The Screaming Stone: The Otherworld Series Book 2 (5 page)

The squeaking of her garden gate coupled with the creaking of her screen door alerted her senses that she was not alone.  With one last deep breath she inhaled all the past happiness she had surrounded herself with, held it in and allowed it to permeate every cell in  her body both Fae and human.  With nothing but black blank thoughts present in her conscious mind she opened her Sidhe colored eyes ready for whatever Sam would tell them.

Chapter Five

Death Has a Voice

Duncan’s conversation with Finn was cut short.  Not that much had been resolved between them.  Finn was and always had been the Captain of the Green Riders of the Sidhe; who had sworn an oath to protect the royal Sidhe of the Seelie court.  His oath and loyalty drove his opinion on the matter at hand regardless of whether or not he had been at one point, human.  He was a hero to a nation and a hero to the Tuatha de Danann, nothing would sway him from an order issued by the Queen and her High King.  Although Duncan had taken a similar oath he could not so easily ignore his own past.  He was once a human, a man, who had been taken from his home and made, no forced to become what he was now; a Faeriedae.  He refused to see another light of humanity taken from the world of man to bolster an ancient dying race.  The Sidhe, Seelie and Unseelie had chosen their path long ago.  His oath to the Seelie compelled him to help them but his consciousness, his lingering humanity and his heart pushed him to find an alternative means to reach that goal; and so he might never agree with Finn again.

“Robert has returned,” Finn said quietly.

“Aye,” Duncan agreed as an excited chorus of mingled voices filtered through the closed door.

“We can only hope this new oracle gives us the direction we so desperately need.”

“Aye,” Duncan replied again.

A chill filled the room as both men silently accepted the familiar presence of death as it soundlessly stalked the night air in search of prey.  Duncan knew that neither he nor Finn feared their own death.  Both men knew that one day they might see a Beansidhe washing their armor clean of blood before the battle had even begun signaling their death was eminent.  Neither feared the omens of death that would one day come to seek them out.  What both men feared above all else was the death of the company they were sworn to protect.    Duncan rose to his shaking legs feeling ill prepared for what was to come.  He had a strange feeling that death was shadowing the Derby Nine.  Several lifetimes had passed in time as he had hoped and prepared for the day he could bring her home.  Now, upon the eve of that day, he hesitated unsure of what he really wanted.  Once again fear seemed to paralyze him as his feet felt rooted to the ground unable and unwilling to face what he must face just beyond the thin barrier of the door in front of him.

“Duncan,” Finn’s voice said soothing his nerves as much as the steadying hand that came to rest of his shoulder.  “Never have I fostered such a son as you.  You are brave and loyal almost to a fault.  They will need that before this is over.”  Without acknowledgement and filled with more bitterness than love, Duncan opened the door and steeped into the dark.

Robert had followed Annie into the house with a box wedged under one arm and a large paper bag clutched in his other hand.  He was alone and Duncan was confused.  Where his words failed Knackers’ did not.

“Do ya harbor a wee pixie in yer box?  Or has Sam decided no’ ta show himself?”

Robert silenced him with an uncharacteristically evil glare.  “I have everything I need but an egg and some sugar,” he explained to Annie.

“I think I have both,” she reassured him with a quick nod.

“Already on it,” chimed in Kat as she seemingly magickally provided both items.  When Robert stared at her questioningly she simply shrugged her shoulders.  “You always eat out.  I’m surprised you have sea salt.”

“Are we baking a cake?” Finn asked sarcastically.

“Shh,” Robert hissed.  “Sam is- touchy.  Unless given the proper respect Sam won’t help,” he explained.

“Do you need anything else?” Griffin inquired.

“Red Brick dust,” he said.  “But seeing as how we’ll be talking to Sam here and since Annie’s foundation is made out of brick I thought it best to use her brick dust instead of mine.

“What does talkin’ ta an oracle ‘ave ta do with the dust o’ a brick?” Asked Knackers as his hand crept towards the large box Robert had just placed on the kitchen table.

“Everything,” Robert snapped as he slapped Knackers sooty hand away.  “Don’t touch that.  Griffin, I leave you in charge of the – uh, box,” he stated.  “Sam always did like you best,” he muttered as he snatched the egg from Kat’s hand and headed towards the bathroom. “Kat, Griffin you know what needs to get done,” he called over his shoulder before he slammed and locked the bathroom door.  Kat took quickly to her cue and began shooing everyone out of the house. 

“An’ just where are we ta go?” inquired a surly Knacker.

“To my rented rooms,” Duncan answered absently as a sudden unease seemed to settle over him.  The feeling emanated from the innocent looking box on the table.  His eyes were not the only ones that felt drawn to it and as much as his curiosity beckoned him to open it caution warned him not to.

“I do no’ think I want to meet Sam anymore,” whispered Fiona nervously.  Rian was even more upset by the mysterious box and quickly agreed with Fiona by nodding his head rapidly. 

Duncan spared them a quick glance but remained silent for the moment.   Rian was nervously clutching Fiona’s apron strings, all of his newfound bravery stolen away from him by the sight of an ordinary wooden box.  Fiona was no better as she began wringing her red plump hands while she chewed on her bottom lip.  Duncan felt their fear just as surely as he was beginning to feel his own.  The only Fae in the room who seemed unaffected by the deathly energy emanating from the box was Knackers.  His hand had begun creeping towards the box again; he stopped suddenly when he realized Duncan was staring at him.

“An’ just how are we ta get into yer rooms?” Knackers asked crossing his arms across his chest in childish display of stubbornness.  His cat-like eyes squinted up at Duncan as he started tapping his toe in a poor imitation of the High King.  The posture did nothing but make Duncan angry.

“Are ye made o’ magick o’ no?” He barked back.  At his answer he could have sworn he heard laughter emanating from the box.  He quickly glanced around the room and was relieved to see he was not the only one to have heard the sound.  Finn stood shocked and wide-eyed, staring unblinkingly at the box.

Knackers huffed in exasperation before he, Fiona and Rian winked out of sight.

“You too Finn,” Kat ordered.

“If it bothers no one I’ll leave with you,” he replied quietly, his eyes never leaving the box.

Kat seemed to contemplate the statement before deciding she had other things to do.  She grabbed Annie by the arm and dragged her through the door into the basement.  “Come on girl, we got brick dust to collect.”

When the room held only Finn and Duncan, Griffin spoke up confirming what they had both heard.  “Yes you heard laughter; and, I think Sam knows you Finn.”

“What’s in the box, Griffin?”  Finn asked, his voice barely reaching the sound of a whisper.

Griffin was saved from answering as Robert re-entered the room, “Samantha, my ancestor and as I have come to learn, by a little good old fashioned research, an old acquaintance of yours Finn.”

“How does your ancestor fit into a box?” Duncan asked with a shaky edge to his usually steady voice as his curiosity barely beat out his trepidation.

Robert didn’t answer and instead began emptying the contents of the crumpled brown paper bag that had accompanied him and Sam.  Duncan shot Finn a sideways glace.  Finn’s usually stony face was gone and in its place was a look Duncan had never seen on him before, fear.  The amber color of his irises where almost completely consumed by the inky black of his pupils.  His rigid posture carried across every muscle in his body as he appeared more stone than man.  Duncan shot his eyes back to Robert who was arranging an assortment of clear packaged herbs and resins on the table.

“Where’s the egg?” he asked choosing a safe question.

Griffin answered for the preoccupied Robert.  “He used the egg to purify his body of negative energy then cracked in into the toilet and flushed it away.”  Duncan stared at Griffin with a horrified look on his face that made the other man chuckle.  “He didn’t have time to ritually cleanse with sea salt and herbs.  Although a quick jump in the ocean would have worked too,” he said with a crooked smile in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.  When that did not elicit even a snicker he tried a different tactic.  “Besides,” he added with a shrug of his bear-like shoulders.  “His ancestral magick has a thing for chickens.”

“Not funny Griff,” Robert muttered angrily finally joining the conversation.  “Where the hell are Annie and Kat?” he asked impatiently.

“Keep it together and focus Robert or I’ll send you back into the bathroom with another egg,” Griffin warned, as his earlier mirth quickly drained away.  “Start preparing the rest of the powder and take a page from the girls and don’t rush,” he advised as he pulled a clean white bowl from the cabinet and handed it to Robert.  Griffin took a few steps towards Finn and Duncan causing them to retreat away from Robert.  “Give him a little room,” he suggestively ordered.

“What’s he doing?” Duncan asked quietly while stealing a look over Griffin’s shoulder.

Griffin glanced over his shoulder and exhaled a long deep breath.  The room filled with a sense of calm and peace as Duncan felt himself relax as the anxiety and dread that had been rapidly building within him quickly abated.  His tense posture drained away as a warming sensation melted through his skin permeating his muscles.

“One more Griff,” Robert asked for and quickly received another calm inducing breath from Griffin before he fell silent and set to work without another word.

Duncan slumped against the wall at his back suddenly wishing he had a bed instead of the hard wall to rest upon.  A quick glance at Finn and Duncan knew he felt the same.  In that moment the world could have burnt around him and he would have enjoyed the view.  Apparently Griffin had more skills than Duncan was aware of.

“He’s making spirit powder to call forth and contain Sam,” Griffin explained focusing his attention back on them.  “It’s a combination of wormwood, lavender, sea salt, sugar, graveyard dust, blood and-“

“Red brick dust for warding,” Kat finished for him in a sing-song voice as she and Annie rejoined them in the kitchen.

“Graveyard dust and blood?” asked Annie warily.

Kat handed Robert a small bowl filled with a red powdery substance then went to the cupboard and pulled out a small paper sack labeled white sugar.  She placed the sack of sugar on the table next to Robert’s other supplies.  Her eyes quickly scanned the table, searching its contents.  When she was sure everything was in order she gave a quick nod and turned her attention back to the small group of curious and yet horrified onlookers.

“Graveyard dust from the grave of the ancestor that is being called from the beyond and blood to give a sacrifice of life and because her blood flows within Robert the connection will be stronger,” Griffin explained.

“And sugar to sweeten her disposition,” Kat said pointing at the sugar she had just placed on the table.  “Mixed together with his blood it’s kinda like payment for services rendered,” she explained further.  “We would offer her food but we don’t know what she liked and we definitely do not want to offend her by offering her something she hated.”

They were getting a crash course in the fine art of necromancy.  Duncan was not sure he liked what was going on.  More questions rattled around in his head, but he was suddenly terrified to ask anything else.  He feared they were about to reanimated a corpse.

“Apples,” Finn whispered hoarsely.  “She liked apples; especially green ones,” he added pointing to the small bowl of fruit on Annie’s cluttered kitchen table.

“Perfect,” Kat beamed as she grabbed an apple from the bowl.  She reached into a drawer and pulled out a sharp knife and began cutting the apple into thick wedges.  She arranged them neatly on a white plate and carried them into the living room.

“How did you know she liked apples?” Annie whispered her question to Finn, who either couldn’t or wouldn’t answer.

“Come on guys,” Kat called from the other room.  “Robert’s almost done let’s give him a few extra minutes in silence to prepare.”  Everyone quietly and quickly obeyed leaving Robert alone with his powders and the strange box.

“Okay,” Kat said with a clap of her hands.  “Let’s get you guys set.  Annie you sit here at the northern part of the circle, you’ll be representing earth,” she said pointing towards a spot on the floor closest to the kitchen.  “And Griffin you’ll be air so you sit here in the east.”  Griffin and Annie followed her directions and sat, legs folded beneath them on the spots on the floor Kat had indicated.

“Thank the goddess we live by the ocean or else this directional thing would have me very confused,” confessed Kat.

“You’d be lost in Ireland then,” Fin informed her.  “Better ta follow the sun,” he said absently as he looked over his shoulder and into the kitchen.

She waved a dismissive hand at him.  “I am a witch we work best at night.  Duncan if you’ll sit here in the south and represent fire,” she said as she pointed to a spot on the floor and Duncan followed her direction as he took up his place on the compass.