .”

  She had barely gotten the word out, when Stephen entered her consciousness. He saw her childhood; her life growing up. He saw how disappointed she was to learn she didn’t have powers. He felt her desire to be one of the three classes of Mighty with abilities.

  He looked deep inside to see what made her different. Her drive to be the best was what helped her get through. Deep inside, however, she was also uncertain of herself. She doubted herself so much that it sometimes hurt. Stephen touched that hidden, dark spot and shared just a touch of the hope that he had always held onto, desiring to alleviating her self-imposed pressure to always be the best.

  As Stephen pulled away from her mind, he caught a glimpse of something he hadn’t been looking for. He sat at the table across from Vincent and Shannon, staring in disbelief.

  “Patty?” he asked, not turning away. “Did you know about them?”

  “About who?” Patty sounded as confused as Stephen was.

  “When? How long?” he asked, still looking at them.

  They looked at each other and back to Stephen. Shannon grabbed Vincent’s hand and squeezed.

  “I told you he would be able to see anything and everything,” Vincent said, a slight grin crossing his face.

  “Wait! What?” Patty gasped. “You two are seeing each other?”

  Shannon beamed, her purple eyes glistening. She nodded her head with enthusiasm.

  “She has been wanting me to tell you both,” Vincent started. “I have tried to explain that I am a private person.” He cut his eyes at her playfully. “I do not think she cares about that as much as I do. We had a deal. If you did not see it in her mind, we would wait longer. I, however, knew you would see it. I highly doubt she was trying to conceal it.”

  “So, how long?” Stephen couldn’t understand how he had missed it.

  “The first week you three arrived.” Shannon sounded happier than Stephen had ever heard her.

  “You know, I sensed an initial attraction when you two first met. But . . .” Stephen trailed off as his gaze drifted toward Vincent. “You,” he said, pointing at Vincent. “You’ve been shielding the two of you from me.”

  Vincent’s smile widened.


  “In that case, dinner’s on me.” Stephen found it hard to believe they had managed to keep this from him as long as they had. He had been a little preoccupied, but couldn’t be happier for Vincent.

  The rest of the night, they talked and traded stories of dating, not once bringing up Mighty or Fallen. That evening, they were just four normal people, two couples sharing a good time, with good company, over a good dinner.

  ****

  The moonlight illuminated the cross on top of the old steeple as Stephen approached the doors. Street lights nearby kept the church grounds fairly well lit. Only his black motorcycle sat in the parking lot. He figured it was a longshot, but wanted to try anyway. More than a few months had passed since he last spoke with Pastor Buchanan. And he needed to seek the wisdom of the humble old man, who had become his friend.

  He grabbed hold of the old wood door and gave it a gentle tug. It rattled a bit, but nothing more.

  “You need a key.”

  Stephen turned to see the old man standing there, bundled up in the cold, dark night. The familiar frail frame, gray hair, and wire-rimmed glasses made Stephen feel warm inside, as he watched the old preacher walk past him, unlock the door, and go inside. Stephen followed.

  “Pastor Buchanan, I’m glad you’re here. But—”

  “What am I doing here?” the old man asked sitting down in a pew.

  “Yeah.” Stephen sat next to him.

  “Stephen, I’m a priest. As you know, some Mighty have unique abilities associated with their class. My unique ability is to know what a person needs.”

  “So, you know what everyone needs?”

  Pastor Buchanan chuckled. “No, son. Not everyone. It comes and goes. For example, tonight I was at home and you crossed my mind. Suddenly, I could feel you needing to speak with me. So, I came here hoping you would too.”

  Stephen thought about it for a moment, realizing how useful that would be to the pastor of a church. He smiled.

  “Is something on your mind, Stephen?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you’ve heard about Joe’s vision.”

  Pastor Buchanan nodded.

  “Everyone wants me to train harder and do more, preparing for some big confrontation with Tony, Vincent’s dad. But no matter what, I can’t see any way that it turns out well. He kills me, or I kill him. How are either of those good options?”

  The preacher pushed his glasses up his nose. “In a war, death happens. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes necessary to keep even more deaths from occurring.”

  “Oh, I know that! I get it. I just feel that no one is considering other options.”

  Pastor Buchanan paused. Stephen wondered what he was thinking, but didn’t dare try to read his mind. It wasn’t long before the preacher spoke.

  “What option do you think should be considered?”

  “Well . . .” Stephen hadn’t thought about it much, only that he didn’t like the options presented him. “I need to train either way. But people need to stop acting as though it’s a life-or-death situation. I mean, we don’t really have all the facts. There could be a different interpretation to the vision.”

  “I suppose that’s true. What if there is? Then what?”

  “Either way, it doesn’t really make a difference. I joined Mighty with hope that I could help save Bernard. I still want to do that. I don’t like feeling I’ve given up on him. Plus, I can’t really do anything about the vision until it happens. Can I?”

  Pastor Buchanan smiled, which made Stephen feel good. Stephen recognized that particular smile, the one that meant he had found the answer he needed.

  “How do you do it?” Stephen asked. “How do you know exactly what to say?”

  “It’s part of my gift as a priest, remember?”

  “Right.” Stephen smiled back. “You know, you remind me of Waltz. He was a priest too. I guess you already knew that. Did you know him well?”

  Pastor Buchanan smacked his lips. “You could say that. If you have time, I could tell you some stories. He and I grew up in Mighty together.”

  Stephen unzipped his coat. “Yeah, I’ve got time.”

  The two men talked past midnight, until they both knew it was time to leave. Of all the memories Stephen had made since joining Mighty at Enclave, this ranked number one.

  ****

  Stephen awoke to the sound of loud thumping at the door.

  What in the world? He listened for thoughts on the other side of the door. It was Patty. “I’m coming.”

  He rolled out of bed and walked across the large studio apartment to the door, which continued to sound off like a drum. He hastened and opened the door.

  “Geez, Patty. I wasn’t up yet.”

  “What?” Patty screeched. She looked around. “You were supposed to get up and clean. Everyone is coming to your place. Or did you forget?”

  “No, I didn’t forget,” Stephen replied, still half asleep. Before Patty got her next words out, Stephen already heard the thoughts and knew he was in trouble.

  “So, you just don’t care? Is that it?” Patty’s eye fired daggers at him.

  Stephen knew he had to recant. “I care. I do,” he said, now hugging Patty who struggled to get free. “My phone must have died. I probably forgot to charge it.” He gave one gentle squeeze and released her when he felt her give in a bit.

  “Well, you better get this cleaned up. I’m not your maid.”

  Stephen smiled. “Technically, you do work for me. Since I’m the boss—”

  Patty interrupted. “Keep dreaming. If you want a maid, hire one. You can afford it. Better yet”—a wry grin crossed her face—“I’ll hire one for you.”

  “You know, why don’t I get dressed and clean this place up. Then I’ll help you cook.”

  “You’ll not touch the food. Kaylin is coming to help me. We don’t need burned rolls.”

  The apartment door opened. A younger version of Patty, complete with red hair, entered. She and Patty wasted no time in preparing the food while Stephen cleaned. Before long, guests were arriving and the food was done to perfection.

  After they’d eaten their fill, everyone chipped in to help clean up. Patty, Shannon, and Kaylin cleaned the kitchen. The men cleared the table and took out the trash, which took longer than usual due to their lack of desire to sweep or mop. Stephen even managed to sneak a football downstairs for the men to throw some passes at a nearby park. When the men did return, the ladies sat in the living room talking, while the men adjourned to an entertainment room.

  “What’s going on with you, Alistair?” Stephen asked. “You haven’t been yourself.”

  “Kaylin being here, that’s kind of risky, don’t ye think?” Alistair snapped.

  “I couldn’t ask Patty to be away from her niece on Thanksgiving. Besides, she’ll figure something out eventually. We both know we’ll never be able to tell her everything. But she’s smart. And it’s been nice to be normal for a few days. Don’t you think?”

  “I guess.” Alistair managed the slightest smile.

  “Alistair, how’s the search going?” Stephen sensed a lot more going on in Alistair’s mind.

  “Let’s just say, I’m glad to be hanging out with ye mukkers.”

  “That good?” Stephen asked.

  Alistair laughed and threw another dart, just missing the bull’s-eye. Vincent turned his chair from the game to face the two men.

  “I’m not really supposed to talk to ye fellas about it yet. Though, there’s really not much to tell ye.”

  “Then where’s your mind at?” Stephen asked.

  “A lot of places.” He plopped down on a seat next to Vincent. “So, I found where Tony had been. It was so long ago, I’m surprised I found anything. But, apparently, he was in Edinburgh working for the European Enclave. They wouldn’t tell me more than that.”

  “Really?” Stephen pulled the darts from the board. “When did they find out he had turned?”

  “Never,” Alistair replied.

  Vincent spoke up, sou
nding annoyed. “Did anyone realize he had fallen?”

  “Apparently, no one knew a thing until Joe’s vision,” Alistair replied.

  “How is that possible?” Stephen raised his voice. He threw a dart, sinking it into the post behind the board. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Stephen, you have to understand that you only see a small fraction of Mighty. There are hundreds of thousands of us over the world. That includes those with abilities and those who have none. People come and go. Everyone has their own lives to live. Most aren’t as involved as I am. They complete their training and go into the world like everyone else. Many never contact Enclave or any other Mighty ever again. Not everyone wants this life.”

  Stephen knew this already. After all, it was part of their studies. Still, it felt wrong to him that someone could turn Fallen more than twenty years ago, and the Mighty would have no idea.

  “Any indication where he went after Scotland?” Vincent sounded as calm and awkward as usual.

  “He’s from Italy. I located his family there. He did go there after Scotland, but only for a short time. He hasn’t been back in years. Right now, the best clue we have to Tony’s whereabouts is Joe’s vision.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll just have to prepare to face him.” Stephen sighed. After all, that was what everyone expected of him. He looked at Vincent. “I’ll be sure to keep us both alive.”

  “No,” Vincent replied.

  “What?” Stephen didn’t understand.

  “I do not want you going after him.” Vincent approached Stephen, who still clutched the darts in his hand. “You are my family. I will not allow anything to happen to you. Besides, just as you are my family, you still have family of your own to save—Bernard.”

  Stephen knew Vincent was right, but couldn’t help arguing. “But we’re stronger together. We’re forming a triune. People expect me—expect us—to be strong enough to stop the vision.”

  “Hold up a second.” Alistair came closer. “The commander feels something is happening with me. There’s still a lot to learn about ye two. I’m turning into someone, that’s certain. I feel it. But ye guys aren’t the only ones I’m spending time with. It could be one of ye, both, or neither.”