A Wicked Beginning (52 page)

Cam sat up in the tree and surveyed his naked form. He watched the claw marked skin zip up in repair and then heal without a scar. He watched the scrapes and scratches and burns and rips scab over, flake off, turn into pink, then healthy, unblemished skin. With a whoop of exultation, he tucked his legs under him and leapt from the tree. When he landed, he was back in the overlook tower, buck naked, holding the colorful stick in his hand, the hanging claws softly clacking.

Lightning Rod was sitting on the floor eating a piece of bread. “Glad you made it down from the ceiling, old man.”

Cam looked up at the solid beam hanging down a few feet from the ceiling. “What are you saying?”

“You took off all your clothes, pushed the chair over to the wall, grabbed that beam, and pulled your body up and over it.”

Cam looked at the rickety chair next to the wall. “I did that, huh? What did I do up there?”

“You sounded like you were in pain. I figured you were sorting out your vision so I just kept vigil down here. When you stopped hollering and started making kissing sounds, I figured you were okay so I started scrounging around for food. Found a stale loaf of bread behind a wooden box. It must’ve fallen back there. Want a piece?” He extended the plastic bag to Cam.

“In a minute. Where are my clothes?”

“I pushed them out of the way. You were leaping around like a spider monkey at one point, and I didn’t want you to trip over them. They’re over there.” He pointed under the table.

“Leaping around, huh? I think you’re making shit up, kid.” Cam retrieved his clothes and quickly pulled them on. His cheeks were colored pink.

“Did you learn anything? Figure out the dreamling?” Lightning Rod pulled another piece of bread out of the wrapper. “Sure you don’t want a piece? There’s only a couple left.”

“Hand it here, then.” Cam took the bread and started chewing. “Yeah, I learned a thing or two about myself. Got a couple of clues to assist me on my way through life.”

“Good. That’s good, Cam. You can tell me all about it when we head down the hill.”

“You think it’s safe out there? Do you think that Angela’s still out there?”

“Nah, I don’t think so, but you’re the one who should be answering that question.”

Cam thought a minute. In his mind’s eye, he scanned the woods, streams, and rivers, searching for sign of that crazy bitch. “Yeah, I think you’re right, kid. Let’s head on home.”

Chapter 46 – Zuri

Light was barely winking in the sky when Severe got up off of Mano, stretched, and shook out her furry coat. Mano opened his eyes and groaned. He scrubbed his face with his hands and then sat up.

Zuri gave her rattle one last shake and yawned. It had been a long night. “Everything okay there?”

Mano gave a grunt and looked over to Charley.

Charley placed the drum to the side and spoke. “Let’s close the circle.” He stood and lifted his arms into the air, giving thanks to the Grandmothers and Grandfathers who had assisted them on their journey. He thanked the spirits for giving Mano the strength and courage to assist Cam. He thanked the spirits for assisting Severe with her tracking ability. He thanked the All that Is for giving them a safe place in which to track the dreamling. And then he added a small prayer, thanking the spirits for giving Z the strength to hold the circle safe.

Z looked up at him and beamed, but he was already settling back into his place across from her.
Whatever…at least he noticed that I was here.
She placed the rattle gently to the side and waited and watched.

“And so it is.” Mano ruffled Severe’s fur with his large hands. “Who’s my good girl, huh? Who’s my good girl? Let’s go get you a drink of water and tend to your wounds.” Severe barked and gave a tired wag.

Zuri noticed that the dog’s muzzle was bloody and that she limped over to the creek.
What the heck had happened in the night?
As far as Zuri knew, the dog and Mano had been snoozing all night. “Can I get up now too?” she asked Charley. When he nodded, she unfolded her legs, stood up, and stretched. Boy, her legs were stiff and sore. This was why she hated being out in the woods. Too cold and damp for her taste. Still, it had been an interesting night. She had a lot of questions for Mano.

She looked out towards the creek and saw that his pants and shirt were draped over a branch, and he was splashing water over his torso, under his arms and over his head. The foliage blocked her view from fully seeing his hips, however. She really wanted to take a peek of that snake tattoo. “Should I go dip in the creek too?” she inquired.

“Suit yourself,” Charley muttered. “It’s a free world.” He busied himself packing his pouch, holding every object with reverence as he tucked it inside the leather. After he was done, he picked up a branch and swept the circle clean of marks. “Shoo. Go. He’s over there, not here.”

Zuri blushed and began to walk over to the tumbling water. Just a few more feet, and she’d be able to take in the snake…
take in the snake tattoo
, she reprimanded herself. When she pushed the bushes apart, however, Mano had already dressed and was snapping the button of his pants.

“Hey, girl.”

Zuri felt a surge of disappointment. “Hey, Mano.”

“Give yourself over to the cleansing water here.” Severe trotted over to the bank and vigorously shook the droplets from her coat, sporting a happy dog grin.

“That’s just what I intend to do.” Zuri hoped he would stay and watch. She knew she had a full-figured body that turned men on. She began to tug off the sweatpants and glanced over to see Mano and Severe pushing through the vegetation towards Charley. “Damn,” she muttered under her breath. “Not interested, I guess.” She pulled the sweatshirt over her head, pushed down her panties, unhooked her bra, and stepped naked into the freezing stream. She gasped. Hearing the men laugh, at her no doubt, she quickly splashed water over her arms, legs, and torso, squealing all the while, and pranced out of the water. Now the men were howling with laughter. She did
not
like being made fun of – ever. She was a queen in her Queendom and usurpers were
not
allowed. Dabbing herself off with the cotton shirt, she quickly pulled her garments back over her body and hopped through the bushes to where Mano and Charley stood, doubled over. They stood up and wiped their eyes.

“A little cold, Zuri?” Mano asked. He started wheezing again with laughter. Severe bounced up and down and barked.

“You could say that,” Zuri snipped, miffed. “I’m not used to this kind of thing.
Some
people have other talents and preferences.”

“You’ll learn.”

“How will I learn?”

“We’ll see,” Mano said, helping Charley carry supplies to the truck. “You just might prove useful. Here, carry this box, will you?”

“That’s me, Ms. Useful,” Zuri said, fuming.

“Zuri, we’re just kidding. We’re both grateful that you served through the night. You did a fine job grounding the energy.”

Zuri felt herself warm to him again. “Why, you’re welcome. I felt honored as the night wore on. I didn’t know what you were doing; I just knew that it was significant. Do you feel that you helped Cam?”

“It’s hard to say. We’ll have to wait and see if he comes back.”

Zuri shivered. “Really? He might not have made it through the…the whatever this was?”

“Might not have,” Mano said, placing a box in the bed of the truck. “When I left him, he looked like scared. But I sense he did alright.”

“Oh, I hope so. Chérie would be heartbroken.”

“It’ll all work out,” Mano assured her. “Now let’s go have us something to eat,” he said, pulling a cooler out of the cargo bin in the bed of the truck. “First, ritual, then food. I packed all kinds of stuff for our repast.” He handed her a brown sack full of paper plates and plastic utensils. “Here, take these, will you?”

“Sure,” Zuri said, grabbing the bag. “You are some kind of cook, Mano.”

“I have a few skills in my kit.”

“I’d like to find out more about them.”

“We’ll see,” Mano conceded. “Nice ass, by the way.”

Zuri’s eyebrows arched. He may well be interested in her after all. “I heard you have a snake tattoo.”

“And where did you hear that?” Mano said, followed by an easy laugh.

“Chérie told me.”

“Hmmm. Well, only the few and the sacred get to see that symbol, girl.”

“That’s not what Chérie told me. She said you’ve been around the block.”

“Don’t you two girls have better things to do?”

“Sometimes…”

“Well, the snake is a recent addition. I got it as part of an agreement with my mentor.”

“I see,” said Zuri. “Maybe I’ll be one of the few then.”

“We’ll see,” Mano repeated. “That might not be up to us. Place those over on the table there.” He pointed to a table on a small worn deck connected to a small worn house.

“Who might it be up to?” Zuri asked, intrigued.

“You’ll just have to wait and wonder, won’t you?”

That I will,
Zuri thought with a shiver of excitement.
I will indeed.

Chapter 47 – Chérie

As the night wore on, I developed a game of sorts. I’d allow the barest sliver of a breach to form in the energetic field above the hole where Kayden and I had burst through. When one ta-ak’tiyani had managed to push his minute form through the opening, I’d seal it back up. The ta-ak’tiyani who had been allowed entry would gorge on my heart until it was full as a tick, and then fall back on the floor unable to move. I’d pop him with a giant pin and he’d die, my lifeblood oozing onto the floor in a dark red puddle, mixing with the sawdust and debris from the broken bed and ceiling. Then, I’d let the next one in.

The thought of getting a “turn” at me seemed to calm the ones peering around the ring in the roof. They, in turn, told the ones hurtling their bodies against the tiles to be patient. As a result, I saw rows and rows of bright red orbs in a tall column lining the hole, watching the night unfold. Apparently, they missed the part where their brethren were popped like a pimple. All they cared about was a good meal.

I admit, this was a morbid game, but I was in a morbid mood. I had always defined myself through my relationships. I’d never bothered to define myself through my abilities or through my sense of self. If I was with a man, however horrid the man might be, then I was worth something. When Cam came into my life, it was jackpot time. Kayden was, well…he just
was.
And I was nothing without him. If he didn’t exist, I didn’t exist. You couldn’t get more dependent than that. And now, neither Kayden nor Cam was here. They might never return. Who was I, if I was not with one or both of them?

I began to get weaker and weaker as the moon moved through the sky. It was getting harder and harder to close the hole. As the latest ta-ak’tiyani lay swollen on the floor, I paused to regain my strength. I realized that Kayden had, to date, always offered up a hint in my mind when I was in need. Why wasn’t he offering up any hints tonight? Was he tired of me? I imagined him saying, “Find your own damn hint.” Or was it Cam who’d say it that way? Maybe that was the Cam-Kayden combo hint. Or, better yet, maybe this was me, urging
me
to figure the next step.

At that thought, I began to get excited and a sudden surge of strength filled my veins. I was left to figure things out on my own!
On my own!
I could do this! I picked up the giant pin I had been using all night and pierced the engorged ta-ak’tiyani, putting him out of his misery. Then, I surveyed the dark room. It stank, big time. It smelled of blood, the putrid smell of the decaying ta-ak’tiyani, and my misery. I ran down the hall, got a big bucket, a broom, and a garbage pail, ran back into the room and got to work.

The thousands of remaining specters on the roof sensed that something had changed. Their great meal had a new motive, and it wasn’t to fill their evil tummies. I heard their shrieks and protests as the roof battering began. That was something I’d have to deal with as well. But first, a clean room in which to think was in order. I swept, vacuumed, and scrubbed with a vengeance. Each swipe of the broom and scour with the brush gave me renewed strength. As I scrubbed, dusted, and shoved dead demons into garbage bags, I realized something – I was pretty awesome in and as myself. I didn’t
need
a relationship to validate me; I merely liked relationships. I liked sharing myself with Cam and Kayden, and I had a lot to offer. Moreover, it was better to be in a healthy relationship, one of mutual caring, than to be in any old relationship. I’d allowed myself to be used and abused enough in my past. Now I had a good man…or at least I hoped I still did…I had Kayden – we were two halves of the same coin – and I had a whole lot going for me. I was a fun, funny, loving, brave, serious, sensuous woman. Weren’t Kayden and Cam lucky to be with
me?

As the last ta-ak’tiyani was shoved into the bag, I secured the top and heaved it into the hallway along with the other bags of debris. I peered around the room at the dawn lit surroundings. The room looked good. It was clean (except for the broken bed) and radiated good energy. We’d have to get a new bed, but Kayden and I needed to redecorate. I could see this temple hadn’t been updated in eons. Hearing the thumping against the roof, I turned my attention towards the ceiling. “You guys are toast,” I declared. This made them really mad. I considered a thousand different means of getting rid of them, each one more dramatic than the last. But hadn’t I been dramatic enough through the night? This moment merely required a bold stroke of intention, the way Kayden would do.