***
Kevan found shimmering a bit consuming. The physical world dissolved into energy, which seemed to swirl, leaving her standing in the eye of the tornado. It was all-silent and calm, a vortex of peace, surrounded by chaos. The constant moving swirls, was nauseating, and she focused on Caleb's arms holding her. The nausea and Caleb's arms were the only things that confirmed her existence. She didn't feel the bruises on her knees, or the sweat rolling down her spine; her ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. Then the calm was gone, and she felt heavy, her ears sensitive to the noise of the real world engulfing her, crying calls of gulls, crashing waves of the ocean against cliffs. Her eyes saw the group surrounded by misty trails of fog, and Kevan shivered as the damp air chilled her to the core in an instant. Shimmering was an interesting experience.
"Are we here?" she questioned, looking around to make sure that the others were whole. "Or better yet, where are we?"
"Well, if Kaitlyn is right, then this is where we need to start," Caleb told her.
Marcus turned to Leila, who was looking around, taking it all in. In a matter of seconds, they had moved from Caleb's gym to this open field.
"Leila, do you sense anything?" Marcus asked her. Closing her eyes, she relaxed her body, allowing her mind to float. She reached out with what she could only describe as her consciousness, to see if she could touch any part of the grimoire. It was getting easier with every try, as she became more comfortable with the idea of her role as the claviger of the repository, almost relishing it. The roar at times could still be deafening, but it didn't overwhelm her as it once had. Her eyes popped open, and laughter fell from her throat. "It was here. I can hear them all yelling at me," she told them.
"Are you okay?" Eve questioned, worried about the woman who, a short time ago, did a mental over-haul.
"Oh yes, Eve, I'm fine. I wish I could make you understand how I really feel. The more I talk with them, the better I feel, and the less yelling they do. It all feels so good, so right. It's a part of me. A part that I didn't even know was missing, until you came into my life. I can never thank you enough."
"It is part of you," Roderic spoke up. "When you ignored it, because you didn't know what it was, that was the problem. It needs to be part of you, and when you all kept trying to shut it out, it responded by getting louder and louder, to get your attention. At least that is what we believe."
"Well, it certainly seems to be working," Leila stated. "But why are we here?" She steered the conversation back to the present.
"Well, according to Dexter's research, this was the last place that he traced the repository to," Kaitlyn told them. "So, with what we have pieced together from his research, along with what Tatiana gave us, this is what we came up with. The last place was the place to start, Tatiana told us, start at the end and work our way back. We figured nobody knew what Leonard was doing just before he took the demon oath, and that he took the grimoire out of the repository. It would have had to happen almost simultaneously, or else someone may have figured it out, and might have stopped him."
"Where is here?" Leila questioned, looking around at the dark forbidding countryside. "It looks a lot like what I have always pictured the Moors of Cornwall to look like."
"Close, it's the Highlands of Scotland," Caleb stated. "Tatiana stated to start at the end. As Kaitlyn has explained, this place made the most sense to us, the last known spot for the grimoire and repository. What I want to know is how did a smart-ass like Kaitlyn see the coded coordinates?" Caleb winked at a very angry face, and ducked a tossed clod of dirt. The laughter lightened everyone's mood, and calm settled over the group, lending normalcy to people who felt tossed into a fictional story, suddenly come to life.
"So the last place was here?" Eve questioned, refocusing. "The highlands of Scotland. Why not someplace like New York, London or, hell, if it had to be Scotland, why not Glasgow or Edinburgh?"
"Do you not sense it?" Joseph asked, as he looked around the field.
"Sense what?" Leila asked. "I'm with Eve. Why in such a remote place? If what we believe is right, and Leonard took the grimoire from the repository. Why here of all places?"
"Why not?" Kaitlyn stated. "Leonard never would have taken it someplace where he would have to worry about the other races discovering what he was about to do. This is such a remote place. He could do what he wanted to and didn't have to worry about anyone catching him. We should just be grateful that he didn't choose the top of Everest, or the South Pole."
"This place is full of magic," Joseph stated, not familiar with the flavour, undecided if he liked it or not.
"What do you mean, full of magic?" Kevan asked, suddenly worried.
"Its natural magic," Joseph told them. "Nothing to worry about."
"That's easy for you to say," Kevan muttered, as she looked back to the others. "Okay, so we believe this is the place that Leonard decided to make his last stand, more or less. I'm sure he had hoped that it wouldn't be the last time that he had access to the repository, but he took out a little insurance, just in case. He put it somewhere around here, but why hasn't he come for it before now?" Kevan pondered. "Why doesn't he have it?" They all wondered the same, looking around the empty barren land that surrounded them.
Kaitlyn broke the silence. "Don't you just love this stuff? This is awesome. Are we sleeping out here tonight?"
"Kaitlyn! Focus! What else did Tatiana's directions tell us?" Kevan questioned, only to suppress a chuckle, as she watched her sister pull out her Blackberry, where she had all the information stored, even though she knew that she had a photographic memory. "Kaitlyn, only you would bring a Blackberry to what could prove to be a magical showdown."
"Hey, you never know when you might need it," Kaitlyn told them. "Besides, I take my Blackberry everywhere." They all laughed at her. "Do you want to know what she told us, or are you going to stand there laughing at me?" she asked.
"Kait, tell us, please," Kevan said, biting the inside of her lip in order to keep from laughing at the image Kaitlyn presented, dressed entirely in black, with a pink Hello Kitty backpack, holding the bright pink Blackberry in her hand.
"I don't get any respect," Kaitlyn muttered, as she pulled up the information that she had stored.
"Okay, here's what she gave us. 'Start at the end and work your way back. What you seek sits in the place that never sees the light of day nor the dark of night."
"Something that doesn't see the light of day nor the dark of night, what the hell does she mean by that?" Eve questioned, interrupting Kaitlyn.
"It could mean a room, or dungeon," Niall threw out, trying to be helpful.
"Or maybe a cave?" Kevan chimed in.
"A cave with its entrance hidden, which would call for a detector,” Kaitlyn finished Kevan's statement, the others picking up the twins excitement, energy rippling through all of them. "Surrounded by water and fire, it awaits its release by the truth seeker, the all seeing, the talker, and the warrior, surrounded by the Protectors." Kaitlyn took a deep breath, trying to get her excitement under control, even though she was doing a happy dance in her head.
"She's so doing the happy dance in her head," Eve whispered to Kevan.
"Totally," Kevan agreed. "You're enjoying yourself way too much." she told Kaitlyn.
"Sorry, I know I shouldn't, I should be all sullen and moody, no wait, that's Brennan," Kaitlyn joked. "What can I say? I love a good mystery, although I am a little disappointed that this one has proven to be so simple. I was hoping for a bit more of a challenge."
"I for one am glad that it seems simple. That would be nice for a change," Kevan admitted, "but we're getting off the topic."
"Yes we are," Eve told them. "Kevan, why don't you do your thing, and see what you come up with?"
"Okay," Kevan agreed. She turned and saw the look of worry that flashed across Caleb's face. "I'll be okay," she told him.
<
br /> "I know," he lied to her, not wanting to admit he really hated when she did this, because it always felt like she was gone, and he was scared that one time she might not come back. "But I'm still going to be at your side."
"Sounds good to me," she told him. "Alright, let's do this," she told them. She smiled at the squeeze that Caleb gave her shoulder.
"Okay, beautiful, do your thing," he told her. Kevan nodded, drawing on his strength. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind of everything, until all she was thinking about was finding a hidden doorway. Her breathing evened out, and a calm settled over her. Opening her eyes, she scanned the horizon and found the same view, yet it was different, enhanced somehow. As far as she could see, the hills seemed to float, and the moors danced. Life itself came into focus, as nature seemed more like a movie than real life. It reminded Kevan of watching a 3D movie; the entire area had changed to three dimensional view. Normal sight was going to seem very flat after this. Then something caught her eye, and she let herself draw closer, covering the distance as quick as a thought. As more of the real world swelled with energy the enhancements brought in, she explored the land searching each nook and crevices for a hidden cave. A voice murmured from far away, almost not real, and the words didn't make sense at all. Her connection to her body, her vessel, became thin, and her concentration slid back to what she was seeking.
Watching Kevan sink into a trance made Kaitlyn shift uncomfortably. She hadn't told her twin, but she didn't like the feeling that she got when Kevan did her thing. She hated losing her ability to sense her twin. This had happened a bit too frequently lately, from when she disappeared with Tatiana and this trance thing of hers. Rather than continue to watch Kevan, she turned and scanned the land surrounding them.
It was then that something in the distance caught Kaitlyn’s eye, something moving on the horizon towards them. Marcus and Kayne had been seeing flashes of something as well, and followed the direction that Kaitlyn was looking. They had seen it, they didn't know what it was, and they didn't like it, so they flashed the prearranged signal to the women to get behind them.
"This place has been enchanted!" Joseph shouted at them, as he was suddenly able to read the magic that drenched the plain. "Black spells have been entwined with the raw natural power that lives here," he warned, as he moved to pull on his sorcery to counteract, or filter, the black that was everywhere.
"Dreyden?" Niall questioned his brother.
"I don't know, maybe, or Leonard, before he took the oath. I can't tell but something has disturbed the magic here, and it doesn't like that," Joseph stated. "I can't get a fix on what exactly we are about to be up against, all I can tell you, whatever it is, it's coming fast." He braced himself, shaking his arms out at his side, as he prepared for battle. Marcus positioned the men so that they surrounded the women and the still entranced Kevan. They each pulled out their weapon of choice and prepared for battle.
"What's happening?" Kaitlyn asked.
"Oh my gods, do you see them?" Eve whispered as they slowly became visible to her. "What are they?" she asked, as she stared, horrified at what appeared to be rotting, corpses of old Scottish warriors wearing the rags of kilts, carrying swords, lances and maces.
"A battle took place here once!" Joseph roared a witness to the indignity of these brave warriors. "These are the spirits of those that died."
"Oh, so déjà vu, “a” la Lord of the Rings," Kaitlyn shivered with mock fear. "So, mighty warriors, what's your oh so brilliant plan to make them go away?"
"Stand back, I'll deal with them," Joseph told them, as he pulled on his power, forming an energy ball in the palm of his hand, ready to throw it at any second.
"No grand standing. We all fight them. Together," Niall told his brother. "Besides, we have a few moves of our own." Joseph shrugged his shoulders.
"They're ghosts,” Joseph argued. "You can't fight them with swords, or bows and arrows."
"So cast a spell, make them solid!" Niall shouted at him.
"It doesn't work that way," Joseph spat at him. "A spell like that takes time and energy. I would be incapacitated for hours."
"Okay children, knock it off." Eve stepped in between them. "Your petty squabble can wait for another time, because if it hasn't sunk into those things on the top of your necks, those things are flipping ghosts, and I didn't sign up for ghosts. I can do immortal crazy men, demons; maybe even the possible vampire, but not flipping ghosts. So put your heads together, and figure out how to take these things down." They all stared at Eve. "Now!" she yelled at them.
"Hold hands!" Leila shouted over the rapidly rising wind.
"What?" Joseph demanded as the sky darkened ahead of the rapidly approaching storm of corpses. Thunder rumbled across the plain, and lightning streaked across the sky. The fog seemed to have a life of its own, as it snaked around their legs, clinging, trying to pull them down.
"What is controlling the fog?" Marcus shouted at Joseph, but Leila's voice was heard over his through the roar of the wind. "Hold hands!" Leila shouted at them again. "Do it now!"
They did her bidding reluctantly, as it gave them little chance to protect themselves without weapons in hand.
Leila began chanting. Joseph shot her a look of surprise, recognizing the simple spell. He was shocked that she knew the simple spell, and yet it could just possibly be the answer to ridding themselves of the menace that was about to descend on them.
"Spirits of the land unite. Take back what has been disturbed. Return to them their eternal rest. Spirits of the land unite. Take back what has been disturbed. Return to them their eternal rest ...."
A roar of anger ripped across the hills. Leila screamed and jerked, feeling an alien something; rip through her body, leaving her gasping for breath.
"Leila!" Eve screamed, trying to break free of Roderic's hand.
"Don't break the circle!" Joseph shouted at them over the deafening wind. It was alive, trying to rip them apart, to stop them, pelting them with anything that lay in its path.
Joseph took up the chant, "Spirits of the land unite, take back what has been disturbed. Return them to their eternal rest ..."
Joseph froze in disbelief, as he felt something invade his body, making him convulse, as it tried to take over, halting the chant.
Eve and Kaitlyn, standing on either side of him, held on tight, not letting his jerking break the connection that Leila demanded. Joseph's body kept jerking, as the invading force continued to attempt to take over. Kaitlyn stared horrified, not wanting it to touch her or her family, and picked up where he had left off. "Take back what has been disturbed. Return them to their eternal rest. Spirits of the land unite; take back what has been disturbed. Return them to their eternal rest."
Kaitlyn's mind screamed with horror, as she felt something trying to drag her down. It was intelligent, dragging a cold grimy feel of a hand, washing a creepy caress over her shoulder, and down her arm. She closed her eyes, swallowing her repulsion, and her desire to pull away. She pushed the feeling away, turning her focus back to the chant; she wouldn't let spell bound ghosts defeat them. One by one, the living joined in, chanting, asking the spirits of the land for help. They didn't know if it would work. Whatever had enchanted this land was powerful, and it didn't like what they were trying to do.
The ghosts bombarded them, trying to stop them, as they were spelled to do. Moving with a surprising amount of force, considering the fact they looked like nothing more than wisps of fog, the ghosts smacked into the group of the living, trying to throw them off balance, rushing through their bodies, making them gasp, as the sensation robbed them of breath for a few seconds. But still the living continued to push their way through the attacks. The wind hurled around them like a tornado, it was like fingers grabbing at them, trying to rip them from their goal.
Eve let out a scream when she felt herself lifting off the ground. The wind grabbed a hold
of her and tried to rip her from the rest.
"Eve!" Kaitlyn screamed in fear as she watched her lift from the ground.
"Don't move!" Marcus ordered her. "Keep chanting. I think our voices are starting to break down the spell."
Roderic stood beside Eve, his fingers laced through hers, holding tight. He wasn't going to let anything take her away. They all continued the chant, and slowly, they could see a change starting to take place. The ghosts weren't attacking them quite so often. A weave of energy, built by the chanting, was building a protective shell around them, refusing the ghosts entry.
"Keep going," Marcus shouted. He could see that they were all tiring, but they had to keep at it, or else they would be in even bigger trouble. "Don't stop." The energy was building within them. They felt the rise of power from within the land reaching up, surging through their bodies, binding with their intent. The land began to shed the corruption, able to resonate with the chant, giving the power to break the spell.
The ghosts began to sense a change, and they started to retreat, but it was too late. The power that they had sensed building from below surged, bringing horror as the ghosts twisted and turned, ethereal bodies pulled apart, to be woven into a melting pot, the invoking of the chant taking back what had been stolen from the land. The wind continued on its destructive path, and lightning flashed across the sky, before slamming into the ground not far from where they were standing. The energy from the bolt bypassed them, and exploded from the ground surrounding the still writhing ghosts.
The dim grey of the early morning suddenly became the like the brightest hour of the day, power and intensity swelling and growing with each of the jagged bolts that streaked across the sky in increasing numbers, a crashing of thousands of cymbals deafening, warring with the chant. The chanting continued through the deafness that the living had to endure, over the roar of warring forces.
The power struggle finally reached its climax, with an explosion of arc flash, fireworks, sparks, and sputtering fire filling the sky. With one more flare of energy, the entire world around them shook with a fury that won the battle, and then it was over, anticlimactic in the silence, the chanting stuttering to an end. The wind blew out, and debris rained down, including Eve. The lightning vanished and the remaining ghosts disappeared, as if they had never been there. The day was what they had started with, a grey foggy drizzle, a typical rainy coastal day. The living panted as they absorbed all that had just happened to them, turning to look at Kevan when she spoke up.
"There's something over there," she told them, as she came out of her trance like state. Kevan looked around at everyone, then looked at herself, hair a mess, with pieces of moss and twigs sticking out, their faces covered with a thin layer of dust that made their skin grey in color. "What the hell happened to you?" she questioned, confused by what she was seeing.
Eve looked at Kevan, then back to the others, shaking her head. No way was she going to be the one to try to explain this to her. "Nothing!" she muttered, as she turned and walked away. "I hate ghosts."
Kevan looked to Caleb who was standing behind her, picking things off his clothing. "Did I miss something?" she asked him. He just grabbed her neck, leaned down, and gave her a quick hard kiss.
"I'll explain later," he told her, as he rested his forehead against hers for a moment.
"But ..." Kevan tried to argue with him, but he gave a look that told her to leave it alone for the moment. "You had better explain," she told him, then looked at Kaitlyn rinsing her mouth with a bottle of water, clear disgust at the taste of dirt that she had swallowed. "I would say I missed something big," Kevan said.
"How about we just concentrate on what we are here for," Marcus told her. "Where are we headed?"