The Gathering (32 page)

"If I'm correct, he's been infected with the same creature that attacked Scott Forrester last night.
 
Beverly, we need to hurry."

"Of course, Alia," answered Beverly in her smooth Georgia accent.
 
"All of you gather round our queen.
 
Form the circle.
 
Quickly, quickly now!"

The healers formed a circle around the stone altar that lay in the middle of the hall.
 
They all joined hands as Sean and Ian brought Jerry to the altar and laid him across it with great difficulty.
 
Alia then motioned for Elena to come forward.

"Ready, Elena?"

Elena moved forward and touched Alia's hand.
 
In that moment, Alia felt great comfort.

"Yes, Alia.
 
Let us begin."

Elena took out a talisman that looked similar to Sam's and proceeded to place it around Jerry's neck as he gnashed his teeth at her wrists.
 
When she placed it down his shirt and the pendant touched his skin, he began to scream.
 
Alia stood at the top of the altar and was looking down at Jerry's face.
 
She proceeded to place her hands over Jerry's head like she had done with Scott the night before.
 

She felt that cold knot in her stomach and the pain of her past.
 
She began to recite the incantation she had used the night before and as Kaley and the healers stood in a circle around her, she could hear them chanting the response.

Jerry was snarling and screaming in pain; it was odd, like an animal, loud and guttural.
 
The blue glow came again and Alia tried to pull the ooze from his head, but the demon had taken hold.
 
Alia could feel the power of the creature.
 
She felt the beads of sweat on her lip and choked back the fear.
 
She closed her eyes and raised her voice, the walls rumbling as she spoke.

Those in the circle around her also raised their voices.
 
Sean and Ian tried desperately to hold Jerry down as he thrashed and kicked.
 
Suddenly, he screamed.
 
That same low guttural scream of agony that Scott had uttered the night before and Alia knew it was time to pull.

Alia looked down and saw the ooze come towards her, but there was more than before, so she stepped backwards still holding tightly to the blackness.
 
Jerry began to struggle even harder and continued to scream, every second sounding more human and less like an animal.
 
Then, without warning, Jerry started to choke.
 
He couldn't breathe and his face began to pale and blue.
 
Sean looked at Alia with desperate eyes, but it was Beverly who stepped forward.
 
As she moved towards the child, the circle reformed seamlessly.

Beverly laid one of her hands on the boy's lungs and the other on his throat.
 
She began to recite another incantation and half of the circle responded to her chant as the remaining members continued to respond to Alia, who was still chanting and holding tightly to the black ooze.

From under Beverly's hands radiated a purple glow and Jerry's eyes opened and he sucked in deep breaths of air.
 
Alia took a hard last tug at the ooze and stepped back, falling to the floor, never letting go.
 
There on the floor before her was another imp, but this one was much larger than the other had been.
 
Two feet in length, it lunged at Alia, striking at her with its long sharp talons, but she was ready.
 
She ripped the choker from her neck and shoved it down the demon’s throat.

Everyone watched as the imp began to scream and then convulse as tiny flames appeared from its black hide, growing larger every second.
 
Its eyes turned red and it began to scream in pain, that horrible guttural animal scream.
 
Then it burst into flames, just as its smaller counterpart had done and they watched as the flames burned down and it was gone.
 

Everyone turned to Alia, who they now saw was bleeding from large gashes in her arms and scrapes on her face.
 
Oblivious, she got up and started to walk towards the altar.
 
Myron walked over and sat Brian on the altar next to Jerry.
 
Alia took Brian's face in her hands and checked his injuries.
 

"I'm ok, Mom, really."

"You look horrible."

"I feel pretty horrible."

Beverly stepped forward and smiled at Alia, then laid her hands on Brian's face and recited a spell that sounded similar to the one she had just used to free Jerry’s lungs.
 
The purple glow appeared and the swelling went away and the lacerations scabbed over, but the bruises remained and although he looked better, he was not completely healed.

"Well, I thought I'd give it another try, but I didn't get as good a response on my own.
 
I guess I'll have to work on that…now that I know I can do it."

Alia smiled at Beverly and took her hand.

"Oh, Alia, look at those," she said motioning to Alia's injuries.
 
"Let me try again."

Beverly winked at Alia and she put out her arms.
 
Once again Beverly began the spell and had the same effect she had with Brian.
 
She began to shake her head.

"Hmm, I'm gonna have to work on that, should’ve healed you better."

"It's better than it was, Bev.
 
So I take it you're going to accept the position?"

"Oh, yes, Ma'am.
 
Whatever you need, you know I'm here for you."

Alia smiled and turned to Jerry and Brian, who were already making up. Elena had been looking over them.
 

“I’m sorry, Brian.”

“It’s ok.
 
It's not like it was you.”

Jerry looked at Alia with a tear-streaked face.

“I couldn’t stop myself, Mrs. Stark.
 
It was like I had no control over my body.
 
I could see me hitting Brian, but I couldn’t stop and my head hurt so bad.”

Jerry continued to sob, wiping the tears from his face.
 
Alia lifted his face and looked in his eyes.

"Did you feel cold air surround you sometime in the last twenty-four hours, Jerry?"

Jerry sucked in a deep shuddered breath, looked around and nodded.

"Last night.
 
We found this weird tunnel in the wall and we went in and that's where Lisa and Brandon scared us, but after they left and the guys went to find all of you at the pub, I went back in."

Jerry continued to tell Alia the story in great detail.
 
When he was done, she held him.
 
Then he looked around and saw Liam standing next to the altar.
 
Jerry reached over and grabbed his brother into a hug.

“I’m sorry, Liam.
 
I’m so sorry!”

Liam smiled and patted his brother on the back.

“That’s ok.
 
I’m just glad you’re ok now.”

Alia placed her hand on Jerry's shoulder and he turned to look at her.
 
She again took his face in her hand and looked hard, then she felt Beverly touch her arm.

"He is fine, Alia.
 
Tired, but fine.
 
Can't you feel it?"

Alia stopped and took a deep breath.
 
She could feel something.
 
It was the sensation that everything was all right.
 
There was a strange calm over the room, but she knew that this infection was serious.
 
She turned back to Beverly.

"This is becoming an epidemic, Bev.
 
We need to get to the bottom of this before someone really gets hurt, or worse.
 
Whatever it is, it's in the Fail now."

Alia turned back to Jerry, who was wiping his nose with his arm and she held him again, slightly rocking.
 
He clung tightly to her.
 
Beverly stomped her staff on the stone floor twice, as everyone turned to look at her.

"All right everyone, you heard the lady.
 
Let's get to snoopin'.
 
I want some answers as to where these things are coming from.
 
Mr. Grayson, I want you to take your immediate staff and research that thing, you got me?
 
Evelyn, I want you to get the others together and start making talismans for our guests."

Evelyn Tran looked blankly at her new leader.

"Every guest?"

Beverly nodded and smiled.

"That's right, Sweet Pea.
 
But make sure to make the Christians a cross and the Jews a Star of David, so on and so forth.
 
I was hoping that Elena here would assist us.
 
After all, the one you made for your grandson was successful at prohibiting one of those little devils from possessing him.
 
What say you, my Little Gypsy Friend?"

Elena laughed and slapped her hands together.

"Of course, Miss Beverly, of course."

Beverly smiled and continued.

"And Rona…"

Rona Mason moved forward and bowed slightly to Beverly.

"I'm concerned about this new power we all seem to have.
 
Although I have freely admitted to believin’ in the power of magic, this is the first time I've been able to see it manifest itself in my presence.
 
I want you to gather as much information about unusual omens that have been seen throughout our village.
 
Maybe we can determine where this came from and who else might have access to it as well."

Rona nodded and bowed, then turned towards Darla, allowing her true feelings to be seen only by her assistant.
 
She scowled and frowned at the thought of being ordered to do menial labor.
 
Darla bowed her head and wrapped her fingers around her thumb, moving her hand back and forth.

"Oh, Rona?"

As quickly as she turned, her face reflected a sincere smile.

"Please take Darla with you on this fact finding mission, won't you?"

"Of course, Beverly."

Beverly watched them walk away and smiled silently to herself.

Alia let go of Jerry and helped him and Brian get down from the altar.
 
Kaley and the twins had been waiting patiently for their mother.
 
Lisa and Brandon grabbed onto their mother's waist and held tightly.
 
Alia looked into Kaley's eyes and saw her fear.
 

"It's all right, My Love."

Kaley wrapped her arms around Alia's neck and held tightly.
 
Alia attempted to balance herself.

"It's ok."

Kaley reluctantly let go of her mother.
 
Alia looked at Sean who smiled and winked at her.
 
Ian was standing off in a corner, his hands in his pockets, unsure of what he had just seen.