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A Fine Line:The Ancients(Part II)Third Book in A Fine Line SeriesJ C BrennanNote to Reader:The following book is intended for adult readers. Violence, adult situations, and strong language contained in the book are not suitable for younger readers.Editing by and Back Cover Description: Claudette Nicole Melanson by: Paul Michael : A Fine Line: the Ancients (part II)Author: JC BrennanThis book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Copyright ? 2015 JC Brennan.All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. ISBN- 9781517009786ISBN-1517009782? 2015 by JC Brennan. All rights reservedDedicated toMy mother and fatherThank you both for being there for me.Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Chapter i: Enlistment1Chapter 2: The clash30Chapter 3: Alaricus' Reveal67Chapter 4: homecoming94chapter 5: unsettling truth119 Chapter 6: A Revelation137chapter 7: Maranda157Chapter 8: the amulet182Chapter 9: hidden vision198Chapter i0: clandestine child217chapter 11: True Blood243Chapter 12: fueling the fire266Chapter 13: Power alone is not enough288Chapter 14: Crossing the line321Chapter 15: Anceint riddles343Chapter 16: the ties that bind369Chapter 17: the blackest heart falls338Chapter 18: overcoming the darkness412PrologueThe A Fine Line story continues this third book, A Fine Line the Ancients Part II. The Crew had to leave their home town of Charleston, Missouri and found a new home near a small town called Ashcroft in Colorado. They believed they would be safe, at least for a while. However, their reign of peace came to a crushing halt when the damn brutally killed Analisia and her unborn child. The reign of terror didn’t stop there; Amarious and his of Damned had more malicious revolting acts in store for the Crew. They surprised on Cecil and Autumn, killing them viciously in the woods not far from their new home. However, the Crew encountered their newest threat at the scene of their murders. Without a moment to breath from the deaths of Cecil and Autumn, a t battle broke out in the small town of Ashcroft. Amarious started this battle and died at the hands of William, but not without loss of Troy. Troy had given his life to save William. The more shocking reveal from the battle was a woman, a hauntingly beautiful but feral woman.The Crew is shocked to learn the woman, Analisia, was one of a set of triplets derived from a wise and noble ancient ruler of their kind, King Albion. One of her sisters was Amarious’ mate, Aurora, the beast who had taken Cecil’s life in the wood. There other sister, Aureliana has not been seen since Analisia and she decided to sleep many years ago. Analisia gave the Crew more information on their history but this has raised more questions for them. Buckner had finally found his intended with Analisia and they were married. Of course Aurora made an uninvited appearance with a young man none of the Crew had seen before. She introduced him as Amarious and her son, Alaricus. Now the Crew has not only, Aurora to deal with but also her son. The Crew may now face a wrath from the Damned greater than ever before. But there are still secrets that haven’t been revealed when more ancients come into the family. What secrets to the Ancients still hold and how will the Crew handle them. Who will live and who will die in the enduring, A Fine Line saga, The Ancients Part II …..Chapter 1EnlistmentThirty years passed and the Crew were able to enjoy life despite the necessity of always keeping watch for the Damned. The tragic past seemed like a distant nightmare that still haunted their dreams. Though the Damned had left the Crew in peace for half a human lifetime, William knew in his gut another attack was inevitable. He could feel a darkness building down deep in his bones. They needed to be ready for whatever the Damned had planned. Though they couldn’t know the details of an impending confrontation, the men worked together to make their home as safe as they could. Night watches were adhered to religiously and the property was also patrolled daily to pick up any signs of the Damned.David became an excellent strategist. It was he who’d suggested they build an underground shelter. Though, at first, William and the other men had found this suggestion comical, a revelation by their newest member quickly changed their minds. David recounted for them a vision he’d had, which had shown him the devastating weapons of the future. Though the structure may not be necessary at the moment, he insisted it would save not only the family’s lives, but those of several others.“The future will bring weapons of mass destruction not even our gifts can control. William, please trust me on this,” he’d pleaded.David said he hadn’t seen whether the weapons would end mankind or not. But the Crew found his fear of what his dreams had shown him to be very real. William found that David’s recounting of his dreams reminded him of the ones Buckner had many years ago. With every one David recounted, William became more convinced they needed to follow the boy’s instructions. When Buckner began to have the same kinds of dreams again–that would clinch the decision. Buckner’s dreams focused around a world war—one begun by a future president whose mission was to transform the United States from a place of dreams and freedom into a unrecognizable militant state. Buckner warned that the government would betray its people on unimaginable levels. He had nightmares every night for two weeks about the devastation the bomb had caused. He told William of the images had shown to him. He said beautiful building were turned to rubble, whole towns were gone, bodies of the dead burned beyond recognition lying everywhere, and people, even children, who would be forever deformed. William was concerned about the torment Buckner was going through again. He hated the fact Buckner had these awful nightmares and found it strange how he would not have them for a long length of time but they seemed to start up when something was about to happen. Buckner cautioned that this war would make the Nazi invasions seem like a Sunday picnic. Buckner had vividly seen the people of their country fighting against their own government in his visions, the fracture within the United States had made it vulnerable, the ensuing attacks exploding into world war.Buckner was shaking when he told William of his dreams. “It was the faces of the children that shook me up the most Will. I cannot explain it, but the images I saw were horrific and inhuman. The world is turned into a forbidding barren place. I feel strongly that we are humanity’s only hope.” Buckner wore a look of dread as he continued. “David has had the dream, I’ve had this dream, and, William, Analisia has had it too.”“Analisia too?!” William choked out. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”“I thought, perhaps they were merely nightmares, but one day, when the three of us were talking, the subject came up. We began to compare our dreams…and they were too identical to ignore any longer.”William decided they should begin breaking ground behind the house in 1945; right after the United States unleashed the atomic bomb on the Japanese in Hiroshima. The night before the bombing, August 5th 1945, Buckner woke the whole house with his screams. Sweating and trembling, he recanted the devastation, an ocean away, caused by the bomb. That very day the Crew’s construction on their underground bunker began. The shelter the Crew started building took years to finish. Most of the design was created from Buckner and David’s dreams. Many features of the bunker had to wait, as the items had yet to be invented—such as air filtering systems that protected against toxins from nuclear fallout, radioactive iodine, weaponized biological carcinogens, and warfare gases. These poisons weren’t available at present time, but the Crew knew they would come. William began to wonder if life would be simpler, had his family not been gifted with insight into the future. He’d always heard, ‘Ignorance is bliss,’ but he also understood ignorance could be no weapon to help them save what was left of humanity.As the years wore on, William became aware of why their kind was brought back to mix with the human race. He saw brother kill brother during the Civil War. He watched as humans turned on their own environment…and other people. The wars that came and went often reminded him that men carry demons in their souls. In October 1962, the Cuban missile crisis almost brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. In 1963 the Street bombing in Birmingham, Alabama took place, killing four girls. Fueled by the Civil Rights movement, it brought to life the racist views of the Ku Klux Klan. Tragedy continued that year with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November. As with every emotional event throughout history, J.F.K’s death would kick conspiracy theorist in over drive—with every right, he may add. William had his own idea about specific tragedies throughout time and all he was ever willing to say about any of them was, “They think we don’t know or they believe we don’t care.” The ‘we’ he was speaking of was the government of course, but those few words were all he would share about his thought on events such as these.As each horrifying event passed, William’s heart broke, the weight on his shoulder grew heavy…but his willpower increased. He needed to stay strong, for the future was in their hands—or so they’d been told. Moreover, each act of violence served as a reminder of what had happened to Cecil and Tyrone and he ached for the void left in his family to be filled. Their strength would’ve only added resiliency to his and the family’s power. He continued to thank them for saving his life so long ago. He’d walk out to the creek early in the morning, to talk to them… He hoped their spirits resided in the nature around him and they heard. But there were never words for just how much he missed them both. History also changed in more cheerful ways amid the never-ending chaos. In 1964 the Beatles were a household name in the United States with eight songs on Billboard Top 100. Congress passed a law forbidding discrimination based on gender. Americans were still recovering from the loss of their beloved President, and Lyndon Johnson was the new commander in chief. Women’s fashion became more risqué. The skirts grew shorter, along with more modern hairstyles. Colors became brighter and women’s heels stretched higher. This was the year William broke down and bought a new vehicle. Buckner and William set out to buy a new car even though their van was still the family’s main mode of transportation. This was because the van was the only vehicle that could hold them all. When they pulled into the car dealership and Buckner saw the Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible, his eyes began to dance. William couldn’t say no to him when he saw how enamored Buckner was with the car. Under its hood was a 429ci v8 340hp engine. It was equipped with all the bells and whistles: automatic transmission, power brakes, power steering, black leather interior, cruise control, Twilight Sentinel, automatic climate control, AM/FM radio, and power windows and door locks—no options available in any vehicle the Crew had owned previously. William paid for the car in cash, and they drove home, laughing, with the top down. They were just like kids with a new toy. Buckner hadn’t stopped smiling from the moment he laid eyes on it until William shut off the engine when they pulled in front of the house. Everyone came rushing out to investigate the new addition to the family. Just like Buckner, Caroline was in awe of the car. She and the other women begged to go for a ride. William thought he might just be driving around all night, although, he didn’t mind. The women squealed as the wind whipped through their hair, and Rain stood up in the back, stretching her hands out to the heavens, as they drove the winding roads. The radio blared, We'll Sing In The Sunshine by Gale Garnett as they all sang along. William considered this to be a perfect day, the whole family laughing and smiling without cessation. William focused on Caroline, the wind blasting her long hair back to highlight her stunning good looks. She was wearing a burnt-orange shift dress with blouson sleeves. The skirt hung down to mid-thigh exposing her shapely legs. But it was her smile that gave William the warmth he was feeling inside. Caroline’s smile was the smile no one could resist—the smile that won his heart over one-hundred years ago. William couldn’t believe it had been so long since the first time he’d seen her standing outside the country store. He remembered how she touched his heart, how absolutely beautiful she was. He still got a shiver down his spine, as on that first day, from her smile. William loved all the memories of their happy days together and would call upon them any time hardships would rear their ugly head. All too soon he would draw strength from them once again.Two days after buying the car, Zak announced he would be leaving to join the army presently. From the time war broke out, Zak had known he’d join, however, he never said anything until it was done. He knew how much grief the family would give him, and didn’t want to afford them much time to attempt talking him out of his decision. He joined out of respect he held for all the men who’d fought in every war before this one…and for the overwhelming sense of duty and out of honor he felt for his country.Over the years that followed David’s appearance, he and Zak had become closer than brothers. They shared a bond William felt was somehow initiated by his son. It was easy to believe William III wanted Zak to have someone who was ales father figure and more friend–someone Zak could confide in about anything. The Crew had kept a close watch on Zak after the deaths of Autumn and William III. They knew the Damned wanted him dead and, as far as they were concerned, that wouldn’t come to pass during their lifetime. And William believed David to be as protective of Zak as any other member of the Crew. Twenty-two years after David joined the family, was when Zak made the decision to enlist. William still could not believe so much time had passed. Time was so much different for them now it seemed to slip by so fast. As for Zak joining the army—he didn’t like it one little bit. William had to wonder if Zak’s decision was based more on honoring his father than a sense of duty. But his choice sent everyone into a panic. Losing Zak like they had William III filled the family with fear and anxiety. None supported his decision to go, and not a word was uttered regarding the subject, Zak knew how each one felt. One evening, when the whole family was finishing a too-silent dinner Zak couldn’t take it anymore. “Stop avoiding the subject, please. Each of the men in this family fought heroically for this country, and now it’s my turn.”“We only fought so you wouldn’t have to,” William argued hoping to change Zak’s mind. Though, deep down he knew it wouldn’t matter what he said, Zak remained unconvinced. “Grandfather, I love you and know you want to protect me. But your good intentions don’t change the fact I’ve made up my mind to go. Please don’t make this any harder than it has to be. I’m a century-old mind housed within a twenty-year-old body. I possess wisdom far beyond what my physical appearance belies.“I don’t wish to avenge my father, nor to hurt any of you. Grandfather, I must do this; there is a force, inside me telling me I must go. I do not go blindly. I have all the knowledge each of you has imparted to me regarding warfare, including my father.”William knew at this point it would be a waste of time, trying to sway his grandson’s decision. “I know, Zak, I know,” William finally said. “But you have to make me the promise you’ll come back to us. Promise you will.” Caroline rose to place a comforting hand on her husband’s shoulder. Her touch alone gave him the strength he needed. Teary eyed, he fought to regain his composure. “Promise you will keep in touch, and let us know if you need anything. Can you do that for me?”“I cannot make the promise that no harm will come to me. I’ve never broken a promise to you, and I don’t wish to start. I can promise to keep in touch, Grandfather, and will do everything in my power to make it back home. I promise to fight proud and true, and can assure you, no matter the outcome, I will always be with you.”William embraced his grandson powerfully and looked deep in his eyes. “You’re a good man, Zak, and wherever your father is, I know how proud he is.”On October fifth, the Crew made their way, before sunup, to the airport. Zak and David sat in the back of the van talking quietly. Zak told David he’d let him know everything that was happening, but asked that he gave the family the lighter portions of his letters, only. “I will, you know that, Zak.” David paused for a moment, then queried, “Are you going to tell me the real reason you’re doing this?” “What do you mean?” Zak replied, curious as to how David could sense his true intentions. “You know exactly what I mean; stop playing games.” Zak put his head down for a moment. “Yeah, I’m sorry, David. But I’m being honest when I say I’m not sure. There’s something powerful calling me to this war. Something so strong gnawing at my gut I cannot explain it. All I know is that I need to be there. I know this makes no sense, but I must go.” “Well, just keep in mind you don’t need to be a hero over there.” “I will do my duty, David, but will also do all I can to come back. I promise you that.” “I’m holding you to that promise, Brother.”The whole family went to the airport to see him off, each offering their own words of encouragement and strength. William believed Zak’s leaving was hardest on Caroline. She didn’t want to let him go. “Zak,” she said, “Be brave, strong, and true, but above anything else you do...” Caroline had to stop and breathe deeply. She didn’t want Zak’s last memory of her as he went off to war to be of her crying. Nevertheless, she couldn’t stop her eyes from glassing over. “You come home in one piece.” Holding back the tears, she kissed Zak softly and watched as he boarded the plane. As the Crew stood, watching the jet move from ground to sky, William couldn’t help but reminisce about the first flight of the Wright brothers back on December 17, 1903. It made him realize just how different the world had become in the last sixty-one years. He wondered if the Wright brothers had ever dreamed the extent their invention had altered and expanded the world. So much had changed since that day in the Georgia woods, lying inside a rotted tree, wondering if he would ever see his sweet Caroline again. Whenever William thought on it hard enough, it felt as though it might drive him mad. William hadn’t realized how loud his thoughts were until he felt Caroline’s hand on his shoulder. Fillmore chuckled and said, “Yeah, it sure has been an interesting ride, hasn’t it, Brother?” Fillmore had never been big on showing his emotions, but William could see his eyes were misty. He rebounded with, “You all know if anyone can make it through this war without a scratch, it’s that boy.” The rest of the family knew Fillmore had stated this more for himself than anyone else. He moved on, changing the subject. “Do you remember how impossible it was to keep out of the woods in Missouri? That boy is as stubborn as an ol’ mule. He’s just like his old man…and his grandfather, I might add. He definitely inherited those characteristics, honestly.”This made everyone laugh a little, and even William cracked a smile. The family could replay their memories of Zak’s childhood through their minds. As amusing as these were, William once again felt an uneasy emptiness grow inside him. He and the rest of the family understood why Zak believed he had to go, but it didn’t make his leaving any easier on them. If he were lost, William couldn’t be sure if the family could withstand another loss of that magnitude. He recalled the demise of family the Crew had lost throughout the years. Losing the ones they loved ignited a pain was relentless and difficult to diminish. Each member of the Crew handled loss in their own way and all experienced a multitude of emotions. Sometimes they deemed the pain and sadness would never cease, forever leaving a hollow space inside their hearts. These whirlwinds of emotions were normal reactions to a loss. But William would always desire to bring each one of them back. These thoughts ignited his yearning for affirmation. He wanted some kind of reassurance that Zak would come home unharmed. He knew the family wouldn’t be the same without him. Once again, William’s thoughts were too loud, prompting Buckner to say, “He will come back to us. I know he will, Brother.” Buckner patted him on the back, then they all turned to walk solemnly back to the van. The ride home was too quiet. William was tormented by the silence, but was unsure what to say. Everyone was fast-forwarding their thoughts to the day they could pick Zak up from the airport and bring him home safe and sound. The silence was thick and heavy, like an impermeable fog penetrating the van. Finally, David couldn’t take it anymore. “He will come back to us. All of you should know he has the upper-hand when it comes to battle. I know he will be safe, I can feel it.” Fillmore spoke up. “That is true. He does have more skill and ability than the other boys he’ll be fighting with. We have to remember that.” Everyone agreed, but with little enthusiasm. It wasn’t enough to know Zak possessed a greater knowledge about battle tactics or even that he had access to his abilities. They wanted the one thing they couldn’t have—the guarantee of Zak’s safety. Silence fell over the van once again, remaining as a fellow passenger for the rest of the trip. William’s thoughts kept going back to what the men had experienced during the Civil War. Those sights and the emotions that came with them were embedded into each soldier’s soul. William, Brimmount, Fillmore, and Buckner all kept the horrors of war they’d observed running through their heads, as if by some possessed projector they were powerless to turn off. He knew Zak would never be quite the same when he managed to come back home. William couldn’t bring himself to say if he made it home. It was the morning of November thirtieth, 1964 that the Crew received their first letter from Zak. His letter was short, but the length didn’t matter whatsoever. He was safe and that was enough Dear Family,Thank you for all of your letters; they are all that keep me going. Each letter I receive makes my day so much better than it may have been otherwise. I want you to know I’m alright and find boot camp isn’t as bad as I’d heard. I am not crazy about our Drill Sergeant, but I figure he’s just doing his job. We’re up at 4:00AM every morning, sometimes earlier if he gets a hair up his ass. Every morning consists of dressing, making up our bunks, and then PT–pushups, sit-ups, a two-to-five mile run, along with other “wonderful” exercises. I believe I’m developing muscles I didn’t know I had! I was called into my commanding officer’s office on Thursday. He told me I’ll be going through special training soon, but the why hasn’t been established. It is different here. There are many young men who wish they were home already, but we press on and do our duty. I love and miss all of you. All my love,Zak William read the letter aloud as the family sat together in the parlor. The Crew listened in silence, all of them wordlessly imploring the powers that be to watch over Zak when his platoon was called into a dangerous area. William reviewed the letter again, then left the parlor and went outside. He worried about Zak, even though he hadn’t finished boot camp yet. William wished to bring him home before he ever saw battle.Buckner joined him outside. He didn’t speak a word, only letting William know he was there if his friend needed to talk. William asked Buckner if he would walk with him. Buckner agreed, and the two hiked up onto the mountainside in silence. William broke the stillness surrounding them. “I just miss him, you know?” “I know, Will. You don’t have to explain yourself.” The men continued up until they reached the silver mine, where they sat among the large rocks scattered around the entrance. They sat together for a long time before William spoke. “You know something, Jonathan? I would give every dime we have just to bring him home. I realize how selfish this sounds, but I really don’t think I could cope if he doesn’t come back.” Buckner understood his friend’s worry. “He’ll be back unharmed. I know he will. Shoot, Will, he has more knowledge of war than his commanding officers.” Buckner paused for a moment, for he missed Zak just as much as William did, but wanted to be strong for his best friend. “William, you know he’s endured some terrifying moments while fighting the Damned, and I’m sure nothing he experiences could be worse than what he’s already been through.”“I know he’s going to be a good soldier. But you know as well as I do, even the best of men cannot ward off death if he has called your name.” William took on a look of disquiet. “It’s not just his safety I worry about, you know.”“What do you mean?” Buckner asked curiously.“I remember the war as if it were yesterday, Jonathan. I can still hear the blood-curdling cries of men and the thunderous howl the cannons and muskets made. I have nightmares of shattered, blood-stained men lying on the ground. My memories are like scenes from the demented pages of an author’s horror story. “Buckner, do you remember how the earth beneath our feet seemed to tremble like an earthquake? How the cannons roared with a deafening sound that could’ve raised the dead?” “Yes I do, and I have the same dreams, Will. I have woken from dreams fighting the instinct to run as fast as I could away from all the carnage. Nevertheless, I remember what we were fighting for. We made it through; we made it home, and so will he.” “Yes, we did make it home. We fought for something we both believed in and made the world a better place, I know. I just don’t want reams of war to sully the soul of my grandson. I don’t wish for him to carry those black remembrances with him, or to worry if the one he loves will see the demons he carries within. Buckner, I would give anything to keep his mind free from them.”The pair sat on the cold, hard rocks for some time with only the memories of a war long over passing between them. For as long as they lived, and no matter how many battles they would fight with the Damned, the horrific memories of the Civil War would forever reside, rooted deep inside their minds. As time passed Zak’s letters told the ongoing story of war, without sharing details that would alarm the family. Zak’s letters were obviously written in such a way to create the illusion of some twisted vacation instead of a war. William wasn’t fooled by his grandson’s ruse though. In one of Zak’s letters he recited his division’s motto, “No operation is too demanding, no sacrifice too great. Duty and honor first.” He also wrote about the men he’d become closest to: Ralf J. Bishop—aka Wheezer, Peter R. Madding—aka Bomb Shell, John J. Warshaw—aka Little Bit, and Marcus T. Allen—aka Lover Boy. Zak described Wheezer as a black man from Kentucky who’d had his nose broken, while defending his sister’s honor, right before he’d enlisted. Mr. Bishop had found three men attacking his little sister—two of whom were shouting encouragements to a man who was trying to rape her. Wheezer fought off all three of the men, luckily, before any of them had violated her. He’d emerged from the scuffle with some bruised ribs, a broken nose, one black eye, and, more importantly, an untarnished sister—well, physically untarnished anyway. She’d had terrible dreams for a while afterwards.Aside from his heroic attributes, apparently, Wheezer was somewhat of a smartass. Zak wrote, “‘He reminds me of how you describe Buckner back in the day, Grandfather. However, no matter how rude he acts sometimes, I have to say I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else when I need someone to cover my back.’” Bomb Shell was from the Bronx. He had such a strong accent, that every once in a while Zak had difficulty understanding him. Zak explained the meaning behind his nickname, “‘Bomb Shell landed our unit in big trouble on his first day with that temper of his. We ended up spending the day running eight miles in the rain.’” Zak had written. His letter went on to tell the Crew about Little Bit and the man he called Lover Boy. Little Bit was Jewish, standing only 5’ 1”. Zak elaborated, “‘This man is smart, very smart. He reminds me a lot of you, Grandfather. He’s trying to tutor Bomb Shell in speaking Vietnamese, but it’s not going well. Bombshell has no patience but Little Bit has it in spaces. I have to say I’m impressed with his determination. Even when Bomb Shell ‘goes on a nut,’ as Wheezer would say, Little Bit remains amazingly calm.’”Zak wrote that he’d even picked up a few words of the language himself, even growing proficient with several full sentences. “‘It’s a huge benefit to have someone who knows what the people here are saying. It helps to avoid conflicts cause by misunderstanding one another.’”Then there was Lover boy. Zak said the first time he met him; he’d taken out his wallet, spilling a slew of pictures—each of a different girl.“‘His nickname is quite fitting, considering the women he’s associated with. What amazes me most is that he seems devoted to each one and writes to them all regularly. I’m not sure how he keeps them all straight or remembers all their names, but he does. ‘Wheezer and Lover boy are the smokers in our group. The rest of us tease them saying, Don’t ya know those things will kill ya? Wheezer always replies, “Not if the Cong gets me first”. We always laugh when he says it, but, really, the thought of dying at the hands of the Cong carries no humor.‘Oh, and I have been bestowed with the nickname, Ghost.’”Zak explained his unit came up with the impromptu title after they were sent to Phuoc Vinh. They cited his ability to enter a room without complete stealth, sneaking up behind those inside without being noticed. The men had remarked that even when he moved through jungle he didn’t make a sound. It was Wheezer who’d begun calling him Ghost…and it stuck. Zak’s letters always ended with:“‘Remember, I miss you and love you all. Try not to worry about me; I’ll be home before you know it.Love always,Zak.’”With the frequency Zak spoke of them, the Crew began to think of the men in Zak’s unit as an extended part of their family and even wrote to them, sending letters to them they wrote back to Zak. A few of the men didn’t have families who wrote to them, and the Crew wanted to let the men know there were people back home who were thinking of them. It made the whole family feel as if they were helping in whatever small way they could. The Crew, especially the women, were diligent in sending their letters, hoping to brighten the soldiers’ days. Zak had written to let his family know how appreciative he felt for what they were doing. He said all the men waited eagerly for their letters, sharing the written sentiment with the whole group. It didn’t take long before the Crew was receiving letters from each of them. One letter they received was from Wheezer. He was almost poetic in his writing.“‘I may not know any of you personally but all of you are in my heart and thoughts. Each letter we receive from this family gives us a reason to smile through this hellish war. I know you worry about Zak but you need not, for he is the bravest, big hearted, most tenacious man I have ever had the pleasure to meet. He is a good man and keeps our heads were they need to be. But, from your letters, I can see where he gets his good heart from. I hope one day, after all this insanity is over, I will have the privilege of meeting the wonderful people we hear Zak talk about. We live for his stories of you. Keep your hearts full.Forever grateful, Wheezer’”At Christmastime the women sent Zak baked goods, homemade candies, and pictures of the family. Each of the men in his unit received an identical package—Wheezer and Lover Boy’s contained a carton of cigarettes each. As the family received more of Zak’s letters they began to realize what details he was leaving out of them. He never recounted the details of any attacks his unit suffered, any missions they engaged in, or deaths he had seen. He only mentioned the victories, though, lacking any detail about the people involved. This worried William. It bothered him to remain in the dark about what Zak was actually going through. William suspected David had more insight into the darker details of Zak’s life while thrust into the throes of war. David showed signs of sleeplessness under his eyes from time to time. When William asked if he was resting okay, David would always respond, “Oh, yes! I’m fine. Too many bad dreams last night.” William would regard him with skepticism, knowing he was lying. David always lowered his head, hating that he couldn’t tell William all he knew. But David felt determined to keep the promise he’d made to Zak. One morning, William woke up unusually early to work on bedroom furniture special-ordered by Mrs. Janelle R. Fitz, the wife of a wealthy real estate tycoon. She’d told William she wanted a bedroom set like no other in existence. When William walked into the workshop, David was working at carving a bedpost for Mrs. Fitz’s set. “Good morning, David; you’re up early this morning.”“Good morning, Will. I just wanted to get an early start on these carvings. Mrs. Fitz sure is a particular woman isn’t she?” William chuckled. “Oh, yes, that woman is quite…well, let’s just say she’s eccentric.” William had hesitated about bring up what was really on his mind, but decided it was time to broach the subject. He was very direct when he said, “You know what’s really happening with Zak, don’t you?” William could tell from the look in his eyes David was well aware of everything Zak was going through. “Will,” he said, hesitantly, “I made a promise, so please don’t pry.”William pressed, “A promise? What promise was that?” David fiddled with the chisel in his hand. William could tell he considering spilling the beans—but didn’t wish to betray his loyalty to Zak. “Come on, David, he’s my grandson. Tell me what’s going on.”“Will, I can’t. Zak made me promise to keep the things I see to myself. He doesn’t want you to worry about what he’s going through.”“And I respect your conviction, but, Son, I’ve seen my share of war and know its horrors.” William paused. He did respect David’s loyalty to Zak and made an effort to respect the promise David was trying to guard. “Can you at least tell me if he’s alright? I don’t mean physically… How is he handling the violence and death around him? Is he okay emotionally?” “Will, all I can say is he’s handling things a hell of a lot better than I would,” David said with conviction. “You know I never really experienced the carnage that war elicits, and to be honest, I’m quite happy about that. When the attack at Pearl Harbor occurred, I hadn’t been serving long. I’d just gotten out of boot camp. The Japanese took us by surprise, and I never had the chance to see much of what happened, because I was wounded. I never had to engage in hand to hand combat…” David paused to choose his words carefully. “William, I was grateful I never really had to experience war firsthand.” William put his hand on David’s shoulder. “I understand, Son, I understand. I do.” William recognized that David was the gate keeper of all Zak’s experiences. Zak’s time on the battlefield transferred to David via unwelcome dreams he fought desperately to keep locked away like some vicious animal—ready to spring forth and injure at any moment. William could see the depths to which the young man was tortured reflected in his eyes, agonizing over the fact he could do nothing to protect him…or either of them. William didn’t question David further though his desire to do so flamed inside him. Zak’s enlistment in the service was a choice formed of pride and honor, William knew this. What he hadn’t considered was that the bond between David and Zak would be so powerful they would endure the anguish together…though so many miles separated them. William was troubled not only by the knowledge of David’s suffering, but, most disturbingly, by the part of him that was overjoyed by David’s nightmares. Although his guilt was insurmountable, no matter how horrible they were, they also let him know Zak was still alive.Chapter 2The ClashAs the days faded into months and the months into years, Zak’s letters kept up the illusion that everything was peachy over in Nam. William was surprised by how long he was able to keep up the facade. Even the other men from his platoon never hinted at any of the horrors they must have been facing. Even the women were quite sure the words written in his letters were chosen carefully to protect them from atrocities he witnessed daily. Others may not be able to see the torment in these men at first glance but the scares of war would eventually show through if one was around them long enough. These men could never truly conceal the scares for they would eventually push to the surface—vivid and without mercy. William had seen men try to bury the scars left behind by war deep inside themselves. But there was always something within them that died away slowly, receding so as to reveal their existence. William drove himself mad with worry, wondering how deeply Zak’s heart had already been etched by the war. He would come to regret his desire to know Zak’s true feelings once the tone of his grandson’s letters changed. By 1967, Zak could no longer hide his true feelings from his family any longer. William couldn’t believe he’d been gone for three years already. Knowing Zak would be home soon was the only thing keeping him sane. Zak’s tour was nearing completion and William held fast to that thought. However, when Zak’s last letter arrived, he couldn’t erase its content from his mind, and it haunted him in both his waking and sleeping hours.Dear family,Thank you for your undying commitment in writing me and my platoon. Each letter we receive makes the miserable days much brighter. However, they can’t keep the fighting completely at bay. Somehow it had been carrying over to occur among the men in our platoon, no longer isolated to our common enemy. It is a silent war going on between the men, and I fear they may be unable to resolve their petty differences. Their incessant animosity isn’t helping and only serves to fuel my fear that we won’t make it through this damned war. I won’t go into tiresome detail, but yesterday Wheezer and I pulled some of the men off a couple of young Vietnamese girls. Those girls couldn’t have been more than fourteen years old, and I was so angry. I’m surprised I didn’t knock those boys out cold. It took me some time to find my calm after the incident. I can’t believe some of the behavior that is displayed here. We sleep when we can but it’s never a restful sleep. We’re constantly on alert and sleep isn’t a luxury we can afford. The other day, a rocket-propelled grenade and some machine gun fire ripped up my rucksack, and I actually felt the wind from the bullets pass over me. I don’t believe I’ve ever been so scared in my life. Not even when I saw Angelica’s body lying on those rocks do I remember being this frightened. I have to hide my fear deep inside though. Fear can be contagious here, and I need to stay strong for the others.For instance, a couple of nights ago the five of us were sent out on patrol, and, before we knew it, we ended up in the middle of a group of VC. We were hiding, and Lover Boy began to panic. It took both Wheezer and I to calm him until Little Bit call for illumination. Once the sky lit up and we could see what we were firing at.When we started this battle our platoon was forty-five men strong, but we only have twenty of those original men left. We once lost our platoon leader and a whole squadron in a VC attack. These VC soldiers fight to the death. They booby trap the bodies of the dead, innocent children, and even themselves, so that when we approach they not only kill themselves, but take our men with them. This type of warfare is so brutal, I’m unsure if I will ever be able to wipe away the sights I’ve seen here from my memory. On a positive note, we’ve lost no one in my unit, because we watch out for one another and use our brains. I watch the others’ actions in case I ever need to keep their minds focused on who the real enemy is. I do believe the men I’m with are the reason I’m still alive. They’re good men, strong men, but even the strongest of them can lose sight of what’s important in battle from time to time.I have to apologize to all of you, because I had to use my abilities a couple days ago. I just thank the powers that be that it was nighttime. While cutting through the jungle, Wheezer tripped a booby trap—a spike board. These lovely little contraptions are placed in a pit and consist of a treadle board, which release another board covered in spikes. When the men step on the first part the latter flies up to hit the men in the face or chest. I was able to stop the board’s momentum, although poor Wheezer was scared shitless. He asked me how I did it. I told him I really didn’t do anything, that the contraption must have been flawed, besides his being very lucky. I really don’t think he believed a word I said. Those traps are faster than the eye can detect, and even if there’d been a design flaw, no human could’ve caught it with the speed I employed.Even though I saved his life, I am still forced to take so many others. I won’t lie to you, with each life I take, I feel like a reaper collecting souls for some unseen, cruel god. When men say war is hell I know they must have had some insight to this war. I’m sorry this letter doesn’t contain happier news. I cannot wait to be back home with you all.Remember that I miss you and love you. Try not to worry about me; I’ll be home before you know it.Love always,Zak.William blamed himself for his relentless desire to know what Zak was going through. He remembered his father saying ‘Sometimes you need to be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.’ He wasn’t sure what his father meant. He was only twelve at the time his father told him this and what do kids really know at that age. Though he had learned, what his father was speaking of long ago, when the letters came telling of the horrors Zak was going through. William could not help but kick himself for wanting to know more.Everything Zak was experiencing was tormenting enough for Unfortunately, William’s worry for Zak caused his guard to drop where the Damned were concerned. The patrols around the property were still being carried out, although the thoughts of each member of the Crew were on Zak rather than the Damned, as they walked the perimeter. The distraction of Zak’s perilous assignment and weakening state of mind all the Damned needed to reignite their own war with the family. It had been a long while since the Crew had seen or heard anything from the Damned. But just as the battle in town had erupted so unexpectedly, the battle to come would take the Crew by surprise as well. The Crew had made the mistake of offering the Damned a way to catch them off guard…and their enemy would seize this opportunity to hit them fast and hard. It was a clear, cool night in August and Brimmount was finishing up the first half of his turn on night patrol. Fillmore and Rain were resting up before taking the second half of the night shift, while Savannah pieced together a quilt that was serve as a welcome home gift for Zak once he returned. Analisia and Caroline were in the kitchen planning his welcome-home party. Analisia had just put on a pot of coffee for Brimmount and began kneading the dough for breakfast croissants. Caroline was rolling out the dough to cut biscuits. William could hear the ladies’ conversation shift from the topic of Zak’s homecoming to what preparations should be made for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Brimmount’s blood-curdling shriek broke the peace of the house in an instant. “Damn Aurora and her abilities!” Caroline bellowed as she dropped the rolling pin and ran to the doorway with Analisia. When they reached it, it was already thrown wide open. William, Fillmore, David, and Buckner were speeding towards the screams, then Fillmore howled, “Rain! Savannah! Damn it, get back here!” He glanced at William, “Damn it, how did they get out here before us?”“I’m not sure Fillmore but Aurora’s waiting out there we have to get to them.” The men plunged forward as fast as they could. Savannah was nowhere to be seen. Caroline moved to the porch, she could see Rain running, just in front of the men screaming, “Savannah stop; please stop!” Caroline moved to join the chase, but Analisia grabbed her by the arm. “It’s Aurora and her pack of demons. You cannot go, Caroline. They’ll rip you apart! Please, go back in the house and lock the doors.” Caroline wanted to help, but she knew Analisia was right. She knew the Damned’s main objective was to hurt William, and her life would hurl Will past his breaking point. So, she obeyed, scurrying back into the house to help Zachariah secure the doors and windows. “What’s going on out there? Is Brimmount… is he okay?” Zachariah asked. “I don’t know, Zachariah. I really don’t know.” Caroline flipped the outside lights on. “Come with me. We might be able to see better from upstairs.” They threw open the balcony doors in the upstairs bedroom to survey the scene below. Caroline would have seen anyway, as Aurora was no longer blocking her vision. But at the moment she could see with her own eyes. She gripped the railing of the balcony in fear, terrified to lose another of their family members. “Brimmount is alive, but he’s hurt real bad,” Caroline called to Zachariah in a panicked voice. Zachariah wrapped his arms around Caroline as they watched the Damned materialize out of the night.The men had caught up with Rain, not far behind Savannah, when one of the Damned appeared from nowhere. The beast flew through the air, latching onto Savannah’s neck with its vicious jaws. Caroline screamed, “Help her! William! Someone, help her!” Zachariah pulled his arms tighter around Caroline. He could feel her body shaking and could sense her fear. “It’s going to be all right, Caroline.” Caroline knew Zachariah was trying to stay positive and strong for her but he was doing it just as much for his sake as hers. Caroline did not even know if William or any of the others could hear her screams but it was the only thing she could do. She grabbed on to Zachariah crying, “Please let them be safe, please.” Zachariah did his best to comfort her while they watched in horror out the window.David, who was closest to Savannah, shifted into his wolf form. He sprang onto the back of the beast, clawing and ripping at its flesh. His opponent was very powerful, but David was relentless in his attack. After a fierce struggle, he was finally able to close his massive jaws around the monster’s throat, ripping the wolf away from Savannah. Fillmore yelled to Rain, “Get her back to the house.” “I have her. You just tear these sonsofbitches to pieces!” Rain shot back. Her legs lost their strength at the sight of the blood seeping from her sister’s wounds. The scarlet fluid had never bothered Rain before this moment, but seeing Savannah hurt so badly wasn’t something she was prepared for. Rain gazed lovingly down at Savannah’s face. Her sister managed a small smile, bolstering Rain’s fortitude. She bent to gather her sister up, but heard Buckner shout, “Rain! Behind you!” In complete amazement, Buckner watched as Rain’s body began to contort. Rain felt heat rise from the bottoms of her feet up through the last hair on her head like an inferno. A faint, reddish-yellow glow formed around her and her deepened to crimson. Rain spun and grabbed the Damned who was charging at her throat. With just a touch, the wolf’s neck melted away. Buckner was taken aback for a split second, along with the Damned he was fighting. As much as Buckner despised the Damned, witnessing what Rain was able to do to this one, almost made him feel sorry for the wicked beast…almost. Buckner could tell by the expression on her face she was just as shocked by this turn of as he was. Buckner quickly tore the throat from the creature he was so he could propel his thoughts into Rain’s rage-muddled mind. Rain! Snap out of it! You need to get Savannah to the house. It took Rain a minute to cool her body down. She was surprised by how she instinctively knew how to bring herself back to normal…though at present she was questioning her former definition of normal. She felt slightly weak from her bizarre transformation, but managed to lift Savannah off the ground. She cradled her in her arms to carry her back to the house. Rain didn’t like the pallor Savannah’s skin had taken on, and increased her gait to a jog, trying to move Savannah back to the house as expediently as possible. Zachariah and Caroline ran down the stairs to meet Rain. “Caroline, stay here. I’m going out to help Rain bring Savannah into the house.” “Be careful,” Caroline said. She watched as Zachariah ran out to take Savannah from Rain’s arms. Zachariah had never displayed any abilities and no one knew whether he might have any lying dormant. “You shouldn’t be out here, Zachariah,” Rain scolded. “Let’s just get her into the house,” Zachariah said, ignoring his scolding from Rain’s. Caroline led them back to the guest room where he laid her down.“I have to get back out there. Are the two of you going to be alright?” “Yes, yes go… but Rain…” Caroline looked at her with pleading eyes. “Please be careful.” Rain promised, “I will, Caroline. Just take care of Savannah.” She ran from the room to rejoin the fight. Savannah’s wounds were deep and she’d lost a lot of blood. Caroline welcomed her current state of unconsciousness. Even with the shot of morphine Zachariah had given her, Caroline knew she would have been in agony. Morphine helped, but, because their bodies ran at a higher core temperature, the relief never lasted long. Still, it was the only medication that alleviated their pain at all. Caroline looked down at sheets on the bed, already soaked with blood. Savannah sustained a head wound, when she was jumped by the evil beast that attacked her. It bled profusely; however, it was the wound in her neck that worried Caroline the most. Its bleeding was slow but continuous. Zachariah voiced her concerns. “Her wounds are very deep, Caroline. We have to stop the bleeding before we can get the wounds cleaned and dressed. Grab the supplies from the closet.”Caroline went to the hallway closet to gather the large cotton pads, tape, and gauze. She returned and handed them to Zachariah. He folded one of the pads over on itself, applying pressure to the areas where the wolf had torn open her neck and shoulder.“Caroline, fold the other pads in the same way. Hmmmm… I can’t tell if her jugular has been nicked or not.” Caroline gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. “No, no, not Savannah.” Zachariah said sternly, “Don’t you fall apart on me now, Caroline. I need your help if she has any chance at all.”Caroline tried to push her emotions aside, though the tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. She concentrated on folding he pads and placing them within Zachariah’s reach on the bedside table. He grabbed up another and placed it over the one he was still pressing against, which was completely saturated already. He didn’t speak the dark truth he was thinking, but Caroline heard him resoundingly clear, nevertheless. They both knew Savannah wouldn’t make it through the night. She was too far gone for healing after such massive blood loss…which steadily continued.Outside, the Crew had finally reached Brimmount who’d sustained grievous wounds. They were powerless to help him, though, as the Damned had surrounded Brimmount–their teeth bared, fur bristling, and muscular haunches poised for attack. The wretched demons were using the wounded Brimmount for bait, knowing the Crew would come to his rescue. When the Crew stood their ground, the Damned stormed toward them and the battle raged once again furiously. The Damned significantly outnumbered the Crew, but none were concerned with that fact. Deliberating about anything other than getting Brimmount to a safe place wasn’t a luxury they could be awarded at the present. William glanced to his right and made eye contact with Aurora. She charged William with a fury that told him she was here for his life. Leaping, Aurora shifted into her massive Jaguar form in mid-air. Her left claw connected with William’s face, carving a deep gash across his cheek. This triggered William’s transformation into what Analisia called Sacra Unum–or Sacred One. His body immediately tripled in muscle mass. The muscles protrude up in strappingly along his arms and legs and across his chest. His fingernails became elongated razor-sharp claws. His hair sprouted into a mane, forming around his head and emerged down to the middle of his chest. Then gigantic fangs and his eyes turn a chilling ice blue. The orbs began to glow with the force of the sun in uninhabited rage. William didn’t hesitate to attack Aurora in return, but never got the chance to meet the challenge she’d lain before him. Analisia made sure of that. When William spun to confront Aurora, transformed into his colossal, inhuman form, his face twisted in a snarl, Analisia blocked his path. In a flash, she was standing between him and Aurora. William was astonished. Like a flash of lighting, he thought. Why am I still surprised by these supernatural abilities? Analisia didn’t turn her head to look at William. Her eyes were firmly fixed on her sister as she said calmly, “I will deal with her, William. Go help the others.” William wasn’t about to argue, so he left the pair, rushing over to snatch the wolves from Fillmore, who had him pinned to the ground. Fillmore was thankful, though unnerved by seeing William in his beast form once again. It would take time for Fillmore to become accustomed to seeing William so changed. Suddenly they heard Rain howl. “Marcus, go protect Brimmount! He is badly hurt.” Fillmore glanced at William, ensuring his friend could handle the Damned moving in to assail him. William nodded at him, then, in a feral rampage, thundered toward the Damned, ripping and tearing at them in a violent rage. Fillmore had never seen William in such a sadistic state before, and, even though the object of this fury was the Damned, it bothered Fillmore at some level. He knew William was protecting him from the Damned so that he could protect Brimmount, who was still lying motionless on the ground. Still, William’s actions and form were disconcerting.He would never reveal it to the others, but Fillmore used to have nightmares when he was younger about a mysterious creature. He was never able to see it clearly, but he felt sure now that the creature from his dreams was the beast William morphed into. Fillmore realized all his mixed emotions had been conjured from the terror his dreams had brought in his youth. At this point, he could do little else other than try to reign the fear in. He knew in his heart that William was purely noble inside and out. So, the thing he turned into had to be, as well. Right? When Fillmore reached Brimmount, he raised his shield so Brimmount to protect him from further harm. A quick examination told Fillmore Brimmount’s throat was still intact, but he’d suffered extensive damage to his leg and body down his right side. “Is he okay?” William yelled. Fillmore glanced over to see William, back in human form, bodies of the Damned strewn all around him, and shouted, “It looks like he’ll make it, but he’s hurt real bad. Will, we have to get him to the house.” William glanced over his shoulder and observed Analisia and Aurora facing off. They must have been locked in that position during his fight with the Damned. He was more than a little stunned to see them standing there, just staring one another down. But he had a feeling this uneasy peace wouldn’t last much longer. The look in Analisia’s eyes told him she wouldn’t back down from Aurora. She was intent on putting a stop to the depraved revenge that Aurora sought—no matter how many lives were lost or how much blood was shed.Analisia stood no more than ten feet from her sister, glaring at her, unafraid, unyielding. “You don’t want to do this, Aurora. I love you with all my heart, but I will kill you if you leave me no choice. Right now, I am begging you to offer me one.”Aurora’s jaguar form was intimidating to most, but Analisia was not frightened in the slightest. Analisia had to admire the beauty of the magnificent cat. Her strong, powerful front legs and muscular shoulders helped to construct an impressive physique. If Aurora hadn’t been trying to kill her at the moment, Analisia might have been in awe of her beauty.Any thought that Aurora might retreat was fleeting. Her sister backed a few steps, then the muscles in her front legs and chest became more pronounced. Analisia could see every fiber grow taut, alerting her of Aurora’s impending lunge forward. Analisia didn’t brace herself or assume a stance of attack. She stood before her sister with a benevolence that shocked William. Aurora sprang at Analisia with the rage and fury of Hell itself. It took everything William had to keep from racing over to protect Analisia from the monster springing toward her. William knew he needed to respect Analisia’s wishes, and that his intrusion would represent a lack of respect for Analisia’s ability to fight her own battles and she would not forgive him easily, no matter how honorable his intentions may have been. Aurora’s razor-sharp claws extended. Her sharp fangs were exposed, glowing with an eerie white luster. Analisia didn’t flinch nor show an ounce of fear. William had to wonder if her heart rate had bothered to rise in the slightest. She simply raised her arms and pulled them back. The ground began to tremble and, a pulsating wave emanating from Analisia’s fingertips. As Aurora reached her, a great pulse of energy sprung from Analisia throwing Aurora back with powerful force. She bounced violently across the ground. Phasing to her human form, Aurora screamed, “You bitch!” Analisia didn’t react to her sister’s hate-filled words, but sternly stated, “Sister, you need to stop this now.” “You, my sister, can go straight to Hell,” Aurora cursed as she charged Analisia again.The two women grappled, human to human, for quite some time. William couldn’t be sure how long the two sisters fought, for he had his hands full, as did the rest of the Crew, with a group of Damned who’d appeared when Aurora initiated her attack.William fought through what seemed to be an endless horde of maddened Damned. He only paused when he saw Buckner held down by three of the wretched monsters. William held out his left hand, and a ray of white light shot through the air, turning two of the Damned to ash in an instant. Buckner finished the one remaining off, then looked to William, who could hear Buckner thinking. Where in the hell did that come from? If they weren’t otherwise engaged, he would’ve let Buckner know just how shocked he was himself. But the strangest thing part was that he’d instantly known he possessed the ability. The Damned kept coming, and the Crew fought back with all the strength they could draw from inside. Each of them ran the same thought through their minds: none had any intention of allowing these consorts from the depths of Hell to harm one more member of their family. Each monster they eradicated equated to one less that was capable of taking another life. But from which demented pit of sin did they arise from? Just how many of them were there? The Crew’s thinking was now linked, synchronizing their thoughts.It wasn’t until they heard Aurora’s cries that the fighting came to a halt. William finished off the wolf who’d rushed him, and Buckner promptly broke the neck of his opponent with a quick jerk of his hands, before turning toward to the shrill cries echoing through the air. They expected to see Analisia as the triumphant victor of the fight. But there was an added component they hadn’t anticipated. The Crew’s mouths hung open as they observed Alaricus offering Analisia a hand up. They also caught sight of Aurora running toward the mountain. William looked at Buckner, both of them rendered speechless and bewildered. Aurora’s cries signaled the Damned that were left to retreat, and, when the dust settled, the Crew was battle-worn but alive. Analisia ended up with a huge black eye, a few dozen scratches, and a peppering of bruises. William, Buckner, and Fillmore had their share of battle scars–Brimmount was still unmoving. “Where’s Rain?” Analisia wondered aloud, wiping the blood from her bottom lip while holding on to Alaricus’ hand. “She was just right here fighting …” William stopped in mid-sentence when he saw Rain lying on the ground to the far left of where he’d been fighting. Fillmore jumped up and ran over to her. “Rain, Rain!” he bellowed. His knees buckled and he turned her over. At first, Rain didn’t move. Fillmore’s face had that look, one of complete and utter terror so rarely encumbering him. Then, she lifted her head, opened her eyes, and, in a weak voice, said, “That bastard sure packed a wallop.” She managed a smile, and Fillmore’s face relaxed as his pushed her hair back from her face. “You scared the living shit out of me, Baby. Are you alright?” She put her hand up to her throat as she cleared it. “He was trying to latch onto my neck.”“Okay, let me see.” Fillmore inspected Rain’s neck for bites or tears, but all he found were a few scratches. “You’re going to be just fine, Baby.” Though slightly relieved, Fillmore knew Rain was hurt pretty badly. He gently picked her up, then noticed William at his side, carrying Brimmount. Fillmore’s lips twisted into a crooked little smile as they made their way to the house. “You do realize that you and I need to talk about some things after we clean up this mess.”“Yeah, I had a feeling you might want to have a conversation,” William responded. He could see Fillmore wouldn’t be satisfied until they discussed his newest “ability.” However, William was realizing that some of his abilities could only be used once or rarely. He wasn’t positive how he knew but the knowledge was there—another gift he supposed.“Is everyone else okay?” “I believe so. Most of us have some cuts and bruises to tend to. At this point, I’m more worried about Savannah and Brimmount,” William said. He glanced over at Buckner, Analisia, and David, who were looking each other over for wounds that requiring immediate attention. “Come on.” William adjusted his grip on Brimmount. “Let’s get these two into the house.” Caroline was waiting for them at the door, tears running down her face, blood covering her dress and smudging her cheeks. Her grief gripped her tightly. David came up behind William and Fillmore, nursing his own share of wounds. When he saw Caroline’s puffy, red eyes, his gut twisted into a nauseatingly painful knot. “No, no! Tell me Savannah is alright,” David whispered, as if he didn’t intend to vocalize what he'd been thinking. Nevertheless, everyone waited apprehensively for a response. Caroline took a deep breath to compose herself. “She is alive, but I’m not sure she’s going to make it.” Her voice broke as more tears streamed. “I just don’t know.” William shifted Brimmount again, directing Fillmore, Buckner and David to follow him. The men walked into the guestroom where Savannah lay. Now that she cleaned up, she looked frightfully, peaceful. William walked over to the second bed by the door and laid Brimmount down carefully. “Fillmore, lay Rain on the bed by Savannah,” William said.Zachariah examined her wounds, cleaning and wrapping them. “How do you feel?” he asked her. “I actually feel fine. My neck is a little sore. I guess that knock to the head put me out for a moment.” Rain put her hand to her throat and said, “My throat is about as dry as the desert sand, but, all things considered, I do believe I will live.”“Caroline, would you mind getting a glass of water?”“Of course not… Be right back…”“Wait,” Rain said, throwing her legs over the side of the bed. “Caroline, let me go with you.”“I’m not sure…”“I’m fine and would really like to get out of this room for a little while.”“Oh, yes, I see… Zachariah, what do you think?”“Rain, are you sure?” Rain nodded her head, and Zachariah confirmed it should be alright.“Well, let me help you.” Caroline approached Rain so she could lean on Caroline for support, and they left the room together. Analisia met them in the hallway.“Here Rain,” she said placing her hand over Rain’s wound. In a heartbeat the wound was healed but Rain was still feeling the weakness in her legs. “Thank you Analisia. Do you have anything in those magic hands of yours to bring my strength back?”“No, that I don’t but it will come back in due time.”While the women were out in the hall, William called the men over to the bed where Savannah lay. They gathered around to hear what he had to say. “Listen, I’m not sure how severely Savannah and Brimmount are hurt, but we all know they’re in dire shape.” They all nodded their heads in agreement. “Fillmore and Buckner, do you remember how Cecil touched Tyrone, then another person…”“Yeah, yeah, I do,” Buckner said. “She connected us somehow to make our powers stronger.” “That’s right. We’ll need to join our powers if we hope to save Brimmount and Savannah’s lives.”“But, William, we don’t know…” Buckner stopped in mid-sentence when Analisia entered the room. “I can help,” Analisia stated. “What do we need to do, Analisia?” William asked.“We need to join hands and form a chain. All of you concentrate on healing, while the two people on each end of our chain place their hands on Savannah’s body.” “That’s it? It’s as simple as that?” William questioned in surprise. Analisia smiled and said, “Yes, that’s it. However, depending on how much blood she has lost, this still may not work.” After all of these years, William was still amazed by the things the Crew could do, but he was most surprised by how simply those miraculous things were executed. The men followed Analisia’s instructions, first healing Savannah’s wounds, and then Brimmount’s. Savannah’s wounds closed, but retained her pallor, and her breathing was very shallow. The Crew worried whether she would pull through; she’d lost so much blood. When Brimmount’s wounds were closed, he opened his eyes for a moment, one word slipping from his lips. “Savannah,” he breathed, before fading to unconsciousness again. “We need to let them rest,” William instructed, and everyone left the room except Fillmore. William asked him, “Are you coming?”“No, William, I’m going to sit here with Brimmount for a while.” William understood why Fillmore wanted to be with Brimmount. Fillmore had been looking out him, just as a big brother would, for a long time now. If Brimmount didn’t make it, Fillmore would surely fall apart. “No problem, Marcus. I’ll ask David to walk the grounds, though I can’t see those bastards coming back tonight. Zachariah and I will check on both of them later to see how they’re doing.” William reached the door and paused. “Marcus?”“Yeah, Will.”“He’s going to be okay.”“I know, Will. I know.”William didn’t know if Brimmount would survive, but he needed to keep Fillmore and everyone else positive at the moment. He wondered if his words were spoken to comfort himself, as well as Fillmore. William left the room and was greeted by Rain in the hallway. It was the first time William had ever seen Rain cry, and it broke his heart. “Marcus is still in there?” she asked.“Yes, I don’t think he will leave Brimmount’s side tonight, Rain.” The tears began to flow a little more freely down Rain’s cheeks. “William, are Savannah and Brimmount going to make it?”“Rain, I wish I could say yes, but at this point, I’m not altogether sure what’s going to happen.” William wrapped his arm around Rain’s waist gazing at her neck. The bandage had been removed and no signs of trauma remained. “Let me guess, Analisia?”“Yeah, she is amazing.”With a sallow smile William grasped Rain a little tighter, “Come on, why don’t we go and get some tea? All we can do now is wait and hope for the best.”None of the Crew thought sleep would come, so they all sat silently in the parlor, waiting to see what the night would bring. It was nearly 2:30 in the morning when William was nudged awake by Fillmore. “William, William, wake-up,” Fillmore whispered. “Huh? What? Is everything okay?”“Ssshhh! everyone’s asleep.” William looked around at the whole Crew, asleep in the parlor. Caroline slumped next to him on the sofa, her lap supporting Rain’s head. Buckner sprawled like an oversized ragdoll in one of the cushiony, red-velvet parlor chairs. The carved cherubs on either side of the arms supported Buckner’s dangling legs on one side. David filled the other parlor chair, crouched inside with his legs stretched in front of him. To William’s right, Analisia lay on the stone floor in front of the fireplace. She was curled up, her head supported by one of the sofa pillows. Alaricus lay just below her, using her legs for his own pillow. In all the excitement of the night, William had nearly forgotten about Alaricus and how he’d aided Analisia…and all of the rest of them. Alaricus would be a conversation to be put on hold for the moment. William rubbed his eyes and stretched as he stood up. He whispered, “Fillmore, what is it? Are Savannah and Brimmount okay?” “Just…come with me.” Fillmore led William out of the parlor, and, when he was sure no one else could hear him, he said, “Savannah didn’t make it, Will.” “What?!”“Shhh! She isn’t breathing and I cannot detect her heartbeat.” William ran his hand through his hair, in the quietest voice he could manage, said, “Shit, shit!” He stood there for a moment with his hands on his hips, then said, “Okay, let’s go take a look.” The two walked down the hallway to the guestroom, careful not to wake Brimmount. William knelt down beside Savannah. She looked so peaceful lying there, and William could see her chest wasn’t moving. He grabbed the hand mirror from the nightstand and held it under her nose—the mirror did not fog with her breath. William then laid his head gently on her chest and heard only hollow silence. “She is gone,” William and Fillmore heard Brimmount say from behind them. “Kyle!” Fillmore shouted, spinning to face him. Brimmount flinched as he sat up on his arm. “Don’t! Just relax, Kyle,” Fillmore insisted, rushing to prop pillows under Brimmount, so he wouldn’t strain himself. “I thought we might lose you, buddy…” Fillmore was doing his best to keep his composure, but couldn’t stop his eyes from watering. “I’m so sorry, Kyle. I’m so sorry about Savannah.” Kyle looked at both Fillmore and William, a single tear running down the side of his face. Kyle took a minute clear his throat. “Don’t… Don’t do that, Marcus. There’s nothing any of you could’ve done to change what happened to Savannah. So, please, for me, just don’t.”William put his hand on Brimmount’s shoulder and asked, “Hey, Brother, I’m glad to see you’re doing better. You really gave us a good scare.” William didn’t want to have to tell Kyle they needed to remove Savannah’s body, but he felt it was best to get the worst of the situation over with. “We need to take Savannah out of here. Are you going to be okay with that?” Brimmount put his head down and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. William could tell Brimmount was losing the battle to fight his tears back. Brimmount opened his eyes. “Can you help me over to her?” Neither Fillmore nor William were going to deny him, so they each gave Brimmount a shoulder and helped him into a chair beside Savannah. Brimmount sat there for a moment with his hand on hers, before he asked if Fillmore and William to could give him a minute. William and Fillmore headed out to the front porch. It was Fillmore who finally broke the silence.“Twice! Twice? How in hell does that happen to one man? First Angelica and now Savannah…it’s not right, William. It’s just not right. What in the hell is wrong with this picture, Will?” Fillmore asked, pounding his fist against the wood rail. William placed his hand on Fillmore’s arm and said, “That’s not going to help, nor will it take your pain away, Marcus.”“You may be right, but I don’t have anything or anyone else to take my frustration out on. Damn it! Are they ever going stop this? Are they ever going to stop taking our family? Angelica, Savannah, why, Will, why?”“Fillmore, I wish I had some insight, some words that could make this whole situation better somehow, but I don’t. I cannot say why the powers that be have chosen to take both Angelica and Savannah from Brimmount, and I don’t know why the Damned are so relentless.” William looked Fillmore in the eye, and his own held all the serenity and conviction one man could muster. He continued. “What I do know is that the Damned are not going to stop. They will try to take us all out, even if they have to do it one at a time. More importantly, Brimmount needs us more now more than he ever has. We need to keep it together so we can help him get through this.” William paused and leaned against the porch rail, spotting the blood Fillmore left behind. “I also know that I don’t want to lose one more member of our family, Marcus, not one more.” At that moment, Brimmount came out to the porch with the help of David and Buckner. “She’s ready now,” Brimmount said. “I told her I loved her…and I told her good-bye.” “Kyle, we’ll take good care of her, I promise. But right now, you really need to rest.” William asked David and Buckner, “Could the two of you take him into the parlor? I’ll ask Caroline to clean up that room, so Brimmount doesn’t have to go up and down those stairs.” “Thank you, William, but I could use a cup of coffee, if you don’t mind.” “Sure, Kyle, sure, I’ll put a pot on,” William said in a low voice. “I could use a cup myself.” David and Buckner helped Brimmount into the house with Fillmore following behind, while William brewed the coffee. Everyone sat down at the table. Buckner came into the kitchen just as the coffee was being poured and asked William if he could talk to him outside. The two men exited the house without a word, but William had the suspicion Buckner was thinking the same thing he was but, of course, Buckner was blocking his thoughts. Brimmount was acting a little too calm after what had happened. But then again, this wasn’t his first time losing a wife. Buckner raised his coffee cup to his mouth when they reached the porch, took a sip, and said, “Is it just me or is Brimmount’s disposition a little too composed?” William let out a small laugh. “I’m sorry, Jonathan, but I was thinking the same thing. By the way why do you block your thoughts for time to time?” “Do you think we need to worry? And to answer your question about blocking my thoughts, I do because I can.” A wicked little smile crossed his lips.William had to laugh. “Yes, you can can’t you.” Then more serious, he said, “I am not certain worry is the term I would use, but we should watch him. He’s been through a great deal, and, I would venture to say, more than his share of heartache. I don’t believe it’s all caught up with him just yet.” “Yeah, I have to say he’s had some bad luck when it comes to wives. I also know that Analisia is on edge right now; she’s worried about all that has come to pass.” He paused as another thought entered his mind. “We should have a talk with her and Alaricus so the air can be cleared. The family hasn’t said anything, but I know they’re all wondering about him. We need to figure out what his true intentions are…and what we’re going to do with him.”“You’re right, and with Brimmount acting so out of character, I’m not altogether sure how he’s going to react to Alaricus being here.”William had to wonder if Brimmount was merely being strong for the family, or if the grief just hadn’t sunk in yet. Whatever the reason, William knew the Crew would need to offer him their full support. William’s mind was reeling. He wondered how much more the Crew could take. He thought, Death is a part of life, but, damn it all to hell, we’ve had more than our fair share. All that Zak was going through suddenly came to William’s mind. Since, everyone in the Crew shared emotional experiences, especially a death, he was sure Zak already knew about Savannah. William prayed Zak would be able to handle all the devastation being hurled at him. It was enough to be trapped in the middle of a war zone, but Zak would have to suffer all the distress the family was going through, while thousands of miles away. He silently asked the power that be to give him the strength to get his family through this. Buckner broke William from his thoughts. “This is not going to be a simple task is it?”“No, my friend, I don’t think we’re going get off easy. But we have to be prepared for the possibility that Brimmount will lash out in his grief, irrationally.”“William, do we ever get out of these things with ease? I’d do anything to change what has happened and spare him the suffering he’s going through.” “I know, Jonathan, I know.Chapter 3Alaricus’ RevealJust as William and Fillmore’s conversation ended, the two men abruptly heard angry words filling the air, coming from inside the house. They looked at one another in alarm, and Buckner said, “Holy shit, that’s Brimmount.” They ran in the front door heading for the screams coming from the parlor. When they were close enough to make out words, they heard Brimmount shouting, “Why in the hell are you here, you piece of shit? Why don’t you just go back to those wretched Damned and leave this family alone. Haven’t you done enough? Hasn’t there been enough death for your kind!” William and Buckner ran into the parlor, and saw that Brimmount’s face was red with anger, and he was shoving his finger dangerously close to Alaricus’ face. “You and those fuckin’ filthy dogs took my precious Savannah from me. You’ve taken good people this family has loved and cared about, Tyrone, Cecil, Angelica, and now Savannah! Get out! Just get the fuck out of here!” “Whoa, hold on, Brimmount,” Fillmore said as he grabbed him and pulled him away from Alaricus. “Fillmore is right, Kyle, you need to calm down. You’re not in any shape to be doing this right now,” William added. “Calm down?! Come on, William, you can’t be serious! This is one of the assholes who killed our family, who’ve taken those we love from us. How in the hell can you, of all people, stand there and tell me to calm down?!” “Brimmount, you know I care more about you and this family than anything else in this world, and, yes, our losses have been great. But don’t you think we owe it to Analisia and Buckner to find out why Alaricus is here and what he wants? I saw Alaricus when the Damned were attacking me at the silver mine. The only other time we’ve encountered him was when Aurora brought him to the wedding. I never remember seeing him at any other battles we fought against the Damned. He was the one who helped Analisia during the fight with Aurora tonight, Kyle. He very well could have saved her life.” Brimmount’s voice lowered slightly. “All good points, but, William, he attacked you not so long ago in the cave of the silver mine. Have you forgotten that? How can we trust him? How can you have him in our home?”“Brimmount I’m not asking you to trust him, I only want all of us to sit down calmly and hear what he has to say. Do you think you can do that?” Brimmount looked over at Alaricus, shook his head and walked out of the room. William called after him, “He’s not the one who killed Savannah, Kyle!”William heard the front door slam and moved to follow him, but Fillmore stopped him. “Will, let me handle this one. Why don’t you get everyone settled, and I’ll do what I can to get him to come back.” “Are you sure, Marcus? He is pretty riled up.”“Yea, well, I know how to talk to him when he’s like this…or have you forgotten all the times we had to pull him out of a fight. Our little Firecracker has just reared his ugly head again and I can handle him.” William smirked, shaking his head. “No, it hasn’t been so long that those memories escaped me, yet. Go, but if you need one us…”“I’ll come get you,” Fillmore finished for him, striding outside. He couldn’t see Brimmount, but he had a good idea where he went. He headed for the barn and found Brimmount sitting on the workbench, his hands gripping the sides so hard, the knuckles were blanched. He could see Brimmount waged a war inside himself, a battle that wouldn’t be settled by a simple conversation. “You know, if you break that bench, Firecracker, you might feel better,” Fillmore said. Brimmount smirked a little. “It has been awhile since I heard that nickname. But, seriously, don’t joke around, Marcus; I am not in the mood.” “I know you are hurting, angry, and, most likely, feeling like William let you down. I haven’t seen that temper of yours for a long time. I thought maybe it was gone. But, Kyle, after all we’ve been through together as a family, don’t you think you’re being a little harsh with William? You have to know we’re all are here for you and would never choose anyone over you?” “I don’t want to be cruel to William, you know that. I know he’s doing what believes to be right. I just can’t bring myself to…” Brimmount fell to his knees. Fillmore could see his friend’s anger was a mask used to hide his pain. Fillmore had never been big on emotional displays, but it killed him to see Brimmount on his knees, sobbing. He sat on the ground beside him and pulled Brimmount into his shoulder, letting him cry. The pair sat like that for a moment. Brimmount was sobbing and Fillmore holding him trying to be supportive. Brimmount finally stood, flushing with embarrassment and wiping the tears from his face. “Fillmore, I just can’t bring myself to go back into that house with him there.” Fillmore couldn’t blame Brimmount for the way he felt. He knew damn good and well, he would’ve felt the same way if Rain had been killed. Then again, he really didn’t like the fact Alaricus was there, in his family’s house. He had to admit he was curious about the reason why, though. “Kyle, no one is saying you have to like what is going on right now. Shoot, none of us do. But don’t you want to know why he’s here? Why he stood against his own mother and helped Analisia? Doesn’t it all seem so out of the ordinary?” Fillmore looked at Brimmount with all the seriousness he could muster and continued. “You know it wasn’t Alaricus who attacked Savannah. Was he the one who attacked you?” “No, no it wasn’t him. I didn’t even see him,” Brimmount said still wiping away the tears that kept brimming over to fall in steady streams. “Then, doesn’t it eat at your curiosity, even a little, about why he’s come to us? I mean, he’s turned his back on his own mother…his own kind. You know as well as any of us, they won’t take him back. Aurora would kill him first, no matter whether she’s his mother or not. So, he took a big risk by staying here. He has no one to go to, even if we didn’t let him in.” Brimmount’s face adopted an air of inquisitiveness. “I didn’t think of it that way. I guess the pain and anger muddled my thinking. But I’ll tell you one thing; I don’t trust him—not in the slightest.”Fillmore clapped Brimmount on the back. “I don’t either, my friend. Why don’t we go in and find out what he has to say instead of sitting out here trying to guess.” They moved together slowly, back to the house. Fillmore feeling relieved he’d been able to talk Kyle into going back.When Brimmount and Fillmore entered the parlor, everyone was sitting in silence. William rose and made his way over to them. “Brimmount, how are you feeling? Are you good?” “Yes, Will, I’m fine. I’ll hear what Alaricus has to say.” William could see it took every ounce of control Brimmount had just to be in the room with Alaricus, though he could see he had calmed considerably. “Are you sure?” William clarified, knowing it was a strained calm. “Yes, I’ll be fine.” “Don’t worry, Will, I’m going to be sitting right beside him. Firecracker and I have worked a few things out, haven’t we?” Fillmore asked, locking his arm around Brimmount’s neck. William smiled at the use of the old nickname. “Okay, then, why don’t we all sit down and give Alaricus a chance to tell us his side of the story.”Fillmore walked Brimmount over to the sofa where David was sitting. It was the furthest point away from where Alaricus and Analisia were sitting—just in case the ol’ Firecracker surfaced. William addressed the family once they were seated. “I can’t believe how far this family has come, how long we’ve loved one another, and how strong we’ve all stood through the turmoil we’ve had to endure. I know this is hard for all of you, but Buckner and Analisia would appreciate your opening your minds long enough to listen to what Alaricus has to say.” William sat by Caroline and motioned to Alaricus. “Go ahead, Alaricus, tell us why you’re here.” Alaricus appeared understandably nervous, but all the same, he told the Crew the story of his life. “I, as you may or may not know, did not become one of the Damned, as you have called them. I was born into that world–I don’t recall ever living in any other place. To be honest, I knew nothing of any of you until I battled with William at the cave. Aurora, my mother, kept me from the battles. I would never have fathomed we had foes, until she forced me to fight with William. She sheltered me and concealed things from me. The reason I was present on the day William was attacked was because my mother had decided it was time for me to earn my status as a warrior. I had no knowledgeable about why we were attacking or why it held such great significance to my family. What I observed that night verified that my mother had been deceitful. She had concealed that there were others and their alternate way of living.”“We are nothing like you!” Brimmount snapped. William gave him a hard look and said, “Kyle, you promised.” Alaricus stated, “His reaction is understandable, William. I understand the reason behind his angry words. I’m sure his grief must be overpowering.” Brimmount jumped to his feet. “The hell you do! How could you?!” Fillmore and David grabbed his arms. “Damn it, Firecracker, let him finish what he has to say,” Fillmore said through clenched teeth. “Now, sit down and listen.” Brimmount reluctantly reclaimed his seat, with some help from Fillmore, of course, before Alaricus continued. “I don’t wish to upset you. We all do have the blood of the ancients. Some, like my mother, have chosen to use their gifts for evil, but we are all related. I was never given a choice concerning whom I would turn out to be. All I know is that I never quite fit in with the rest of my family. “My mother, Aurora, and my father, Amarious, kept me in the dark my entire life. I’m uncertain why they behaved in such a destructive manner, but it wasn’t until my father’s passing my mother divulged any detail about your family. She portrayed all of you as dark, evil people who were out to destroy our group. I listened to her speak, but had little faith in the words she voiced. I believe my mother knew I wasn’t convinced by her story. However, if you knew my mother, you’d understand her way of thinking was the only way.“I used to have dreams, dreams of a past I couldn’t possibly know anything about.” Alaricus looked to Analisia and grabbed her hand. “I had dreams of you and your sisters. When I asked my mother what the dreams could mean, she would say they were only delusions and nothing more. At your wedding when I saw the surreal resemblance between the two of you and she called you sister, I was overcome by shock and anger. I knew then my life had been filled with lies and deceit.” Alaricus lowered his head, and William could tell he was ashamed for failing to demand the truth from his mother earlier. Ashamed he allowed himself be lead based upon a pack of lies. Ashamed he didn’t question what little his parents had told him. “I should’ve known. I should have questioned…and I should’ve listened to my dreams.” Analisia touched the young man’s head softly and whispered, “It’s alright now, Alaricus, none of this is your fault.” “I have to ask, for my own clarification, there is another sister? One who is a mirror image of you and mother, is that right?” Analisia looked at Alaricus with loving eyes. “Yes there is, Aureliana. Why do you ask?”“In my dreams I have witnessed three small girls whose appearances were identical apart from their eye color. They shared the beauty and grace of their mother—a woman with a generous nature, unlike I’ve never seen before, full of wide-eyed imaginings. The girls were full of joy and very close, closer than most could ever hope to be with another person. But then a darkness fell, an unspeakable, horrible shadow cast, unknowingly, by the hands of mortal men that separated the girls. I always awoke at that part of the dream in a cold sweat so I never saw what happened after. I feel this has been shielded from my sight.” Analisia’s eyes misted, for she knew he was speaking of the tragedy that had turned Aurora away from any goodness in her nature. The Crew could see the pain envelop her face at the memory of what had happened so long ago; she could not hide it. “I’m sorry,” Alaricus said as he looked at his Aunt’s face. “I assume this dream is based in fact?” “Yes, your dreams are showing you the truth. But, please, continue. We can speak of the story behind it all later.”“After I met you at your wedding and realized my dreams to be more fact then fiction, my mother and I argued over her lies. She insisted her mistruths were delivered with my best interests at the heart of them. But I knew there was something more, something sinister about the way she hid the past from me. My dreams became more vivid and disturbing. It was my last dream, two days before this last attack, which confirmed what I knew I must do.” Alaricus took a deep breath and looked around the room at each member of the Crew. William saw something in man he hadn’t before. There was love and admiration in his eyes as he observed the others in the room. But more deep, more profound, was a yearning, a longing to be a part of something that had been kept from him for so long. William realized he was not the only one who saw these desires awaken in Alaricus. Even Brimmount had relaxed, and his eyes held a glint of compassion for the young man. “Please, describe your dream,” William requested. “It was pieced together of flashes from past occurrences that didn’t make much sense initially. As it progressed, the images became more vivid than they had ever presented before. I saw a woman holding a newborn who looked exactly like my mother and I saw you, Aunt Analisia. The only difference in appearance between you and the other woman was the eyes. Her eyes were a warm sky blue full of love and happiness. However, there was a sadness was present in her eyes, a prevailing sadness, as if someone she loved profoundly had been taken away from her. I felt she was a part of me somehow. “Next, there were flashes of a man running through the woods with a baby in his arms. I couldn’t see his face, but would wager my life it was my father, Amarious. There were past images of battles involving people I’d never met, and part of that included this family. I saw your faces while in the midst of fighting with my family. I saw gruesome images of death and blood. I felt overwhelming loss and heartbreak. I struggled to awaken from these visions but could not. When I felt driven to my breaking point by the dream, everything inside my head went silent, and I found myself standing in a forest I’d never before laid eyes upon. “I felt the coolness of the air around me and squinted through the denseness of the mist among the trees. I heard a voice softly calling my. The outline of a woman appeared from out of the mist. She came closer, so that I could see her more clearly. She was a slender, beautiful black woman with striking, long black hair. The way she moved made it appear as though she glided just off the ground. She told me to be calm, and that she wasn’t there to harm me. I wasn’t afraid. Her voice was soft and comforting. She said, ‘All you know is not what it appears to be. Go to them and you will find your true self and the truth about your past.’ When she began to fade back into the mist, I asked her name and she replied, ‘Cecil,’ before fading away.” The room became so still, Alaricus could no longer hear anyone else breathe. The only sound was his own lungs taking in air, then slowly releasing it. The faces looking back at him were of full of disbelief. He began to feel a little uncomfortable. “Have I said something to offend any of you?” It was Caroline who spoke first. “No, you didn’t offend any of us, Alaricus. It’s just that Cecil was a part of this family and…” Caroline fought to hold back the tears forming in her eyes. “You see, she was killed in a fight with the Damned …I mean those in the family you come from, some time ago, and we all miss her so much.” Alaricus, with a bewildered expression on his face, said, “This cannot be the same woman that you lost.”“But you described what she looked like to a tee…and Cecil was her name,” Caroline responded. Alaricus didn’t wish to upset the Crew, but he knew that the woman who came to him in his dream was not dead. “But, Miss Caroline, I know the woman I saw in my dream is not deceased. She may have left her physical body, but she still lingers.” The Crew felt excitement and optimism growing within them. It seemed too good to be true. The thought of Cecil’s survival was more than they could have ever hoped for. And the ashes…where did the ashes come from? Why would she tell Tyrone good-bye? These questions ran through family’s minds. Was it possible? Was she able to escape before Brimmount pushed the lightning towards her? Why hadn’t she let them know she was still out there? Alaricus noted their expressions and could feel the joy mixed with confusion flowing throughout the room. Caroline couldn’t contain her emotions and spoke with enthusiasm. “Do you mean she decided to sleep? I mean, it is possible isn’t it, William?” William looked at Caroline’s pleading eyes. “I’m not sure; all we saw were smoldering ashes. It could have been the ashes from a small tree or the vegetation, I suppose, but we can’t be sure, Caroline.” Alaricus spoke up. “She doesn’t sleep. Her gifts are unknown to me, but I’m certain she does not sleep. She is somewhere else I just can’t say where.” “But she is here; she is with us.” Caroline hesitated for a moment. She didn’t want to be overzealous or have unrealistic expectations. After composing herself, Caroline said, “If she’s still here, why? Why would she leave us? Why wouldn’t she come back when Tyrone made the decision to sleep?” The room went dead silent. The thought of Cecil here, alive, but not coming to any of them was overwhelming. William knew Caroline wouldn’t let this go; it would eat at her until she found the answers she was looking for. David ended the unsettling, heavy silence. “You said this dream told you we would be the ones to give you the answers you were looking for, but I don’t believe we have those answers. I haven’t been a part of this family as long as the others, but the history I’ve learned doesn’t seem to relate to this situation.” All of the Crew, even Analisia, agreed with what David had said. They still didn’t know all there was to know about the past. Though Analisia had shed some light about their gifts and hinted at what the Crew was meant to accomplish in the world, many questions remained unanswered. One of the biggest for William was why he’d acquired the ability to shift into…well, whatever beast it was he transformed into. Had this ability been there all along, lying dormant until he’d needed it? This question tormented William. He was sure this question, along with many others, the Crew had asked themselves a time or two. Now, sitting before them was a young man who was born to the Damned, but was never a true part of them. This brought up other unanswered questions: How could Alaricus stay with the Damned so long? Why did he break free now? Was it fate that brought him into the family, and if so, why? Why now, after so long? William could’ve driven himself mad trying to figure it all out. Buckner asking William if he was alright interrupted his thoughts. “Oh, yes, I’m sorry. I guess I got lost in my head for a moment. I, the same as all of you, I’m sure, have so many questions without enough answers. All of this is a little overwhelming.” “Yes we know.” But one thing is for sure; you’re still the dreamer we know and love,” Fillmore teased. “Very funny, Fillmore; just remember who saved your ass on more than one occasion,” William said with a chuckle. The room fell silent again, all of this was just too much to absorb and the thoughts of what they should do now ran ramped. The silence in the room didn’t last long. Brimmount stood, but Fillmore grabbed his arm, asking, “Have you calmed down?” Brimmount gave Fillmore a look that told him he had. When Fillmore released him, Brimmount walked over to where Alaricus was sitting and said, “I don’t know if I trust everything you’ve said, but I can see you mean this family no harm.” He hesitated from a moment, and the Crew was a little more than nervous about what he might do. It wouldn’t be the first time Brimmount lost his composure in a split second. He was notorious for going from a state of soothing calm to one of raging anger at the speed of light. The family watched intent on springing up to grab him if he lost his tentative cool. Than Brimmount spoke, “I know it wasn’t you who took Savannah from me. I know it wasn’t you who took Angelica either. I wanted to say I’m sorry for the way I attacked you earlier.” Brimmount held out his hand and Alaricus took it, relieved Brimmount had stopped seeing him as a monster. When Alaricus took Brimmount’s hand, Brimmount stiffened and jerked uncontrollably. Fillmore and David ran over to Brimmount, Fillmore shouting, “What are you doing to him? Let him go!” It appeared to the Crew Brimmount was being shocked with quick, short bursts of electricity. “Let go of him!” Analisia screamed. “I cannot! He will not release me,” Alaricus yelped in an alarmed voice. Brimmount fell to his knees, Alaricus trying to free his hand, while Fillmore and David struggled to pull the pair apart. Brimmount’s voice was shaking as he told Fillmore and David to stop. His face was flooded with pain, and he stiffened and jolted again as some invisible force electrocuted him. Finally, Brimmount’s grasp on Alaricus released. Brimmount slumped to the floor. Fillmore knelt beside him. “Kyle, Kyle, are you okay? Are you hurt?” He looked at Alaricus and screamed, “What the hell did you do to him?” Shocked and shaken, Alaricus responded, “Nothing, I swear; I did nothing.” Brimmount, panting in exhaustion, managed to say, “Fillmore I’m not hurt. Stop yelling at him.” It took a moment for Brimmount to catch his breath and gain the strength to climb back to his feet with Fillmore and David’s help. Brimmount’s face was red, his breathing erratic, and tears ran down his cheeks as he looked at Alaricus and said, “I’m so sorry. But why didn’t you tell us everything?” The Crew’s expressions of concern quickly turned to ones of curious inquiry. They focused on Alaricus as he asked, “What do you mean?” “The cold damp room with books, the lashes of the whip, the burning…” Brimmount wiped his brow and took Alaricus by both hands this time. “You don’t have to hide these things from us. You were abused…kept like a caged animal for years…for a lifetime.”Alaricus’ dark-green eyes widened with disbelief, and he lowered his head in shame. “How did you…You couldn’t have…”“Alaricus, what did they do to you?” Analisia asked. There was such sadness in her voice; William imagined the world must feel her sorrow.Alaricus remained silent. From William’s point of view, Alaricus appeared ashamed of all he’d been through, as if he’d been carrying a burden meant solely for him to bear. The man who sat before them looked, strangely, boyish at that moment. A boy who’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. The Crew recognized his anguish, but, more so, the loneliness that encompassed him. Brimmount put his hand on Alaricus’ shoulder and whispered, “It’s alright now. You’ll never have to go through that again.” Brimmount gave Alaricus a look of reinsurance and continued. “Show them. It’s okay, I promise.” William’s thoughts began to take over again; he wondered, what could have happened? What had those demons done to Alaricus and why? Before his thoughts could run any further, Alaricus stood up. His look didn’t reflect embarrassment or shame any longer, rather, it seemed to be more one of mortification. To William he looked so desolate and forsaken. Analisia touched Alaricus softly on his arm and smiled sweetly at him. “It’s going to be okay, Alaricus. You’re safe with us.” Alaricus looked nervously about the room, as though apprehensive. He, then, lifted and removed his shirt. Gasps could be heard from everyone in the room. The shock and sorrow in their eyes could not be concealed. Caroline and Rain looked away, though they could never wash from their memory the sight of the dreadful scars covering Alaricus’ body. The tears ran without cessation from Analisia’s eyes as she beheld the marks from the torture her nephew had endured. William’s thoughts flashed back to the first time he’d seen Tyrone’s scars. Violent, deep scars, appearing dark purple in certain areas, which had covered his back and his arms. At that time, he never thought he would see such devastating remnants of torture again—he’d been wrong. A whip had left overlapping, raised scar tissue, like the kind Tyrone had borne, but there were also old burns, as if the boy had been branded like a farm animal. Though Tyrone’s scars had been horrid, there were still areas left untouched. Alaricus’ scars didn’t display that kind of mercy. His chest, back, and upper arms were one huge scar, bearing no trace of forgiveness or compassion. Analisia couldn’t contain herself, and as she sobbed, she asked, “Why, why would they do this to you… Who did this to you?” Alaricus wrapped his arms around Analisia, trying to comfort her, though it was she who wanted to comfort him. She desperately wanted take away all that he’d endured somehow. “Please, don’t cry, Aunt Analisia, please. I am alive, and I’m here with you now.” Analisia face twisted as she harshly wiped away her tears. “No, you tell me why! Tell me what possible reason that wretched man and my venomous sister could’ve had to enact such cruelty. You tell me, tell me now!” Analisia paced back and forth in front of him, her anger building beyond her control. “They had no right! I promise you this now that she will never lay another hand on you, but you have to tell me why.”Alaricus shook his head, saying, “Amarious did this to me. As for the reason why, I’m not altogether sure. Sometimes he would beat me for no apparent reason, then lock me away in my room for days. Other times, he and the others would come home from battle, and he took his anger out on me telling me—he would curse the day I was born.”“And Aurora did nothing to stop him?”“No, Auntie, she did nothing.” Analisia paced a moment more, taking deep breaths. She grabbed Alaricus, holding him tight before she spoke. “I’m sorry, so sorry, I raised my voice. I’m also sorry you had to endure such ghastly treatment. I am overjoyed that you are here with us now, Alaricus. I just don’t understand how Aurora could stand by and watch while it occurred. She was not always like this, you know. There was a time she had a pure heart, a heart of gold. She was a good person, Alaricus. She truly was.” The Crew’s heads were reeling. The last twenty-four hours had left them inundated with emotion. William was amazed how perceptions among the Crew could change so quickly once the truth had been revealed. He also wondered what Aurora’s payback would be in return for Alaricus’ joining with their side in this never-ending war. William looked at the clock and saw it was 9:30 a.m., though it felt much later, and he realized they had been up all night. He looked around the room at the tired faces of his family, knowing, tired or not, no one would be able to sleep. It was time to take the situation to a vote and find out what the Crew wanted to do about Alaricus. William was pretty sure the vote would be in favor of his joining the family, but he needed to make sure it was unanimous. “Well, we’ve all had a long night, and I know everyone is tired, but I feel it’s time for everyone to have their say in this matter. Do you agree?” Everyone assented, but it was Brimmount who voiced his opinion first. “Everyone knows that I didn’t think much of this man when he came in those doors last night. But you know my view of him was overshadowed by…” Brimmount took a deep breath as he pushed back his pain. Fillmore walked over to put his hand on Brimmount’s shoulder. Brimmount wiped his eyes and continued. “By the death of Savannah…” came out as a muffled whisper. “However, I have been shown the truth, and I feel Alaricus has been a victim of circumstance. I truly believe he means this family no harm. I vote that we accept him as a brother.” Brimmount managed a crooked smile, looked at Alaricus, and chuckled. “But, just so you know, I’ll be watching you, buddy. So, you’d better keep on the straight and narrow.” The two men embraced, and Alaricus replied, “I won’t let you down, any of you.” The Crew agreed with Brimmount, just as William had been certain they would. He suspected the others needed to be sure of Brimmount first. The family all gathered around Alaricus to welcome him. Of course, it did feel a little strange to be welcoming a former Damned into the family—one who tried to take William’s life not so long ago, nonetheless. But the Crew was aware Alaricus had done only what he needed to survive. William couldn’t help but wonder how this young man had lived with the Damned as long as he had. The thought of the abuse he’d endured for hundreds of years was enough to make William’s head ache. How long had he yearned for a different life, the opposite of the one he’d been born into? How many nights, had he prayed to be saved from his torture? How often had he waited quietly in the darkness of his room, which William learned later was more of a dungeon, wondering when the door would open to deliver whichever unspeakable torture his father would dish out that night. While these thoughts dominated William’s mind, the more demanding wonder of how strong Alaricus had been moved to the forefront. He had to be more resilient than William could imagine, to retain the virtuous characteristics he’d shown, without faltering to follow in the footsteps of the Damned. William wasn’t sure he could’ve withstood all Alaricus suffered while preserving his sanity and his principles.The rest of the day was passed solemnly. Once everything had settled down, the Crew was free to mourn the loss of Savannah. Her death was difficult like all the others that came before, but her loss seemed to hit the Crew full force. William attributed much of this to the lack of sleep and the emotional rollercoaster they’d all experienced in a brief, twenty-four hour period. His mind was running on overdrive, just trying to make sense of it all.Brimmount, Fillmore, and Alaricus worked together to dig Savannah’s grave. Brimmount decided he wanted her resting place next to Angelica and his unborn child. He said it just felt right to have the family he loved together. William didn’t find his decision anomalous. The fact Brimmount chose to have Savannah and Angelica resting together made sense to William. What seemed odd was Alaricus helping him and Fillmore dig Savannah’s grave. Brimmount had expressed his approval for having Alaricus join the family, however, William wondered if Brimmount still harbored mixed emotions concerning their new addition. To see Alaricus digging Savannah’s final resting place came as a surprise indeed. William figured Brimmount wanted to talk with Alaricus further to find out all he could about their newest family member. Most of the day was overcast by the gloom of Savannah’s loss. Though, just as with anything, the dreariness of the day did not last. To ease the pain was the thought of Cecil and the possibility she could still be with them. Caroline suffered with trying to figure out where exactly she may be and how she might have gotten there. The Crew, who bore witness to her death that day in the woods, recounted the events, trying to gain insight about what they could have missed. They all felt they would learn the truth in time…but time could be a funny thing, playing out into an eternity when one longs for something lost, longing for its return. ................
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