When I reached Cal he held out his hand and led me to the door. The cool outside air and sunshine on my face was invigorating and I felt like I was waking from a bad dream. As we climbed into Calvin’s truck my stomach growled out loud. Funny, I hadn’t felt hungry at all while surrounded by food inside, but now that Cal and I were alone I was starving.
“I hope pizza sounds good, because I told Simon and Emma that we’d meet them at the Leaning Tower of Pizza downtown,” Cal said, smiling.
Pizza? Heck yes. I needed to get away from thoughts of madness, death, and murder and feel some sense of normalcy. Going out for pizza with my boyfriend, best friend, and Simon was as close to normal as my life gets. Plus, I was starving. Maybe there was something to funerals making you hungry after all.
“I knew there was a reason why I fell in love with you,” I said, grinning.
Cal leaned over, his eyes half closed, lips moist, and said throatily, “And here I thought it was my kissing.”
“Mmmm…that would be reason number one,” I said. Our lips met and our bodies melted together. Oh yeah, definitely reason number one.
*****
Cal and I arrived at the Leaning Tower of Pizza a few minutes late. What can I say? My hair was tousled and I had lost many of the small bells from my updo, but my hair wasn’t quite as wild looking as Cal’s. His hair was always shaggy, but I had been running my hands through it while kissing and now it looked like he had stuck his finger into an electric outlet. I thought about saying something, but he just looked so adorable.
Emma and Simon were sitting in a corner booth and we hurried to join them. I was immediately aware of the seating arrangement. Emma and Simon were both sitting on the same red vinyl bench seat leaving the opposite side of the table for me and Cal. It wouldn’t have seemed so strange if they were any other two people on the planet, but Emma and Simon couldn’t stand each other. They nearly scratched each other’s eyes out every time they were in the same room together and, though Emma had established the upper hand earlier in the day, I was sure that their battle for dominance wasn’t over. I wondered again if they really had been holding hands at the funeral. Emma had a lot of explaining to do.
“You two look awfully cozy,” I said, lightly. “Something happen at the funeral?”
Cal raised one eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.
“She finally succumbed to the Simon charm is all,” Simon quipped. “It was bound to happen eventually. I am irresistible.”
“You are so full of it,” Emma said, leaning her head back against the padded booth and closing her eyes. “I have the most horrendous migraine from Hell. Yuki, how do you deal with having these all the time?”
“The threat of drinking your headache ease tea usually keeps them at bay,” I said. “But you never get headaches. Any idea what triggered it?”
“Yeah, talking snake,” Emma said with a sigh. Oh.
“Looks like your friend will be joining us for training,” Simon said, smiling at me slyly. “The things some girls will do to get my attention.” He winked. “Of course, I’ll be deeply wounded if she just sits back and falls asleep during our sessions.”
“Oh shut up,” Emma said exasperatedly. “I am not falling asleep. I’m resting my eyes since they feel like they’re about to mutiny and jump out of my skull. And I am not taking sleep insults from a guy who has to turn in circles before he can lay down for a nap.”
Simon growled in response, but turned his attention to the menu. Emma continued to rest her eyes while a satisfied grin spread across her face. Interesting. I never witnessed a person so effectively trade insults with their eyes closed. It was kind of impressive.
We decided on one extra large meat lover’s pizza for the guys, a personal veggie and cheese pizza for me, and bread sticks for Emma. Pizza is one of the reasons I could never go vegan. I have to have my cheese. Emma tried to make a case against the guy’s pizza by explaining the origins of sausage, but Simon just mumbled something about “yummy lips and gizzards” around a mouthful of pizza. Emma went back to nibbling her bread sticks in disdain. Once we had all stuffed ourselves I turned my attention back to Emma.
“So, the suspense is killing me,” I said. “What did the snake say to you today?”
“It said that the missing boy, Sam, was underground, but still alive,” she said. “That’s good news, right?”
Calvin and Simon exchanged a look, but didn’t say anything. What, do they have telepathy now or something? My mind conjured up images of being buried alive, but I shrugged it off. Emma’s spirit guide had said Sam was alive and underground, not buried alive, so there was no reason to jump to macabre assumptions. Way too much Edgar Allan Poe as a kid.
“That’s definitely good news,” I said. “Any other clues?”
“No, he just said he was underground,” she answered.
“We’ll get the word out to pay special attention to basements and caves,” Cal said.
“Someone should check the sewers as well,” Simon added. “What? Don’t shoot the messenger.”
“No, you’re right,” Cal said. “We’ll put together search teams and draw straws to see who gets the sewers.”
I winced at the thought of trudging through the town’s sewer tunnels. I thought I had it bad with smells.
Chapter 10
I was exhausted from my ordeal at the cemetery and Emma continued to suffer with a migraine headache so Cal agreed to drive us home early. Simon volunteered to follow us in Emma’s car and leave it at her house. Cal and Simon planned to work late coordinating the search parties.
When we finally reached my house Cal waited until I was safely inside before driving away. I sat on the bottom stair, building up the strength to climb up to my room, and unlaced my boots. Pieces of dried flowers and herbs trailed out as I pulled off each boot. Grabbing my boots in one hand and my coat in the other I stomped up the stairs.
I was agonizingly tired, but the memory of cold spirit fingers on my face and the smell of hundreds of ghostly smells entering my head made me stop in the bathroom and run a steaming hot tub of water. I poured in a heaping scoop of sandalwood bubble bath and stared at the growing mass of suds. I had an antique claw foot tub in my bathroom, which I always thought was extremely cool, but right now I was regretting the extra high sides that I had to climb over. Oh well, no time like the present. The tub wasn’t getting any shorter nor the water any warmer. I peeled off my clothes and sank into the bubble filled water. My arms were the only thing above water, besides the top of my head, and I was startled to see the large black crosses and sigils I had drawn on each arm in stark relief against my pale white skin. I started scrubbing them with a loofah, but they wouldn’t budge. Son of a dung beetle. Leave it to me to use a permanent marker.
When the water was only lukewarm and my hands shriveled like raisins I finally dragged myself out of the bathroom to flop on my bed. I picked up one of the library books from the stack and decided to research spirit wards some more. There had to be something in these books that could help me survive Samhain.
I was reading excerpts from the Ulster Cycle, Irish mythology filled with heroic tales, and an analysis of the historical interaction of the Sidhe, or fairies, with spirits of the dead. In these old stories the Sidhe had the power to rule over the spirits and demons that were set loose on the night of Samhain. Now if I could just find a fairy to protect me on Samhain…yeah, like that’s going to happen. Not a likely scenario, but I added it to my wish list.
I looked for more information on the Sidhe, but didn’t like what I found. Fairies weren’t cute glittery girls with wings. They were terrifying monsters who lurked in the shadows searching for mortals to torment. The more I read about the Sidhe the more I didn’t ever want to cross paths with one. I’d rather take my chances with the spirits of the dead.
I read tale after tale of the bloody history of the Sidhe. My hope was that I would learn how they managed to control the spirits of the dead on Samhain. Was it an innate power
combined with their own immortality, or was there an item or ritual that they used?
The legend that I came back to over and over again was the Echtra Nerai, The Adventure of Nera, from the Ulster Cycle. The story was a fascinating one. During a feast on Samhain, king Ailill proposed a test of bravery. He offered up his golden sword as reward to any man with courage enough to go out into the demon and spirit plagued Samhain night and tie a circle of twigs around the ankle of one of the men hanged the day before. To win the sword the man must do this and return to the king’s feast hall. Though many men tried they all were attacked by demons and spirits and came fleeing back to the feast hall unsuccessful, all except for one man, Nera from Connacht. Nera braved the spirit filled night and tied the circle of twigs to the ankle of the hanging dead man.
At this point the story got weird or, well, weirder. The corpse became animated and Nera, for some reason I hadn’t quite worked out yet, ended up carrying the dead man around on his back. I so hoped that wasn’t the magical way to survive the spirits of the dead. I did not want to carry around a smelly corpse all night. No. Way.
Anyway, while he was giving the animated corpse a piggyback ride around town, it asked for water so Nera carried it to a house, but the house burst into flames. The next house they tried was surrounded by a moat of water that they couldn’t cross. When they approached the third house they were finally able to enter and the corpse drank three cups of water, but then spit the last few sips of water on the people living there which killed them. Again, not real clear on the water spitting of death, but that’s what the stories all said.
This was where the different versions and translations of the story diverged. Some claimed that Nera went willingly to the underground kingdom of the Sidhe, while other accounts say that he was taken prisoner, and other stories said that he was either aided on that night by a Sidhe woman, or that he stole something from her. Whether he was said to stay with the Sidhe for a year, willingly or not, or if he only had the one interaction, the story always ends with Nera surviving the spirits of the dead and successfully returning to the feast hall of the king. More than one account bragged that Nera stole, or was given, a treasured item of the Sidhe. What if this item was what helped him survive the spirits of the dead?
So much for sleep tonight. I crept down to the kitchen and turned the coffee maker on. The smell of freshly brewed coffee flooded the room, blending with the ever present odor of burning brownies. I grabbed my mug and stuck it under the stream of coffee. Don’t try this at home kids. As soon as I had a full mug I carried it back upstairs and turned on my computer.
I now could narrow my focus to items the hero Nera may have taken from the Sidhe. I grabbed my notebook and pen and settled in for a long night of searching. The probability of figuring out what the item was, if it even existed, was not good and the odds of being able to locate it were even worse, but I tried to remain hopeful. The power of positive thinking and all that, right? But even I wasn’t prepared for what I found.
Chapter 11
October 24th
I just may survive Samhain after all. The idea was intoxicating. I was also a bit giddy from lack of sleep, so I began my day laughing maniacally. I would have made a good stand-in for any mad scientist. Dr. Frankenstein eat your heart out.
Today wasn’t a school day which meant I could have slept in if I had fallen asleep at all, but Emma had sent me a text asking to come over early and I eagerly accepted. I couldn’t wait to tell her about what my research had uncovered. I pulled on a clean black cami top, black paratrooper pants, and my 14-eye doc martens. I layered a black mesh top over the cami and grabbed a hoodie for later. I wanted to be prepared in case we joined the search teams this afternoon. My hair was a nightmare, I really should have combed it last night before it dried, so I split it down the middle and tied it into braids. Looking in the mirror I was pleased at my reflection. The magic marker crosses on my arms were a nice touch. Laura Croft meets Wednesday Addams.
I was just finishing attaching a row of safety pins to my arm warmers when there was a knock on my bedroom door. Emma came in two seconds later looking like she hadn’t had much more sleep than I did. She shuffled over to the bed where she dropped into a slouch. Was she sick? Emma always had perfect posture. Always.
“You okay?” I asked.
“I think I have a problem,” she answered.
“The snake thing?” I asked. “We can work on that together and I’m sure we can get Simon to include you in our lessons. You’d be surprised at how much he knows about working with spirit. Once you learn to control it better, the headaches shouldn’t be as bad.”
“That’s…good, but talking snakes actually isn’t the problem I meant,” she said. “I have boy problems.”
Son of a dung beetle.
“Did Gordy do something?” I asked. “If so, Cal will totally talk to him.” He’s so dead.
“No, he hasn’t done anything,” Emma answered, quickly. “In a way, that’s part of the problem. He never does anything. It’s always the same thing with Gordy. Watch anime in the media room after school or go to the movies on the weekend. I feel bad, but I’m just so bored.”
“Well, I was kind of surprised when you two hooked up,” I said. “Gordy’s a great guy, as a friend, but he’s not all that exciting. He’s not on the same level as you Emma. You’re all about being proactive and he’s just not. You two did seem to have some chemistry though.”
“I know,” she said. “It was fun at first. I tried giving us some space this week to see if I missed him, but I think getting space just made me want more space.”
“I noticed you two weren’t spending a lot of time together this week,” I said. “I just thought it was due to the werewolf killer, talking snake, spirit ward search stuff. It’s not like you can invite Gordy to come with. He doesn’t even know these things exist outside of anime.”
“Yeah, that’s part of the problem too,” she said. “All of my concerns these days are about if my friend will go crazy from a spirit attack, or if my other friend will get jumped by some psycho werewolf killer, meanwhile I’m obsessing over snakes talking directly into my brain and I can’t share any of it with Gordy. When I’m with him I just sit there counting the seconds until I can leave. That’s just not fair to him…or to me.”
“If you aren’t happy, then make a quick, clean break,” I said. “Gordy’s too good of a friend to string along.”
“You won’t be mad if I break up with him?” she asked. “You were friends first.”
“No way,” I said. “I’d be mad if you stayed with someone who didn’t make you happy. You’ve only been dating for a few weeks and you’re already feeling bored and guilty. Just think of how unhappy you’d be a year from now.”
Emma jumped up and gave me a quick hug. “You’re the best!” she said. “I feel better already.”
“You do?” I asked.
“Absolutely,” she answered.
“Good, because we have work to do,” I said, grinning.
*****
When I told Emma about discovering Nera’s amulet as a potential ward against the spirits coming on Samhain, she couldn’t wait to visit the library for more research. She drove us there like it was a matter of life and death. Perhaps it was.
The library’s stone and brick edifice had never been such a welcome sight. I took the steps two at a time and nearly leapt through the front door. My enthusiasm was contagious and Emma was grinning from ear to ear as she caught the door behind me.
“Ready to find your amulet?” she asked.
“Oh yeah,” I answered. “I was born ready.”
I was still in my tough girl outfit and feeling the warm glimmer of hope building inside my chest. I could feel a wild smile spread across my face to match Emma’s frenzied grin. Maybe that’s why everyone is inching away.
Stifling the hysterical laugh rising in my throat, I slipped into the stacks. I felt as though the answer to my salvation was just on the periphery.
If I were fast enough and smart enough, I could catch it and survive Samhain. It was an empowering feeling and I wondered idly if this was how Cal felt when he was following a scent trail. I was on the hunt for Nera’s amulet and the trail of clues was leading me to unexpected places. Very unexpected.
During my initial search for information on Nera’s amulet I was surprised to see old sketches and ancient carvings that looked vaguely familiar. The more I stared at images of the amulet the stronger the nagging sensation that I had seen it before. After my tenth cup of coffee, I finally remembered where. Could it really be that close?
I didn’t want to get my hopes up, only to have them dashed on the rocks of reality, so I enlisted the help of Emma, researcher extraordinaire. If we could find more evidence to link the amulet I had seen with Nera’s legendary amulet, then I would begin to breathe easy and bust out my happy dance. Well, not a happy dance. No way was I risking accidentally calling out Cal’s wolf spirit. If there was reason for celebration, my happy feet would just have to settle for jumping for joy.
With arms heavily laden with books, Emma and I clomped up to the third floor study area. Our usual cubical was available, not many people were in the library first thing Saturday morning, and began sorting through the books we had found. Whoever had the unlucky task of shelving these was going to have their hands full. We had books from numerous sections including archaeology and ancient artifacts, Celtic and Gaedhilic mythology, history of the Salem Witch Trials, and goldsmithing and the art of jewelry making. Emma even had an auction catalog.
Why gather information on the Salem Witch Trials? The connection was tenuous at best, but the place I was sure I had seen the amulet, like the one used by Nera, was in an occult shop in Salem Massachusetts. If I remembered correctly, the amulet was in a glass case, on display as a historical piece. Now I just had to find out if they really were one and the same.