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“Where were you?” she scolded him.

“I was with Raphael and you are supposed to be asleep, remember?” he shouted back still rubbing his head.

“It serves you right,” she said helping him off the floor. “Sneaking up on me like that,” she continued on.

“I have something to tell you,” she said excited to share the news of meeting the dark one.

“Lucian was here!” she said.

“Lucian? Was here? Where? When? Did he hurt you? Oh God Vie I am so sorry I left you alone” he said in a panic.

“Gabriel relax, I am fine.  He didn’t touch me,” she consoled him.

“When I find him I am going to…,” Gabriel was red with anger just thinking of Lucian near Vie.

“Well you might have to fall asleep to catch him,” Vie said.

“What are you talking about?” Gabriel replied confused.

“He came to me while I was asleep…in my dream, well nightmare actually,” she added casually.

“So it was only just a dream?” Gabriel said relieved.

“No, well yes…but it was real….he was real,” she said.

“Of course, it makes perfect sense,” Gabriel’s brain started adding it all up.

“He can only access you there because you are weak,” he said putting all of the pieces together.

“Now wait a minute, I am NOT weak and I think I just proved that when I clocked you at the window,” Vie said defending herself.

“No Vie, Lucian preys on people’s weaknesses and yours is your fear of the dark. Don’t you see? You are vulnerable when you sleep because of your fear and he feeds off that,” Gabriel spoke with contempt about Lucian’s actions.

“That makes sense,” Vie said now going with it. “If that’s the case then it explains how he got to Vivian,” Vie said now pacing around the room like a dog with a bone.

“I don’t follow? Weren’t we talking about you?” Gabriel said.

“Gabe please
try
to keep up,” she said frustrated.

“Vivian was afraid to die, right? Lucian must have seen that in her and that was how he was able to tempt her with a bargain for her life. He preyed on her fear of death and that was her weakness,” Vie said snapping her fingers proudly as she figured it all out.

“How do you know he made a deal with her?” Gabriel said wondering.

“Because….he told me,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Why would he tell you that?” Gabriel asked.

“Because I asked him?” she replied.

“Oh, well did you ask him anything important while you were conversing with Diablo? Like what his plans are for Carter or anything that might help us on our mission Vie?” Gabriel said a bit annoyed.

“I tried but he gave me nothing Gabe.  And just for the record, I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly. My entire existence was flashing before my eyes while trapped in the
darkness
with the
devil
!” she
said, reminding him of the circumstances in which their meeting took place.

“Sorry Vie, it just infuriates me to no end that Lucian always seems to be one step ahead of us. Something feels wrong here. I know Reese has joined the dark ones, but some details that Lucian seems to be privy to are things even he would not know,” Gabe said.

“Ok, so what are you thinking?” Vie asked.

“Not sure, just doesn’t feel right” he replied still thinking about everything.

“Did he say anything else that you can remember?” Vie looked at him with one eyebrow up, wondering if he were joking about remembering.

“
Ummm
, photographic memory here,” she said pointing to her head.

“Yeah, sorry.
  I guess I forgot for a minute. It’s just Lucian, and you.  The whole thing is really unsettling to me,” Vie could see Gabe was not thinking clearly and that Lucian was clouding his brain.

“So, tell me exactly what he said to you,” Gabe asked. Vie repeated verbatim every word Lucian spoke to her and for Gabriel, it just seemed like his usually game playing antics. Then suddenly, Vie remembered the word he whispered in her ear just before she awoke. “Gabe does the word ‘
Ephemeris’ mean anything to you?” Vie asked.

“No why?” Gabriel replied.

“Lucian whispered it to me right before I woke up?” Vie said.

“It seemed like he was trying to give me a hint or a clue to why he was here,” Vie said sure of it.

“Vie, I’ve told you he is the master of game playing. He would love to see us chasing our tails, trying to figure out his word play game. Let’s just focus on what we do know and move forward from there, okay?” Gabriel said.

“Sounds like a plan Gabe,” Vie agreed.

“Okay, so moving on. What did Raphael say about guarding Carter? Does he have any ideas?” Vie asked.

“No, but I have one. In light of Lucians visit, I need to stay close to both you and Carter and there’s only way I can see doing this,” Gabe said smiling at Vie.

Vie could tell by the look on his face that she was not going to like his plan. She was right.  The plan was definitely going to infringe upon her new romance with Carter, but Vie knew it was necessary to keep him safe. She agreed and they sat on the bed deciding how to put their plan into action.

Chapter 14

The Plan

It was getting late and Henry would be returning home soon from his long day at the fundraiser being held at the church. The sun was beginning to set in the beautiful Wyoming western sky, so Vie and Gabriel decided to call it a day. Gabriel was still worried about leaving her, but as usual Vie had won the argument about him staying with her 24/7. There were many more pressing matters that needed his immediate attention and she reminded him that he was sent here to protect Carter Stone and not her. Normally Vie would be furious about Gabriel fussing over her, but after her unexpected invasion by Lucian earlier she felt comforted by his over protective and somewhat controlling nature.

They walked out the front door and were standing on the porch when to their surprise, Carter Stone was passing by. He slowed down wondering who the stranger was standing beside Vie. Carter had lived in Newcastle most of his life and knew just about everyone in their small town, everyone one except the person standing next to the girl that was stealing his heart. He stopped and Vie looked at Gabriel nervously.

“Hey Vie,” he called out to her.

“Hey Carter,” she replied not knowing what else to say or do standing next to Gabriel.

Gabriel could see Vie was stuck so he decided to help his friend out. He looked at her and communicated though his eyes that she was going to owe him one for the save he was about to enact.

“Carter?  Carter Stone, right?” Gabriel walked excitedly over to his jeep and reached his hand inside the passenger side, shaking his hand firmly. Carter was confused, but curious about the stranger.  So was Vie, not knowing where Gabriel was going with it all.

“Vivian has told me so much about you.  It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said still shaking his hand. Carter seemed more confused now, but thrilled that Vie was talking about him in a good way. He had not stopped thinking about her since he left her standing with Jeremy in the school parking lot earlier this afternoon.

“I’m afraid I am at a disadvantage here,” Carter said grinning politely. “And you are?” he asked requesting more information.

“Gabe,” he paused looking back at Vie and then continued, “Gabe Messenger,” he said ingeniously.

Vie walked down from the porch and over to where Carter sat, idling in his jeep. Carter looked over to her and could sense she was uneasy about the unexpected meeting. This made him even more curious about who the stranger was and what he was doing at
Vie’s
home.

“Are you from around here?” Carter asked Gabe.

“No, I’m just making Newcastle a temporary pit stop on my travels,” he said.

“Oh, so you won’t be staying?” Carter asked.

“No, not permanently.
  Staying in one place is not something I could ever do. Me, I like to spread my wings and fly to wherever the wind takes me,” Gabe said holding his hands out to his side and looking up to the sky. Vie just kept thinking, although he was pouring it on a little thick, it were all true. Carter watched the two of them shooting each other quick secret glances and that bothered him. Well, he was more bothered by the fact that Gabe was an extremely good looking guy. He appeared to be a few years older than them, obviously not high school age. There was something about him that was comfortable and familiar and his charisma was infectious.

“Yes, Gabe never stays in any one place too long,” Vie restated feeling that Gabe was overacting.

“How do you two know each other?” Carter fired another question their way.

“
Ummm
,” Vie struggled.

“Let me tell him the story Vivian,” Gabe said saving her again.

“We met, gosh, it seems like an eternity ago,” Gabe started his creative and somewhat truthful story.

“We were on a mission together,” Gabe said.

“A mission?”
Carter repeated. 
Vie’s
eyes just about popped out of her head in surprise.

“Yes, you remember Vivian,” Gabe said eyeing her, “the church mission…Hurricane Katrina?” he said clueing her in.  “Really this girl’s memory…being lost…it is just so tragic,” Gabe looked a Vie with a wink. Vie was happy she could partake in Gabriel’s deliberate attempt to have fun at her expense.

“Anyways, Vivian was helping a boy who had lost his way. The boy had been separated from his family in the storm. He was traumatized by all of the chaos and subsequently could not remember who he was. Does any of this sound familiar?” Gabe waited for some kind of reaction from Carter but he got a big nothing. “Anyways, she was so amazing with that poor little boy.  You should have seen her. The boy took to her right away and with her help he regained his memory and we were able to reunite him with his loved ones. Yes, Vivian and I connected immediately and have been best of friends ever since,” Gabriel finished his semi-true tale.

“Wow, that really is an amazing story,” Carter said feeling like he was not being given accurate details about their meeting, but was certain there was some truth in the tale.

“So where are you staying while you’re in town?” Carter asked him.

“Umm, Gabe just got here so we really haven’t had time to figure out the details. There’s the matter of a job, a place to stay…”

Before Vie could finish her thought Carter chimed in.

“He could stay with me!” he exclaimed not wanting the handsome young charismatic stranger staying with Vie.

“With you?”
Vie replied stunned.

“Yes, I mean we are always looking for a good ranch hand, if you don’t mind the labor, and there is a carriage house on the property that we would be happy to let you stay in. It’s not much, but it has running water,” Carter said.

“Running water is good but I don’t take charity. I’ll work for my stay,” Gabe said honorably.

“I understand, and trust me it is not charity, you will work hard on the ranch, that much I can promise you,” Carter said from experience.

“Great, sounds like a plan?” Gabriel looked at Vie smiling. “When can I start?” Gabe asked accepting the polite offer.

“How about now?” he replied.

“Let’s do this,” Gabe said ready for the challenge.

“Ok…” Carter said thinking how easy it was to lure him away from Vie.

Vie kept thinking to
herself
, “what just happened here?” She looked at the smirk on Gabriel’s face as if he had planned the entire thing, but he couldn’t have…
could
he?  The guys were hopping into the jeep and getting acquainted while Vie stood on the sidewalk watching the
bromance
begin. She looked at the two of them and thought she had never seen two more perfect souls in the entire universe.

“Vie, you coming?” Carter asked. “Come on …hop in,” he said wondering why she was still standing on the sidewalk.

“Yeah, Vie…hop in!” Gabe mocked her. “I like it… the name… Vie,” Gabe said. “It’s much better that Vivian. In fact you could say it’s perfect for you!” Gabriel smiled and winked at Vie.

“Yeah, I thought so too,” Carter added.

The three of them headed down the road to the ranch where the Stone’s lived.
The ranch was set on over 15,000 acres of vast green grasslands.  Carter pulled off the main road and drove up to a
large overhead sign that read, “Welcome to Eagle River Ranch.”  Both Gabe and Vie were pleasantly surprised as the jeep pulled up to a circular driveway in front of the home. The home is in a sheltered setting nestled at the top of the hill with a forested backdrop.  The front of the home faces east toward and open meadow with a nice view across the Salt Creek Valle
y and
the Black Hills.  The house was built to be energy efficient with an earth berm design that takes advantage of nature for heating and cooling.