Death in the Mountains

Chapter 16: Tempest Tossed
WARNING: This chapter contains disturbing descriptions of rape and torture.

Pascal had slipped off to his room with some lame excuse, just wanting to be alone for a while. He had the nagging feeling that they were overlooking something. Up until a month ago, Pascal's visions were simple, his duty clear. He never could see very far into the future, an hour at the most, so his visions were realistic and not symbolic. But now, his visions were like jigsaw puzzle pieces, and he was trying to put it all together without seeing the picture on the box.

If only he had more time! Pascal wished everything would slow down, but events, like the storm outside, were moving too swiftly and violently. The team was rushing to some terrible climax; and he was racing to figure it all out. Something was very wrong, that Visitation he’d had in the airport was proof of that. Yet none of his team members were taking it seriously enough.

Even though he was a Seer, Pascal was a junior team member so his opinions were not given much weight. Of course it didn't help his cause that his shields had been wavering. It started gradually, after his very first mission, and had gotten steadily worse. This past month had been difficult and it took more and more of his energy to keep them stabilized. Then that Being, he was sure it was an angel, had battered its way through his shields at the airport. Whatever was going down tonight, it must be vital. He was just glad they had found photos of the Winchester brothers and Jay Kesterson, it helped him know who his visions were about.

Pascal lay down on his bed. If this Being was trying to get his attention, then it would be better if he sought it out, rather than the other way around. He didn't think his shields could stand another battering like earlier. After a few moments of meditation, Pascal was surprised at how quickly he slipped into a trance and was thrust into the most vivid vision he ever had.

He Saw Jay Kesterson sitting in a jail cell. Pascal could hear the seconds ticking on a wall clock, and could feel the teen agonizing over his future...

...An old woman sitting on a stone bench, weeping. A storm was rolling in, beginning to blot out the sun. Her pain was heart-rending. She held an ancient Bible in her hand, her finger next to a passage that Pascal could read. It was Matthew 7:1-2. “Judge not least ye be judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Pascal could see a small, ancient graveyard. The few headstones he could read all had the last name “Bonesteel” carved into them...

...A dark-haired woman leaning with both hands on an altar, looking exhausted. “As always, thank you for this chance to Serve You.” Dean Winchester going to stand next to her, putting a concerned hand on her back as a grey-and-white cat had joined them. They shared a sad smile...

...Zip laughing like he had never heard him laugh before, playing in a swimming pool with Sam Winchester...

...A horribly mangled corpse, face all but flayed, hair completely matted with blood. Suddenly it opened its eyes and screamed in pain. Oh God, it was still alive! Two pairs of gentle hands touched the body, bringing healing and comfort. Pascal recognized the hands immediately; they were Mike and Ben’s...

...Inside a cave bathed in hellish light, a sword thrust into the ground, a bleeding hand clasped around the blade. Dark red rivulets were trickling down the sword like a self sacrifice into the soil beneath. A voice echoing off the cave walls crying out ‘Blood calls to blood!’...

...The dark-haired woman was now lying at the base of a stone altar, her throat slit and her green eyes wide and staring. Jay kneeling next to her in the bloody mud, his face contorted. He thrust his hand into the blood drenched soil while screaming unintelligibly...

...Jay, Sam and Dean, standing side by side along with members of the Priory, attacking and pulling down the standard of the Order of the Comacine Masters. Pascal thrashed in denial, the Priory was also of the Light...

...Then Pascal saw the same long-haired, tall and dark-skinned man, the angel he had seen earlier. Ravenmocker! “I can do no more for you.” The man shoved him backwards...

Pascal rolled off the bed, shaking. He slumped to the floor cross-legged, back against the bed. Slitting the throat was the Comacine preferred method of execution for uncontrollable rogues and evil mages and psychics. Done right, the victim bled out in seconds, making it one of the least painful ways to die without mangling the corpse too badly. Was the dark-haired woman Vera Kesterson?

Why would Sam and Dean Winchester try to destroy the Order? If they were trying to destroy the Order, why was Sam with Zip in a swimming pool? Why was Dean with Vera Kesterson? What connection did the Winchesters have with the Priory?

The old woman sitting in the graveyard, it could be symbolic but yet it felt very realistic too. All the tombstones had the same last name, Bonesteel. Guardians often lived and died in the same area they were born in, generation after generation. Could this old woman be a Guardian? The little girl in the sheriff’s office mentioned a ‘Mamaw' Nora. The word mamaw was similar to the French word 'mémère' a child's way of saying grandmother. The child was a strong psychic and someone was obviously training her; was the little girl and Nora more important than they realized?

Ravenmocker, how did he know Ravenmocker?

What did the Priory pulling down the Comacine standard mean? The two Orders didn’t always get along, but why would they turn on them? Pascal dropped his head into his hands. For some reason, tonight could cause the fall of the Full Order of the Comacine Masters.

He heard a knock on the door and went to answer it. Pascal was surprised, then happy to see Zip. Here was someone he could talk to and would believe him. He yanked Zip into the room quickly.

“Listen!” Pascal began urgently, “you’ve got to help me…”

~8~

Sam thought he was going to go deaf from the sounds of his own screams echoing off the cave walls. That is, when the physical pain stopped long enough for him to think. He had watched in horror as they crushed the fingers on his left hand one at a time. The two demons did pause in their rape and torture of him every so often to gloat. Sam knew even if he survived, he’d be maimed for life.

Sam wasn’t vain, but when they sliced up his face with their claws his mind shrieked at the thought of how disfigured he would be. Young children would be afraid of him.

The only parts of his body that didn’t disfigure, defile or torture were his throat and eyes. Sam realized they were feeding on his agony; they swallowed his pain, torment and grief like delicacies. They wanted to hear his screams and for him to see what they were doing to him.

Sam wanted so badly to let go, for it all to end. He realized that it took more courage and will to live rather than to die.


~8~


It was past supper time and Kelly Stargill was still on duty at the sheriff's office monitoring the radio. Sheriff Spencer Arrowood was interviewing Fawn Harkryder's father in the bar at the Mockingbird Inn. Kelly was certain Fawn either ran away from home or met with a tragic fate at the hands of her family. Her husband, Ranger Clayt Stargill, Deputy Winchester, Deputy LeDonne, and the librarian, Dr. Kesterson and her nephew Jay were all out in one of the worst storms she had seen in a long time looking for Sam Winchester. At least they had some clues that Sam never left the KOA. The other missing people were a mystery, it was like Kathy Wyler and Millie Fortner just vanished into thin air. Both of them not long after these flatlanders came into town.

She wondered who the hell these flatlanders thought they were, asking questions about the Kestersons and Winchesters. Kelly wasn’t about to break the code of silence for Guardians and Hunters. Her own daughter, Kayla, would someday be a Guardian for this community, as would her unborn son Daniel. That was why her husband Clayt was so willing to go out in this storm tonight to find Sam Winchester. The Kestersons and Winchesters would bridge the generation gap between Nora and her children.

Kelly sighed and looked over at her ten-year-old daughter Kayla who was now staring at the door like she was expecting someone to walk in. Cheryl Sutherland, that flatlander from earlier and a young man she didn’t recognize entered. Kelly almost growled.

Pascal looked at the little girl and felt a sudden shiver. Not only was this girl another Seer but she had a powerful energy surrounding her, earth energy. Pascal was stunned, only strong Empaths could tell the different psychic energies and they usually had to touch the person. Pascal touched Cheryl's arm as she was going to speak. Working on a hunch, Pascal gave the little girl the traditional greeting of a Hunter or Order that has entered a Guardian’s territory. "We don't want to hurt you Guardian. We came in peace." The child’s blue eyes blinked. “Hunter, if ye come in peace, welcome you are.” Pascal shivered again, he Felt another, greater power at work here.

Cheryl felt like she had been gut punched. Pascal had recognized a Guardian on sight. While it was possible for other Guardians to recognize one another certain conditions had to be met, which usually involved mysticism. Cheryl set aside that thought to review the implications later. The child had used an archaic form of the greeting, but she had responded correctly. There must be a Guardian line here that no one had on their Rolls, a Guardian line that had been out of contact with the larger community for a long time. This area was so isolated that it made sense.

Kelly recoiled from them, how did they know? "Come here Kayla." Kelly put her arms around her daughter protectively and continued to glare at the two strangers. Nora had told her sometimes young Guardians were targeted. After a moment, Kelly looked at Kayla and said "Go color in Spencer's office, ok?"
As soon as the office door was closed, Kelly rounded on them, "How dare you speak to her!"

"When I was here earlier," Cheryl responded, "Your daughter told us we should speak to Mamaw Nora. This would be her teacher?" Cheryl felt like she was playing a game and she didn’t know the rules. Wake County was like another civilization, and none of the Comacines had any idea what the laws or customs were.

Pascal thought of his earlier vision, "Bonesteel, an elderly woman? I Saw her in a vision today. We really need to talk to her."

Kelly regarded them suspiciously and a little fearfully, how did they know Kayla was a Guardian? "What do you people want? You've been snooping around town all day today asking about the Kestersons and the Winchesters and you're probably the ones who broke into Vera's office. Now you’re asking about Nora Bonesteel. Don't think just because we're mountain folk we're stupid."

Cheryl was having a hard time keeping up with Pascal's deductions; luckily she was used to thinking on her feet. "Sorry, this is Pascal Comeau; we are a group of Hunters with the Order of the Comacine. It is vital that we contact the senior Guardian for this territory. Would that be Nora Bonesteel?"

Kelly almost bit her tongue. She had been so rattled earlier when they called Kayla a Guardian that she let slip the information they were fishing for. None of them noticed Kayla edging out of the office.

Pascal twitched slightly, which Cheryl knew was his normal response to a vision. "They found Kathy Wyler. Someone in a park ranger’s uniform is bringing her back." Kelly shot to her feet. "You saw a park ranger?" Her hands were rubbing her belly unconsciously. Pascal looked encouraged; maybe this would get the woman to open up. "Yeah, him and Jay Kesterson ... they're on their way." Kelly looked relieved.
Cheryl tried again, "We really need to contact Nora Bonesteel. We came to offer our services and protection, we know Sam is missing and others have been killed.”

Kelly just sat back down, leaned against the back in her chair and just looked at Cheryl. Her expression was hostile again. "You've already left a bad road behind you here. You don't just show up and snoop about our folks and break into peoples' offices and then expect us to trust you."

Cheryl shook her head, she could just strangle Mike. "Most people don't believe in visions or know about psychics. If we came right out and asked most people they wouldn't believe us. Sam is missing; you don't have many people or resources here. Why do you refuse the help when it is offered? From what I understand, Nora is too old to do much to protect the community, and your daughter is far too young.”
Kelly's brow contracted, like she was trying to remember something. “The senior Guardian can tell you to leave.”

Cheryl gritted her teeth; maybe this could get the pregnant woman to give up Nora Bonesteel’s location. "You’re right; only the senior Guardian can make us leave her territory."

“Okay, she doesn't have a phone. Let me give you directions.” Kelly gave them very complex directions which would lead them over half of Wake County. She planned to call Spencer to follow them.

Cheryl and Pascal thanked her profusely and turned to leave when Kayla shouted, "Don't do it!" The little, somber girl looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Cheryl hesitated, looking to see if Kelly was going to stop her from talking to Kayla. "What are we not supposed to do sweetie?"

"I don't know, but I'm not supposed to have to be a Guardian until I'm older. If you mess up, I'll have to start doing it soon!" The child was breathing hard and bunching the front of her shirt in her fist.

Cheryl wasn’t sure what Kayla knew or suspected and tried to reassure her. "We would never hurt your Mamaw sweetie, never, Guardians are too precious. They’re protected under the Ancient Laws."

“No, not Mamaw! The other ones!"

Cheryl looked at Pascal but he just shook his head. "There is another Guardian? Who?"

Kayla whined, "I don't know them." Them! Cheryl was amazed that there was more than one Guardian.

"Do you know what they look like?"

Kayla sniffed. “No.”

Kelly intervened, fire in her eyes. "You better go now."

Cheryl and Pascal traded looks, thanked her again and left. With a grim smile, Kelly picked up the phone and called the three wrecker services in Wake County. She knew these Comacines would get stuck in one of the dirt roads she gave them as directions. Hopefully they’d have a long walk back to their hotel.


~8~


Vera stumbled through the rain, lightning and darkness. The more time that passed, the more likely tonight would not have a happy outcome. Dean led the way, scrying out Sam’s location while Joe followed at the rear of the group, basically babysitting her. Vera could feel his irritation and disgust that she was out here with them. She gritted her teeth; she couldn’t let his negativity affect her. She had to keep her faith, her will focused. She had to keep all three of them psychically hidden from the demons in the area, something Joe did not understand. Vera could not allow herself to fail. She focused on Dean in front of her and concentrated on keeping her footing.

It was Dean who tripped. The pounding rain had washed away top soil and he slipped when crumbling shale shifted under his feet. The pendulum tumbled from his hands and down a steep hill, almost a cliff and out of sight. Dean’s cry of despair was heart rending, but then Griffin dove after it. “Griffin!” Dean yelled, thinking his familiar had died in the steep jump. Vera could feel Dean’s pain and despair. She grabbed his shoulder and yanked him around. “Stop it! If Griffin were dead you’d know; if Sam were dead you’d know. As long as we’re all alive, there’s still hope.” Vera’s voice took on a tone he’d only heard from her a few times. “We wait for Griffin.”

Dean blinked, rain pounding his face. Just when he thought he had Vera figured out, the woman surprised him again. The diffident, frightened woman that she was at the beginning of this search was gone and replaced by someone or something else. Dean nodded his head and waited, glancing at Joe LeDonne behind her. His face was contorted into a cynical scowl. Dean grimaced at him.

Then they waited. Second after agonized second passed by with no sign of the cat. Vera stood as still as a rock, reminding him of the time she had talked Sam down out of a rage in the sheriff’s station. It looked as if she had merged into the earth again and she stared down the cliff where Griffin had jumped. Sudden she let a breath out and a few moments later Griffin came struggling back into view, scrabbling his way up the hill dragging the pendulum with him. The large cat had the chain so tightly gripped in his jaws that Dean was surprised he hadn’t bitten it in half. Griffin dropped the pendulum at Dean’s feet. He snatched up the scrying instrument and picked up Griffin for a quick snuggle, glad the rain disguised his tears of relief. He couldn’t believe he had once scoffed at the concept of familiars. Dean dropped the cat and looked up at Vera’s gentle, sad smile. Joe looked slightly disconcerted. Dean dangled the pendulum again and felt its’ reassuring pull. “Let’s go!” His throat felt raw from the effort of shouting over the storm.

They continued on, Vera slipping now and then. Joe steadied her, his expression becoming more and more sour. The pendulum led them down a steep hill and to the edge of a flooding stream. It was about twenty feet across, the swollen waters were churning up the mud and carrying large branches. Dean watched a possum carcass get washed by as he paused at the edge of the water.

“Careful Dean!” Joe shouted. “The current can be stronger than it looks!”

Vera took a deep breath and took a fearful look at the water. “You’ll need to pick up Griffin.” For some reason Vera’s voice seemed to carry through the storm better than his and Joe’s did.

Griffin bumped his head against Dean’s leg. He scooped him up and began making his way cautiously across the stream, watching for branches and feeling for unstable stones beneath his feet. Vera followed with Joe close behind her. Dean made it to the opposite bank. Joe yelled. Dean whirled around; afraid Vera had been carried away. She was standing in the center of the stream, a strange look on her face, Joe trying to push her along without making her fall. Dean and Joe winced as lightning struck nearby, but Vera still stood frozen, not responding to the violent light and ear-splitting thunder.

“Can’t you feel it?” Vera cried over the storm. “The sky, the earth itself, it’s all rising against the demons. The storm is trying to drive them out, cleanse what they have contaminated.”

She seemed to be caught up in whatever she was experiencing. What a time for Vera to give in to a mystical vision! Lightning struck again and for a split second he saw Ravenmocker standing on the opposite bank behind Joe and Vera. Dean dropped Griffin and bolted back into the stream, grabbing Vera and pulling her by the wrist. “This is not the time for a religious experience!”

He and Joe hauled her up on the opposite bank, but she still seemed dazed. This was the down side to the whole earth-blood-bond thing. Griffin attacked her leg, getting a slight response from her. Vera had once told him to follow his familiars’ lead, so he slapped her sharply across the face, his anger and fear making him hit her harder than he intended. It seemed to shake her out of her daze, though she was now bleeding from a split lip. Vera shook her head, making the light from her helmet dance across the brush.

“Sorry,” she said, looking guilty, “but I think we’re getting close.”

Dean tried to keep the fury off his face. “Good,” he yelled, “just don’t have another psychic moment!” Dean stopped before he said something he shouldn’t. He glared at her for a second before leaving her to Joe.

Dean knew he shouldn’t be taking his anger out on Vera, of all people. He hoped she understood; he had the feeling she did. He made a promise to himself to apologize to her if--no when--they found Sammy. Dean refused to believe otherwise.

Vera slipped and fell halfway down a steep hill, sliding down on her left side. He heard her painful cries as she hit a few medium-sized rocks and struggled through some brush. Dean froze, wondering how badly she was hurt and if she could continue on.

“Stay there!” Joe yelled before plunging down the hill after her. Dean was relieved to see her pick herself up and start limping back up the hill before Joe even got to her. After asking how she was, the taciturn deputy grabbed her arm and hauled her not so gently back up the hill.

Joe was now the focus of Dean’s flickering wrath. “Next time, try not to dislocate her shoulder,” Dean yelled over the storm, “looks like she can barely walk as it is.” As Dean turned to continue Joe and Vera looked at each other for a moment before Joe gently pushed her to urge her on.

They continued on, Dean’s heart rising each time the pendulum got heavier and warmer. It led them to an almost vertical cliff, the pendulum growing so warm Dean was surprised it wasn’t burning his hand. A light glowed from a cave opening in face of the cliff. Dean stopped abruptly and looked back at Vera and Joe. Vera’s eyes were narrowed in anger and disgust while Joe’s eyes held a naked fury that Dean had seen before on his father’s face.

Before Dean could say a word, Griffin growled softly before diving into the cave.


~8~


Ben slipped out of Pascal’s room, very uneasy. He just had a very long, uncomfortable talk with the young Seer after he had returned from the sheriff’s station with Cheryl. He suspected Pascal had another Vision earlier in the evening, and when confronted, Pascal finally told him. Ben decided to do a quick past life regression with him. Pascal had slipped into the trance for the regression easily, and soon he knew why.

Pascal had been a Guardian in the Bonesteel line in a previous lifetime. A little over 200 years ago, Pascal had protected this land and this community, which explained why he was having these visions. It also explained why he was suddenly recognizing Guardians.

So much of Pascal’s visions were about blood – and these bands of thunderstorms rolling into the area. Pascal was right; something important was happening tonight, for Wake County, the Winchester brothers, and for the Order. Why was blood so important? Was it because Vera Kesterson was practicing blood magic? Sacrificing people to gain power? They still didn’t know the whereabouts of the bones Jay Kesterson was arrested for stealing, was she also practicing necromancy? Maybe Pascal didn’t think that was the case, but was he being influenced by her in some way?

He agreed with Pascal about one thing. Tonight was a deadly puzzle and they were racing to find the answer. He just wished that Mistress Tudor would have taken his warnings that Mike was becoming dangerously obsessed with the Winchester brothers more seriously. All she said was that she was concerned and to keep her informed.

~8~

Mike was glad Ben took Pascal off to talk. Something was wrong with Pascal’s shields, they were fluctuating badly after the Visitation he had. Mike was certain the source was magical. That meant any visions Pascal Saw had to be looked at with extreme prejudice. He’d been tainted by Vera Kesterson.

Mike took the new information that Pascal and Cheryl brought back in a grim mood. If there was a large age gap between the current and future Guardian, it was a perfect situation for an opportunistic evil mage and psychic to move in. That would explain why someone with a Ph.D. would be willing to take a job at a small, rural library. The deaths starting soon after Vera Kesterson arrived, Sam’s reported withdrawal and illness and the large age gap between Guardians, the brothers arriving here after being involved with her nephew Jay; it was all beginning to make sense. Mike hated to split the team, but they had to put guards on both Nora and little Kayla. The residents of Wake County might not understand, but he wasn’t going to let that bitch hurt an old woman and a little girl. For that matter, he wasn’t going to let Vera Kesterson hurt her nephew, either. As Ben correctly pointed out, the boy was young enough to still be considered an innocent. Mike wasn’t able to save the Winchester brothers all those years ago, but he was going to make up for it by saving them now.


~8~


Griffin flung himself into the small cave, stifling a yowl in the back of his throat. He knew that his human was upset he came in first, but he had to check the situation. The smell of blood filled his nostrils as the hair on his drenched tail tried to bush out. Griffin wasn’t very sensitive as a psychic, but even he could feel Sam’s pain and see the demons growing stronger with each drop of fluid they drew from him. He could see these creatures shimmering as they resisted a constant, but lessening pull to take them back to what ever hell they came from.

Griffin knew what needed to be done. The ties that these creatures had with this world had to be severed so they would be sucked back to where they came from. Griffin was a hunter himself, both as a feline predator and as a familiar of a Hunter. Death was an innate part of his existence, but these creatures he watched torturing Dean’s brother were feeding not just on his body, which Griffin could understand, but on his mind and soul.

Griffin almost squalled at the sight of Sam. Dean was going to be devastated. Sam was being butchered alive. A powerful hate coursed through his body, something the young cat had never experienced before. He now knew what it meant to be a Hunt leader’s familiar, he understood why and what his human hunted. Such creatures were not just a threat to humans, but to the entire world, his kind included. Like his human’s priestess, he could feel the earth recoiling from the very presence of these abominations.

Griffin knew that in this fight, his role would be to comfort Sam during the battle. Sam was like prey that had been played with too much before a kill.


~8~


Vera was relieved when Griffin came running out of the cave towards Dean. She could see his teeth chattering, which was something a cat did when it wanted to kill but for some reason could not. It was an imitation of the killing bite felines used to sever the spinal column of their prey. His eyes were wide and dilated. Griffin was clearly enraged. There was no doubt they were in the right place.

Dean drew his sword with a wordless snarl. For a split second Vera almost laughed, even though she had given him the sword. It was the twenty-first century yet here they were fighting a demon with ancient weapons. The situation almost seemed ridiculous, except for the greenish-flickering light pouring from the cave and a sudden, ear-splitting scream echoing out even over the storm.

Vera took a shuddering breath, looking to Dean. This was the threshold of her Initiation into Guardianship. What was about to happen in this cave would either change her life forever or end it. Vera pulled out all the energy she had placed in her office wards and bindings, and then took all but the most basic protections on the farm. She would need to use the energy and power in these spells for battle.

Vera forgot one, crucial thing. She was unbinding the psychics that had broken into her office.


~8~


Jay was totally exhausted when Betsy dropped him off at home. The past week had been an emotional rollercoaster and it was catching up to him. He dragged himself into the house and took a shower, glad to wash off all the mud and leaves. He just threw his clothes into the back porch. They’d need hosing down before he could even put them in the washer. Jay jerked when he felt most, but not all of the wards on the farm fade. The most basic protections had been left. The power drawn from the wards was a controlled drain. Jay relaxed a little. It must be Aunt Vera re-channeling the power in the search.

He had spent the morning mucking out the horse stables and the afternoon and early evening searching through the woods for Sam and Kathy. Then he had spent what seemed like ages keeping Kathy and Clayt totally shielded so the demons could not sense them at all. He was able to raise the energy for magic and his psychic ability directly from the earth, but it was still hard work.

Jay slumped on the couch in the living room, wearing a t-shirt and shorts, dozing. Suddenly he felt a light probe and jolted fully awake. Shit! That wasn’t Aunt Vera; someone just passed the farm wards and knew he was here. He ran to the window and could see the headlights of cars through the rain. There was a lightning clap nearby and thunder. Jay became psychically invisible and bolted for the back door. He heard someone kick in the front door just as he was slamming out the back. He winced; being psychically invisible didn’t do him any good if he sounded like a stampeding herd of horses. He should have known the people who broke into his aunt’s office might end up here.

Jay heard people coming around the side of the house, somebody yelling that they had to find him fast. Jay dodged under the back porch. Real bright, he told himself, but he didn’t have any better ideas. The porch was a wrap around, so he crawled towards an access door near the front of the house. He could hear them searching for him and saw a beam of light illuminating the area of the porch from around the corner of where he was. Damn, they were checking under here for him, he just hoped they didn’t notice how far this crawl space ran.

He froze when he heard voices next to him; he could see feet near him from under the edge of the porch. Jay froze, hugging the earth, glad that it was raining so hard, otherwise they might be able to hear his heart pounding, it was so loud. Jay just then noticed he was bare foot and the gravel and odd pieces of broken glass under the porch was cutting and scraping his arms and legs. Jay worked on staying calm and listening to the people looking for him.

“Any sign of Jay?” a guy called out as he got closer to them. Jay saw a booted foot kick the edge of the porch. “No, damn it,” the man with the deeper voice responded. “It’s like he vanished off the face of the earth. You wouldn’t believe what we found in the house, though. Looks like Vera Kesterson was practicing blood magic.” Jay bit back tears. Those crystals Dean had! Someone who didn’t know the history behind them could certainly suspect the worst. Most people who practiced blood magic killed victims for their blood. How did they know his and Aunt Vera’s names?

The other man started talking again. “We need to find Jay as soon as possible. The longer we chase him the more traumatized he’s going to be. I want him sedated before we execute Vera, assuming she’s still alive. He doesn’t need to See or Feel it if we can avoid it, especially if she has any types of psychic hooks in him. We’re transporting him along with Sam and Dean.” Jay went cold. Execute? He risked a light probe of the three people not even a yard away from him.

Crap, the woman could do something to time. Aunt Vera had told him that was possible, and she could sometimes affect time, but it was really hard for her. She’d only managed to do that five times in her life. This woman seemed to be able to flux time with little more than a thought. The guy with the deeper voice stunned Jay, he knew that there were real Healers out there; ones that could relieve pain, slow down bleeding, and keep wounds from scarring. This man was like someone out of a fairy tale. He had enough power to bring someone back from the brink of death. He was almost as strong an empath as he was a healer. Jay quickly withdrew. If this guy decided to touch him while digging around his shields, he’d probably get through all of them. The only advantage Jay had right now was they didn’t know what he could really do. Jay didn’t probe the third. Who were these people with such powerful, freakishly specialized abilities? He remembered Aunt Vera warning him about people like this, but he secretly agreed with the rest of the coven that she was just exaggerating and paranoid. Now he was sorry he hadn’t paid more attention.

The healer barked one word, “Quiet!” Jay froze in terror, his hands clutching the earth. The man was psychically sweeping the area looking for him. Jay could barely breathe when the man’s probes passed right over him. “Be careful,” the healer warned. “There is something going on I can’t quite place. Did either of you just Feel a light probe?” The other two both said they didn’t. “I think this kid might have some abilities we’ve never seen before. Warn everyone else. Everything about this mission has been off from the beginning. We haven’t lost anybody yet, let’s make sure we don’t start now.”

Jay continued to clutch the earth for a while longer, he could hear them still searching for him. He laid there for what seemed like hours, listening to the rain and thunder; occasionally hearing the distant yells of his pursuers. When he could finally stop shaking, Jay forced himself to move towards the crawlspace door, the idea of getting to one of the cars suddenly occurring to him. He’d never hot wired one before, but he had to try. Yes, he had faced the possibility of a demon earlier tonight, but he’d been with older, more experienced men and his Aunt Vera. Now he was exhausted and alone against an unknown number of strong psychics who wanted to kill the only real family he had. Jay knew he had to get to the KOA to warn her and Dean. He hoped they found Sam by now. Cell reception was bad tonight, he wasn’t sure he could contact them, but he had to try.

Jay got to the crawlspace door, and after spending a few moments frozen in fear with his hand on the latch, he dashed out, stumbling a little. What he saw almost made him cry. Two vans were parked so they blocked in all the farm’s cars. Sometimes people forgot to lock the back doors, he reached for the rear door handle. Success! It was open. He jumped in shutting the door quickly and turned.

Suddenly Jay was blinded by a bright light and he threw his arm up to shield his face, the light feeling like needles in his eyes. Jay heard the voice of a young man with a Canadian accent, sounding low and deadly. “Freeze, I have a gun pointed at your head.” A hand jerked his arm away from his face. There was total silence in the van before Jay heard the same voice say, "We don't want to hurt you Guardian. We came in peace."