A faint red halo began to materialize in the
mirror behind him. Roman didn't spin around, knowing nothing would
be there. A voice, or a thought in his head, he wasn't sure which,
asked, "Do you want it to be over?"
"Ophelia…" Roman began to make out her
features as her form took shape.
It was as if he knew her now, and she wasn't
as terrifying as when he first encountered her. "Why did you choose
me?"
"Was not I."
Now he could make out the wolf headdress, the
feathers from a raven or crow in her hair. "It was. It was you and
your followers. I remember you rubbing blood all over my body when
I was helpless."
She lowered her eyelashes yet did not
reply.
"If not you, who?"
Her red eyes glowed as they met gazes. "It
was protection spirit we try. Not turn you…You wish to be rid?"
Roman thought hard about that question. He
knew what he should say, but in his heart he also knew what he
truly wanted. "Not if I can control it."
Laughter entered his mind but Ophelia was not
expressing it to his eyes. A noise startled him. Something had
dropped into the sink.
A soft voice in his head said,
'
gratitude
' as if Ophelia was thanking him.
Roman looked down and spotted an amulet with
a leather cord tied to it. He immediately looked into the mirror
but the image of the red witch was gone.
"Wait. I have more questions." Roman called
to her into the mirror. "Don't go. Who was the Alpha? Was it your
worshipers who are killing the animals?"
As a whisper brushed over the back of his
neck, Roman heard, "The spirit loves Mother Nature and all her
creatures…"
Chills washed up Roman's spine and then he
felt her presence vanish. He touched the mirror, but only his own
reflection was there for him.
After taking a moment to recover, Roman
looked down into the sink. He picked up the medallion and
investigated it carefully. Looking up at the ceiling, then opening
the medicine cabinet, Roman knew there was no way it had dropped
from inside the room. It had simply materialized from thin air.
The cord was brittle and old. As if it had
been made decades ago. It was a simple string of leather, either
very dark brown or black, knotted at the end, and passing through a
hole pierced in the medallions top. A rough cut hole, punched
through, not from modern tools.
The 'coin' or whatever it was, had been cast.
Roman ran his thumb over the embossed surface, trying to read the
worn letters and nearly faded image. On the front was a bust of a
man; the back, he could barely make out a chariot of some kind,
horses pulling it. Lettering ran completely around the perimeter of
both sides, but it simply was in such bad shape, Roman could not
decipher it.
"Roman?"
Cupping the medallion, Roman opened the door
to see Charlie, appearing slightly concerned. "Phew. I thought you
changed on me."
Roman wondered if he should tell Charlie what
had happened. He slipped the palm-sized medallion into his pocket
discreetly. "Just washing my face and hands."
"You want to watch a movie or just relax?"
Charlie caressed Roman's cheek.
"I want to hold you naked in my arms." Roman
urged Charlie closer and joined them at the hips.
Charlie chuckled. "Ya try to act like a tough
guy, but yer all romance, Roman Burk."
"Shh. That's our secret." Roman kissed
him.
Charlie cupped Roman's jaw and backed up,
moving them to the bed. They fell down on it and held each other
tight, devouring each other with kisses.
Charlie thought Roman was on the quiet side
for the few days leading up to Christmas. But here it was,
Christmas morning.
Even Butch was slightly subdued, exhausted,
trying to enjoy the rest and relaxation before they headed home and
dove back into the work on their ranch.
Sitting in Vernon's living room, Christmas
carols playing softly, the scent of cookies ever-present as the
women made an obscene amount and variety of sweets, Charlie stared
at the hearth fire while Roman did the same. Harley was asleep on
Roman's lap as Roman scratched the little white dog between the
ears.
Butch, a coffee mug in his hand, all of them
full from a huge breakfast of western omelet, home fried potatoes
and onions, and pork sausage, seemed to be in a daydream.
Suzie entered the room, hands on hips,
looking at the men as they relaxed, Vernon reading the newspaper in
his favorite overstuffed chair.
"Butch?"
Butch woke from his stupor.
"Why don't you get Hal and JP and let's open
the presents." Suzie smiled.
"All right." Butch set his mug down and stood
from the sofa, not taking his jacket, headed outside.
Charlie could hear him calling the two men
in, probably from their chores in the barn.
Harley became alert and hopped off Roman's
lap, trotting to the door.
Sherlane entered the room, holding a pot of
coffee. "Anyone need a top up?"
All three of the men nodded. Charlie and
Roman held up their mugs for her.
"I'll get you milk, Charlie," she said after
she filled his mug.
"I got it." He stood and carried the coffee
cup to the kitchen.
Connie was taking a sheet of cookies out of
the oven and the blast of heat and sugary air filled the room. When
Charlie witnessed the amount of baking the women had done he
stopped short and whistled. "You are tryin' to make us all
explode?"
Connie took off the potholder and pinched
Charlie's waist. "You need a little meat on you."
"No, ma'am!" He laughed and took the milk out
of the fridge to pour into his cup.
Charlie heard the sound of JP and Goat's
voice, laughing as they entered the house. Charlie watched Connie
use a spatula to transfer the baked cookies onto a cooling rack,
and tried to decide what his favorite was going to be.
Goat entered the kitchen to wash his hands
and saw all the sweets. "Oh yes! Love this time of year!"
JP stood behind him, looking over at the
counter which was crowded with cookies and cakes, pies and
brownies.
Goat dried his hands and leaned over the
selection. "Can I taste one, Connie? Or is this for later after our
Christmas dinner?"
"I made them for later, but help yerself,
Hal." She put another tray into the oven.
Charlie waited to see what he chose.
Goat picked up a sugary square that was
topped with toasted coconut. He stuffed it into his mouth and
moaned.
"Good?" Charlie smiled.
Goat had an orgasmic expression on his face
as he chewed. "Coconut and chocolate chips…"
"Sounds like a winner to me." Charlie headed
back to the living room and sat down beside Roman. Sherlane and
Suzie were kneeling under the tree, sorting through the wrapped
gifts.
Butch was seated, his elbows on his knees,
watching, but still, to Charlie, appeared to be tired, or just
daydreaming again.
None of the men spoke about their own
families, so Charlie had no idea what Butch's relationship was with
his. But…they were all with Vernon, not their own relatives, and
that said a lot to Charlie.
Suzie stacked the wrapped gifts in front of
each recipient. When the pile under the tree dwindled to a few, she
picked up one in a brown wrapper, and tilted it, a quizzical
expression on her face. She shook it and handed it to Roman. "It
says 'Roman' right?"
Charlie noticed Roman perk up and take the
gift, setting his cup on a coaster on the side table.
JP and Goat joined them, sitting in folding
chairs behind the piles of gifts with their names on it.
"Connie?" Vernon called to her.
"Start without me. I'll only be a minute,"
she answered from the kitchen.
Charlie sat back and leaned on Roman's arm.
"What's that?"
Roman inspected the worn paper and brown
string. "It says 'Roma' not Roman."
Chills covered Charlie's skin. He asked
everyone, "Which one of you gave this to Roman?"
Butch set his coffee cup down, stood, and had
a look. "Uh oh."
JP moaned. "Don't say that!"
"Open it." Suzie sat on the floor by the
tree.
Charlie looked at Roman. "Or not."
Roman pulled the brown string to the side and
opened the paper. It was dusty and dry, nearly falling apart in his
hands. Charlie sat back as the paper flaked off and made a small
cloud. He waved his hand, not wanting to breathe it in.
A book, yellowed, the brown leather binding
as worn as the paper and cord that it was wrapped in, lay on
Roman's lap.
On the cover Charlie could just make out, in
gold, a she-wolf nursing two men.
"Romulus and Remus." Roman inspected the back
but there was nothing on it.
"An' none of you gave it to him?" Butch
expressed Charlie's thoughts.
Roman touched it lightly, as if deciding what
to do.
It was then Charlie noticed something marking
a page. He pointed it out. "It's got something in it."
Roman, having everyone's attention, opened
the brittle book to the marked page. A red ribbon, faded, frayed
and delicate, with an image of an inverted pentagram on the top,
handwritten and nearly invisible, was being used to keep a
page.
Chills continued to hit Charlie in waves, but
he didn't feel the urge to change over. Just a silent apprehension
about where this book had come from, and what it implied.
~
Roman scanned the text. It was not English.
It was Latin. Under the text was a drawing of a coin.
Roman immediately recognized it as the
medallion Ophelia had dropped in the sink. He closed the book
quickly, dust flying from it, and said, "Okay, who's opening one
next?"
Charlie and Butch gaped at him in
exasperation.
Roman gave them each a discreet silent, 'no
way!' look, and stuffed the novel between his and Charlie's legs to
indicate he was ready to move on.
Suzie seemed to wake out of her trance and
said to her father. "Dad, open the big green box."
Vernon picked the item up and placed it on
his lap.
As the rest of the group began to enjoy their
'normal' Christmas gifts, Roman was dying to get the book to the
cabin and figure out what it said.
But with limited internet access, he knew he
would either have to wait until he got home to Nevada or…head to
one of the local police agencies and use their resources.
Connie finally joined them, placing a huge
tray of homemade cookies on the coffee table, and the aroma alone
made Roman feel good.
After all the gifts were opened, and the
cooking preparations for the Christmas meal had begun, Roman began
to get anxious. He checked his watch and asked Suzie, "When's your
mom serving dinner?"
"Four." She checked the time. "Why? Do you
want to do something?"
"I do." He stood and cupped the book in his
hand.
Charlie asked, "Where're you goin'?"
"Out. Just for a little while."
Charlie and Butch stood up.
Roman glanced back at them while he put on
his jacket. By the determined look on both their faces, Roman
didn't even argue. He waved at the other three and said, "Thanks
for breakfast and all the nice gifts."
"Aren't you taking them to the cabin?" JP
asked.
"I will when I get back." Roman opened the
door and Harley tried to follow.
"Not this time, dog." Charlie gently urged
him back and closed the door.
Roman said, "Let me get the truck keys and my
phone."
"Okay." Butch shrugged, putting his cowboy
hat on his head. Then Roman heard him ask Charlie, "Where are we
going?"
Roman jogged to his cabin and entered,
finding the keys, his phone, and…his gun and badge. He took the
book with him, and returned to the pickup truck, seeing Charlie
already in the front passenger's seat and Butch in the back.
Roman climbed into the driver's side and
started up the engine, putting the book on the bench seat beside
him. "Butch, where's Sheriff Kenmore's office?"
"In town. I doubt he's there."
"Does anyone man the place when he's gone?"
Roman drove down the gravel lane, passed the white lighted
evergreen trees.
"Roman, it's Christmas day."
"Butch," Roman handed him his smart phone.
"Find a number for a contact so I can get into the office."
Charlie glanced over at him. "What's so
urgent?"
"That book."
Charlie picked it up and opened it to the
page indicated. "Where did it come from?"
"Ophelia."
Butch choked and Charlie gave Roman a look of
disbelief.
"What do you need Dale's office for?" Butch
asked.
"I need his computer, his scanner…" Roman
paused when he left the ranch driveway and came to the street.
"Right or left?"
"Left." Butch spoke on the phone, "Dale?
Sorry to bother you, it's Butch…Merry Christmas to you too…no,
nuthin's wrong."
Roman gazed at the dirty plowed snow on the
roadside, the sunshine melting the frost on the roadway, but not
the deep crusty piles.
The sun was gleaming on the landscape, so
Roman put his sunglasses on.
"Okay, Dale. I do appreciate that. Thank-ya,
kindly." Butch handed Roman the phone. "He said to stop by his
place to get his key."
"Is he on the way?"
"He lives only a few blocks from the
station."
"Good." Roman bit his lip in anxiety.
Charlie placed his hand on Roman's thigh.
"You think she's givin' you some answers?"
"Yes. I do." Roman focused on the road and
said, "Butch, tell me how to get there."
"Jus' keep goin'. I'll let ya know when to
turn."
Charlie kept watching him, and Roman could
feel his apprehension and worry.
Luckily Sheriff Kenmore was not in a social
mood, having his grandchildren visiting and appearing weary. He
handed Butch the keys and said, "Just drop it through the mail slot
when yer done if we're not home. There'll be a few people in there
workin'," Dale said, "but not many. Just a few covering for the
holiday. Butch, you remember where my office is?"