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 A Prophecy of Shadows

Chapter 15

Jack looked around the room. White candles seemed to be everywhere, and there was a scent in the air...something he couldn't place. Wasn't sure he'd ever encountered it before. It wasn't...strong, nor unpleasant. Just...different. Jack wondered briefly if that was the myrrh Casey had said she needed. Sam had picked up the beeswax candles and myrrh, while he had been sent to the organic market to pick up some oils and herbs. Had no idea what he was looking for, but smiled and cajoled an older lady working there to help him gather what he needed. He hoped it was what Casey needed, and she did seem pleased when looking through the bag. "So exactly what is it that we’re doing?"

Casey smiled. "Just a bit of preventative medicine, boss."

"Okay. Preventing what?"

"Anything Calandra Jones might have stirred up with her voodoo crap," Cam said quietly from his place on the floor, between Sam and Jessie. "I may not believe in a lot of the stuff, but Casey’s friends acted like they were dealing with the devil himself. And I trust Casey. If she says it’s important, then it is, regardless."

"Take a seat, Jack," she said as she motioned toward Sam.

One eyebrow raised in question, Jack settled himself on the floor. "This won't take long will it? I have reports to sign."

Casey sat down between Daniel and Jack. Took her Husband’s hand on one side, Jack's on the other. Her friends exchanged glances, but followed suit. She closed her eyes. "Goddess of Light, hear my prayer," she said softly. "Protect us now from the Darkness loosed by one too weak, too arrogant, too confused, too angry, too miserable, or whatever other ailment filled her troubled mind. Let the power of Your Light, the strength of Your Goodness surround us...heart, mind, body and soul. Send the negativity that was so maliciously loosed to its source, return the Darkness now to that place where it can do no harm."

Jessie frowned when Casey cocked her head sideways. "Incoming," she said, repeating what Daniel or Jack said each time the seer had a 'download' of information.

"No matter what happens, there's a reason," Casey said, her green eyes focusing on Jessie. "Don't be afraid of the shadows. You're stronger than they are."

At that moment, inside the altar room of Callie’s house, shadows moved throughout the room, morphing, coalescing. This time, though, there was no wind outside, no branches moving to cast the shadows. The digital reading on the thermostat in the room decreased one degree, then another and another, dropping precipitously as the room grew frigid.

Back on Nahane, Thoyetlini sat in his teepee, the smoke rising around him as he cast the items from the medicine bag onto the blanket in front of him, chanting as he did so. Suddenly, there was a silence, and then thunder rolled in the distance, a low rumbling that grew louder until it could literally be felt as well as heard. The old shaman shook his head sadly. "It has begun."

To be continued…

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