Authors: Jill Campbell
“One more thing before we go. I want you to project visions into my head like you did when you were unconscious,” Gabriel said, stepping away from Kallisto, turning his back to her. She’d had to concentrate on a person to do it before, but she did do it without concentrating once. She let out a sigh and turned away from Gabriel’s back. She walked to the edge of the clearing next to one of the buildings and closed her eyes. She thought about Gabriel as hard as she could. She tried to fill his head with visions of anything she could think of. At first all she got for her trouble was a headache, but after a few minutes Gabriel said he got a glimpse of something, but he couldn’t make out what it was. Kallisto stopped trying to force it and just let her body relax. She relaxed her mind and meditated on it for a moment. She was unconscious when she called him before, which meant she was completely out of it and relaxed.
“There I got it! I can see you in the truck again. I can feel your relaxation and you aren’t thinking about anything else. Good Kallisto. Now try another memory.” Kallisto thought about up in the room just hours ago when they were all enjoying the flow of energy from one to the other. Gabriel chuckled.
“I think you can send me messages from inside the tavern now. Alright, little cub, I concede to your plan,” he said walking to her. She turned around just as he reached her. He gave her one of his tight bear hugs and placed her back on her feet. She went to Talus and moved the veil just long enough to give him a kiss. She removed the glove and handed it to Talus, and he put it in his pocket.
The guys stayed up front and off to the side of the front door so they could hide easily if anyone came out of the pub. The girls went around the back to make a discreet entrance. Kallisto looked up at the sound of rustling wings; it was Lady.
“Go Lady, rest somewhere. I’ll open the window for you when we get back to the hotel.” Lady understood and flew off. As they reached the door, a man stepped out. He stopped abruptly and looked at them.
“More dancers? Well I guess you’d better get inside with the others, you’re about to go on,” he said with a sigh. They hesitated a moment and then stepped through. Kallisto sent the message to Gabriel that they were going out as dancers with the rest and was rewarded with a vision of him laughing. He was laughing so hard all he could do to say okay was give her a thumbs up. She cut him off so she wouldn’t have to hear it anymore. She was already nervous about the recon and all of a sudden she had to face stage fright as well. It dawned on her that she was able to cut Gabriel out of her head just as he had kept her out before, and it made her smile.
The dancers went out onto the floor in the middle of the room. The tables were all along the walls and the middle of the floor was for entertainment. The girls hung back in the door for a few minutes to get an idea of how the dance went and then they went onto the floor joining in. Next to Kallisto was a blonde girl. She’d never seen a blonde Egyptian belly dancer before. The girl didn’t look Egyptian in the least, but she knew the dance well. On both of her wrist were tattoo’s that weren’t Egyptian either. They looked like stars, but they had a Celtic look to them. Kallisto released the block she’d put up to ask about them and was faced with a very angry Gabriel.
Don’t do that again! I couldn’t see what was going on. We were about to bust in and Maulro be damned!
Gabriel thought angrily.
Gabriel! You have never cussed at me before.
Kallisto thought back in shock.
Sorry Princess, please forgive my crudeness. My mental voice does more cursing than my external voice. I’ll have to watch my thoughts more closely,
Gabriel thought more calmly.
It’s alright; I’ve just never heard you talk like that before. Look, do you see?
Kallisto thought, picturing the woman’s tattoos.
Good thinking, Kallisto, I think you may have found our path finder. The stars mean the path and those knots in the points mean a new beginning. That would definitely match what we’re looking for,
Gabriel thought, and she could hear the pride in his mental voice.
Would Merrick and Serena know the prophecy also?
Kallisto asked. It just seemed too easy that they found her so quickly, with Maulro in the same building.
Of course, that’s why they fight so hard to keep us from finding what we need.
Gabriel thought, not catching her skepticism.
Then what if this is a plant? Maulro’s men are right here and yet they haven’t made a move for her or anything. What if she’s one of them? Her tattoos are in plain sight; they must know who she is if she isn’t with them.
Kallisto thought at Gabriel and looked up at the woman. Her face was veiled like Kallisto’s but she could see her face rather well. Her veil was more revealing than Kallisto’s. She had plump beautiful lips, a noble nose, and bright blue eyes that looked like the Caribbean Sea. Kallisto realized the thoughts weren’t her own, but Gabriel’s.
Gabriel, she could be the enemy. We have to be sure of her.
Kallisto thought, trying to break his mesmerized thoughts.
Merrick and Serena have never used a woman before,
Gabriel countered.
Your judgment is clouded by a pretty face, Gabriel. They know the prophecy–they could very well be using her as a decoy. She could lead us straight to Maulro’s men instead of the artifact we need,
she thought back, very concerned by Gabriel’s behavior.
I’ve been the protector for centuries. Do not question my judgment!
Gabriel thought angrily.
Gabriel I’m not...
Kallisto started but she was cut off abruptly by someone grabbing her around the waist.
“Hello pretty, how about a private dance?” It was one of Maulro’s men. Kallisto was relieved he thought she was just a dancer and not the princess. She was saved from having to answer by Maulro himself. He grabbed the man’s arm.
“We are here for one thing only, and it is not pleasure.” Kallisto jumped out of the man’s arms and got back with the others. Suddenly she felt the magnetic pull sharply to her left. As they turned in the dance she looked into the corner discreetly. Gabriel, Talus, Kalan, and William were all there. They had snuck in while Maulro was preoccupied with the man and Kallisto. They were in a shadowy corner so there wasn’t much chance of any of Maulro’s men seeing them. Kallisto noticed the dancers were picking people to dance with. The shadowy corner remained untouched but the blonde dancer was very close to that corner. Gabriel stared at her like a drowning man. Ramina, Ephiny, and Kallisto chose Maulro and his men. It gave them a chance to count how many there were and see just how armed they were. Maulro seemed to have an arsenal on him. Most of it was hidden but being that close to him Kallisto was able to see the bulges left by the weapons. She chose him because she wanted to see what he had and he was the safest, relatively speaking; at least he wouldn’t grab her. Ramina and Ephiny had to slap hands back, but they made the gesture playful so it wouldn’t anger the armed men.
Kallisto showed Gabriel what she’d seen and counted. There were twenty men, and Maulro seemed to be the most armed. The others had weapons here and there but nothing like Maulro. The only thing she got in return was a vision of a nod. She turned and gave her back to Maulro for part of the dance so she could see what was going on in the corner. Gabriel seemed mesmerized by the blonde. The others had eyes for Ephiny, Ramina, and Kallisto, but Gabriel was severely distracted. It wasn’t good. Kallisto stared at Talus intently and sent her concern. He nodded in agreement as he looked away toward Gabriel. Kalan caught it too and filled William in using the silent way. It wouldn’t do to have Gabriel hear their concern.
The dance was over and the women filed out. The girls followed but hesitated just inside the doorway to see what Maulro and his men were doing. Maulro had stood up.
“We need to confer with Serena. If they were going to show up they would’ve come by now. They’re all cowards. I should have known they wouldn’t come and have a straight on fight. Let’s go.” All of Maulro’s men stood on his command and started for the door. They had to go straight for the corner to head out. Kallisto’s heart leapt into her throat. It thudded so hard she thought she might throw up, especially when Maulro looked into the corner and stopped. Kallisto followed his gaze and found the guys with their backs facing him. Kallisto stared intently at Maulro to catch his thought and found that he thought it was them. Her heart sped again; she thought she might faint. Her breath quickened. He stared at them for what seemed like forever, but finally he thought about how they didn’t have any girls with them. He thought they wouldn’t stray far from the women so it couldn’t be them. Finally he walked on out with the rest of his men. Kallisto breathed deep and tried to calm her heart. They waited a few seconds more and stepped out to meet the guys.
“Where’s the girl?” Gabriel asked gruffly.
“I’m not sure. We stopped to see what Maulro was doing.” Kallisto let the fear show in her eyes.
“You didn’t even watch to see where she went so we could talk to her? How’re we going to get anything done if you don’t do what you’re supposed to?” Gabriel was getting angry as he spoke.
“Stop it Gabriel! We know she’ll be here again, but we aren’t even sure she’s the one we’re looking for,” Ephiny said. William stepped in front of Gabriel, staring intently in his eyes.
“This is not the girl you’re looking for.” William waved his hand in the Jedi movement as he spoke. Gabriel stared at him confused at first, and then chuckled.
“That only works on the weak minded, Billy Goat. It would work on you before it worked on me,” Gabriel smirked. The others stared at them and then started laughing too.
“Let’s get something to eat and continue this later,” Talus suggested with a laugh.
The argument continued after the meal, but Gabriel wouldn’t concede and neither would the others. William got tired of listening to it and added another suggestion.
“Why don’t we all just have a drink to calm down?” William suggested.
“I don’t drink,” Kallisto said angrily.
“Maybe not, but we could all use something to relax,” William countered and called the server over anyway. He ordered everyone a drink, strong and harsh for the men and sweet and frilly for the girls. Kallisto didn’t want to drink it but she did want to calm down, so she went ahead and tried it. It was really sweet and she couldn’t even taste the alcohol in it.
Several drinks later they were all in a better humor. They were laughing and joking like they had before. Even William and Gabriel were acting all ‘buddy buddy’, which Kallisto had never seen before. She wondered how drinking could be so bad if it could do that for William and Gabriel?
They went home awhile later and Kallisto was in the bathroom throwing up everything she’d had to drink and eat. Talus was with her, holding her hair. Ramina was in the other bathroom with Kalan doing the same. Ephiny seemed fine, but then again, she was a werewolf. William and Gabriel were still quite happy with each other so they decided to go out. Ephiny didn’t even argue. Kallisto wondered why she wasn’t worried about it, especially if they ran into Maulro’s men in the state they were in.
Chapter 13
William and Gabriel decided to go out and see some more of the town. Gabriel wondered how he could’ve been so annoyed with William–he was fun. They walked down the street laughing and joking. William was even going to help Gabriel look for that blonde girl in the pub.
“I love you man; I don’t know why we even fought,” Gabriel said as he threw his arm around his shoulders. William laughed.
“I love you, too, man. I know, I can’t even remember why I acted that way.” He punched Gabriel in the side and they started a punching match. Gabriel took his down a few notches; the first time he punched William, Gabriel had knocked him down. They just laughed it off as Gabriel helped him up.
“You know what would be really cool, Gabe?” William asked excitedly.
“What’s that, goat boy?” Gabriel said smiling. William laughed.
“What if we went and got some awesome tattoos; not like these silly ones we’re born with, but something really cool,” William suggested with even more excitement.
“Sounds good. I wonder where the nearest tattoo shop is,” Gabriel said looking around.
“I don’t know; let’s ask those guys over there,” William said and before Gabriel could say anything, he trotted on to the two men sitting by a building and asked. Gabriel laughed as he followed at his own pace. He couldn’t hear what was said but one of the guys got up and took a swing at William. Gabriel was surprised to see that he dodged it and met the guy’s stomach with a blow of his own. William was surprisingly fast when he was drunk. He also seemed more limber and agile as well. Gabriel kept walking slowly as the other guy jumped in and then several others ran out of the pub to help. He leaned against one of the posts of the awning and just watched. William was handling them all really well by himself. He had all but two of them down and he was working on the other two when one of the guys on the ground got up with a knife in his hand. Gabriel unwound from his comfortable position and walked up behind the guy. He took his fist and slammed it on top of the guy’s head. He fell to the ground as William finished with the other two. He grabbed one of them by the head and started punching him.
“Where...is...the nearest...tattoo...parlor?” he said with every punch. Finally he stopped; the guy must’ve spoken. He dropped the guy’s head and ran over to Gabriel. “They said it was south about three streets and west two streets. Let’s go.” He started that way and Gabriel followed. They laughed and joked some more and got in a few more good hits before they got there. When they went inside they looked at all the different designs they had. They were good, but there wasn’t anything that caught Gabriel’s eye. William tried to get him to get a few different Egyptian tattoos but he didn’t want that. Gabriel thought about how they were joking and they always had some good comebacks up their sleeves and smiled. William looked at him.