Alex rubbed his chin, deep in thought. I stepped back, letting him mull it over. “And if I don’t help?”
“Then I tear this house apart, one brick at a time until I find the damn thing.”
He sighed. “Ugh, fine. Come on, Stubborn McGee.”
Set one goes to Kaitlyn
.
Leading me to the living room, Alex started inspecting the paneling on an otherwise bare wall. “There is a small notch in here somewhere – if I can just remember where it is…” He searched for a few seconds. “Ah-ha!” He pushed on part of the wall and a giant section opened outward. A large steel door appeared as he pulled the paneling away. After pushing in a code, that door also swung outward to reveal a room about the same size as mine, packed with non-perishable foods and first aid equipment.
“What is this?”
“It’s a panic room.” Alex began rooting around for something on the floor.
“And no one thought this would be a good thing for me to know?”
He shrugged his shoulders as he prodded along the floor. “Micah thinks if we’re under attack by someone using elemental powers, a panic room could be more of a trap. Ah, here it is.” I heard a quiet
pop
and a small compartment in the floor opened up. He pulled out a large, folded white blanket. I reached for it and he immediately pulled away. “If we are going to do this, we do this my way.”
“Fine.”
Set two to Alex
.
He put the wrapped athame aside and reached to close the door.
“Wait, what else do you have hidden in here?” Sitting in the compartment was Shawn’s document which found its way to me via human sacrifice. I shuddered as I picked it up, remembering the not-so-good times Australia had to offer, then set it aside. I began pawing through the other contents of the safe. It had a few stacks of hundred dollar bills, traveler’s checks and other denominations from various countries. Shuffling the money aside, several manila envelopes, each marked with names of the team members, came into view. I pulled out Micah’s envelope and dumped the contents on the floor. Passports in different names from different countries, as well as several birth certificates and other identifying documents, scattered.
“Which is his real one?” I asked Alex, holding up three birth certificates.
“This one.” He pointed to one of them.
I turned it over to read, pursing my lips. “Texas. Never would have pegged him as a cowboy.”
I put everything of Micah’s back and took out Cato’s envelope. He had the same assortment of documents in his, but a couple of added pictures stuck to the side. I slid them out. Cato was easily identifiable, even as a younger man, with his striking blue eyes. One picture was taken in front of the Chakra with Cato and a small boy about the age of five or so. I felt a small chill run through me as I studied Shawn as a boy. Even then he didn’t look so innocent. “How old was Shawn when Cato adopted him?”
Alex leaned over to look at the picture. “I don’t know.” He went silent as the resemblance between the two struck him. He argued aloud with himself, which only went further to verify the assumption. “But we were all adopted. Cato didn’t have any children of his own.”
I flipped to the next picture and we both held our breath. “Or so you thought.”
Young Cato stood next to a hospital bed alongside a woman and newborn child.
“No….” Alex muttered, without much confidence at all.
“Look here –a birth certificate with Cato as the father. Micah just has adoption papers with Cato’s name.”
Alex seemed stunned into silence.
Set and match to Cato
.
Alex kept the athame with him as we locked the panic room; I kept Shawn’s birth certificate.
Whatever Momma Wants
She opened her eyes, and gasped at what she saw. Never before had she witnessed such beauty. The world before her was pristine. A clear, blue sky reigned over rolling green hills. Pink flowers dominated the valleys, and large trees flourished, stretching up into the sky. The sun, bright and intense, glimmered over everything.
On top of her hill, she could command what part of the world was brought before her. She saw the mountains, with clear blue waterfalls and streams. She inhaled the fresh scent of pine, and reveled in the animals frolicking on the stony landscape. She saw large cities around the world. Structures of steel replaced by planted trees, and those left standing covered in vines and flower.
She smiled, proud because she knew this accomplishment was partly hers to claim. Someone squeezed her hand. She looked beside her, and saw Shawn standing there, with the same proud smile on his face. She flinched, but his hand on hers was steady and warm.
She studied him as he studied the landscape. His eyes were a bright blue that matched the sky, framed by long lashes. She had never noticed his eyelashes before. His face was tanned and smooth, free from imperfections. He had a strong, square jaw, and when he smiled, his teeth showed two rows of perfect, gleaming white teeth. She held back a strong impulse to kiss him.
The world continued to move before them in vibrant colors, blanketed by clear, fresh air, and adorned by pristine flowing waters. The pair of them stood on top of the hill, admiring their kingdom. Shawn turned and motioned for her to look behind them. She did.
The valley behind them was filled with dead bodies, many half burnt. The stink of scorched human flesh filled her nostrils. The blood ran bright, just as vibrant as the red leaves in the mountain trees. Dead mothers clutched their children, frozen stiff in the terror of their last moment. Severed body parts littered the mass grave, which had no ending in site. She looked left and right, far out in front of her, and the bodies just continued.
"Our gift to the world." Shawn said, squeezing her hand tightly.
She smiled. "It's beautiful, Shawn."
* * *
I woke up, sweating, with Alex leaning over me. From the sting on my cheek I was almost positive he had slapped me.
“Are you ok? Kaitlyn! Can you hear me?” he yelled.
“Yes, yes. The whole damn Chakra can hear you.” I propped myself up and rubbed my cheek.
The smell of something burning was still with me. I turned to look at the headboard behind me, "Oh my God." The dream catcher was singed. All the twine blackened or gone, the falagmite had fallen and was scattered around my bed. Nothing but stem was left of the owl feathers.
My heart started to pound. "The baby was tied to this. Get the doctor, quick! I need to check on her!"
Alex raced out the door and down the hall to the doctor’s room. By the time the doctor had been shaken awake, I was making my way to the lab and his machines. I turned on the fluorescent lights, undeterred by my temporary blindness and stumbled around, hands in front of me, turning on every machine I came across. The room whirred to life.
Alex pushed the doctor into the lab, making the man stumble as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
The doctor blinked, looking at me. "What happened?"
"I need you to check on the baby. Heartbeat, size, and do another ultrasound. I need to see her."
I was starting to hyperventilate. Why would I do something so stupid? Binding the baby to something that was under constant attack?
"Oh, God." I slumped to the floor, hugging my knees.
"Calm down, Kaitlyn." The doctor pulled me upright and led me to his table. "Lay down and take deep breaths. Alex – come hold her hand while I prep."
Alex loomed over me, his familiar face helped ground me. "I'm sorry, Kaitlyn. It was my suggestion to use the baby. I shouldn't have said it."
I shook my head. "We were both being stupid. I have a long way to go before I hit my stride as a mother." I looked at the doctor. "What’s taking so long?"
He turned from where he stood at the sink washing his hands to glare at me. He dried his hands, slowly, then pushed the ultrasound machine toward the table, turning off a variety of machines, including a blender, that I had turned on in my panic. "I don't think we'll be needing this today."
After a thorough examination, the doctor announced everything was fine. The baby kicked hard, right into my kidney as if to agree. I rubbed my belly. "I'm sorry, Peanut. No more adventures for you. From now on we play it nice and safe."
I looked at Alex with one eyebrow raised, forcing a nod of agreement out of him. The doctor gave us both something close to a glare, excusing himself for the night.
“What time is it?” I squinted at a clock hanging high on the wall on the other side of the room.
“Four-thirty.”
I shook my head. “I can’t go back to sleep. That was too close.”
“I know. Do you wanna try contacting Micah? Susan said you may want to send him your dreams.”
“Maybe.” I looked down, playing with the hem of my nightgown. “I’m not sure if I want to share this one. I don’t know what good it would do.”
“Well, let’s go get some breakfast and think about it.”
“Pancakes and hash browns?” My eyes lit up.
He laughed. “Whatever momma wants momma gets.”
By dawn, we had decided on completing the athame absorption right away, without contacting Micah. I felt a little guilty, letting almost a month go by without speaking to him even though I had the means. Alex checked in with them occasionally but I always found a convenient excuse to avoid being present.
We seated ourselves in the living room, clearing a large space of furniture. The doctor sat on one side of the room, as Alex insisted he be present. He had me tethered to his equipment in order to monitor the baby’s heartbeat, my pulse, and my blood pressure. It was all very high tech compared to the equipment I brought; a bowl of salt, a bowl of water, incense, and a candle.
“Okay.” Alex laid the rolled-up blanket out in front of us. “Let’s just take this one small step at a time.”
I could see the doctor lean forward anxiously out of the corner of my eyes and I huffed in annoyance.
Alex slowly unrolled the blanket revealing Shawn’s athame. I held my breath slightly, anticipating an icy chill to rush over me but nothing happened. I studied it closer, never before having the chance. It looked older than I thought; aged well past Shawn’s years. Spots on the black handle were worn thin enough to reveal the wood underneath.
Satisfied that we were as prepared as we were going to get, at least without any boy scouts present, Alex handed me the knife, handle first. I gripped it without hesitation, anxious to show the knife who was in control. It didn’t disagree, so I had that going for me.
I chanted a spell I found in one of the books, “I consecrate you, my athame, with Earth, that you may provide me with the protection of The Great Mother." I waved the knife over the dish of salt three times.
“I consecrate you, my athame, with Air that you may provide me with knowledge of infinite places." Next I waved it through the incense smoke
three times.
"I consecrate you, my athame with Fire, so that I may be empowered with the strength of the Fire that burns in the core of the Earth." I p
assed the athame over the lit candle three times.
“I consecrate you, my athame with Water so that understanding and wisdom of great mysteries will be mine." I passed the athame three times over the bowl of water.