Starlight in the Heavens - 25. Chapter 25

Part 25 - Josen

The child, Josen, he's at the back door.

I didn't take the time to think when the voice sounded in my head. I was out of the vehicle and running at break-neck speeds for the boy.

I rounded the corner and stopped the younger woman from leading the blind one and Anthony around the other side.

"You can't go that way. They'll smell you."

She jumped at the sound of my voice and I was impressed when she moved to block the boy.

"Who are you?"

"A friend." I approached a little slower. "Anthony? How you doing, bud?"

He peered around the legs of the young woman and studied me. It was the boy I'd seen in Alex's dreams. He had the same golden brown curls and sun kissed skin. But it was his eyes that told me this was the boy—old soul living within royal blue eyes.

I actually felt the intensity of his stare pierce my mind. I opened to him and sooner than I thought would be possible; he slipped around the woman and rushed into my arms.

"Anthony! We don't know him."

"It's okay, Judy. We can trust him."

"Take us home," the blind one said.

But I didn't know where home was. My thought was to take Anthony back to his dads. They could put him in the truck and take off. He'd be safe with them.

"No, Josen. Take us home. They cannot find us there."

I looked at the woman then at the boy whose arms were wrapped tightly around my neck. He nodded. That was all I needed.

"Show me where."

I put him down, keeping ahold of his hand, and we ran.

It wasn't far, and I wondered how it was that they hadn't tracked him to the place. But when I entered, I knew. I felt the spell as I crossed the threshold. I also felt the balance of the remaining memories of starlight start a steady flow out of my mind.

Anthony looked up at me when I froze at the door. "You can be a whole person now."

Could I? I needed my other half for that to be true. He'd been lost to me long ago. I knew I'd been searching. It was in following the line to Anthony that I'd begun to see him clearer. He'd been reborn. At first I'd thought that maybe he was in Anthony, but I quickly shook that thought from my mind. Anthony was far too young, and his purpose was not for a single person. Anthony was born for the world.

"Come inside and sit," the blind one said.

"Her name is Miss Sherry," Anthony said as he pulled me further into the room.

Miss Sherry. I knew that name. But even as the thought crossed my mind, it disappeared. It must have been a part of Jo—and Jo was leaving.

Once seated in the living room, Judy brought me a cup of chamomile tea.

"Here," she said. "Anthony said you would like this."

"Thanks."

She sat across from me in an overstuffed armchair and Anthony came in with Miss Sherry. He crawled up into the sofa with me and sat close enough for me to put an arm around him. Miss Sherry sat in a chair that matched the one Judy was in with her own cup of tea.

"So," Judy began. "What exactly happened in there?"

I wasn't sure just how much about the world around her Judy understood. I looked over at Miss Sherry.

"Anthony is being hunted by some very nasty people," Miss Sherry said. "It seems they have found him."

"So what's going to happen? Does Brian figure on taking them out all by himself? I mean, I know he can fight and all, but still. There were five guys in there."

"He has help," I said.

"And the sheriff is also there," Miss Sherry said. "He had planned to meet us for lunch."

"Oh." The answers seemed to placate her. "Do you think it would be alright for me to go on home? If you don't need me, that is. I mean, with the sounds coming from the restaurant, we may be out of business for a few days."

Miss Sherry chuckled. "I would guess that you're right." She reached over and found Judy's hand. After giving it a squeeze, she said, "Thank you for all your help, Judy. You go on home. Say hi to your mom and dad for me. When we're ready to re-open I'll give you a call."

"Cool." She stood and held out a hand to me. "It was nice to meet you, Josen. I hope to see you later."

I shook her hand, marveling at how well she was taking everything. "Yeah, you too." And then she left. Just like that.

Anthony began to giggle when the door closed, bringing me out of what must have been a stupor. I glanced at him then over at Miss Sherry. She had a small grin on her face but didn't say a word. I thought about it for a couple of minutes before the light bulb in my brain finally came on.

"You're a witch. That's why she was so calm."

"No. I don't think so. Judy is a simple-minded girl and easily swayed. I just know the proper way to reach her."

"Uh huh." I'd bet almost anything, Miss Sherry had witch blood in her.

Anthony just giggled some more and snuggled in closer to me. I could sense a bit of apprehension in him though and gave him a hug of reassurance.

It wasn't long before the door opened and a red haired elf entered. TJ followed him, cradling someone in his arms. Sean came in after, leading Joshua and Alex. He glanced at me, nodded, and followed the elf and TJ as they hurried on down the hall.

Joshua and Alex stopped dead in their tracks and stared at the boy next to me. He in turn stared back.

"Anthony?" Alex said.

Anthony's eyes were wide as he nodded. I could see the glimmer of unshed tears. Joshua fell to his knees and opened his arms as the small boy scrambled down from the sofa and ran to his fathers.

I'd been alone in the living room for close to half an hour when the elf came into the room. He stopped at the door with a hand on the knob and looked at me.

I knew who he was of course. Anyone with knowledge of the elven world would know Saeldur on sight. He was the only elf in existence with red hair. And if that wasn't a dead give-a-way, his green eyes and strange gifts would close the deal.

He didn't say anything outwardly, but I had a sense that he was speaking to me regardless. Or maybe it was me speaking to him. TJ was strong in his ability to read souls, but he didn't hold a candle to Saeldur. I relaxed and allowed him to search for whatever answer he was looking for—those that fought him once meeting his eyes tended to come dangerously close to death.

"Josen," he finally said.

I nodded.

He didn't say anymore. With a turn of the handle he was gone. I don't know how much longer I sat there stunned at his behavior before TJ stepped in front of me.

"Josen, you are needed."

I blinked back my confusion and followed TJ down the hall to the room at the end. When we entered, Sean turned his head and looked at us. His hands both rested on the chest of the man TJ had carried in. Miss Sherry sat on the far side of the bed and held his hand. It was obvious that this man was important to them both, and I assumed it was the one Judy had referred to as Brian. I remembered that Anthony had also mentioned him.

I stood to the side of the door, unsure about what I was needed for. Then Sean stood and moved away from the bed. As he did, I got my first look at the face I'd only seen until that moment in my dreams.

I took Sean's place at Brian's side and looked at the man that held the other half of my soul. My eyes lingered on his face. He seemed at peace, though he was deathly pale. The brown of his hair stood out almost black against his skin. I touched the long bangs and combed them back, away from his forehead. They were damp with sweat that glistened on his brow, and he was hot to the touch.

My fingers traced a line down the side of his face. He was even more beautiful in the flesh than my dreams. But he was comatose.

"What happened?"

"Saeldur has caused him to sleep," TJ said.

Sean placed a hand on my shoulder. "It was to keep him from feeling the pain." He moved the sheet down to Brian's waist and I shuddered at what had been revealed. His chest had been burned, but it was more than that. It glowed from within with a ghostly green light.

"What is it?" I whispered.

Sean replaced the sheet. "Witch's fire."

"But how?"

"He was one of the ones that came for Anthony." Sean sighed and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He alternated his gaze between Brian and me. "Brian does not have the same memories as you. He does not realize that he is an old soul reborn. He accepts the things in the world as natural, but only as he sees them come at him. Each day brings something new. Unfortunately, the witch was the something new today."

"Not completely," Miss Sherry said. "He dealt with him before. About a week ago, Brian put him into the hospital with a crushed trachea. He was to be remained within the hospital until stable enough to be incarcerated. How he got to be here today is somewhat of a mystery to me."

"Not to me," TJ said. "Witches of his strength are few, but I have dealt with them before... intimately."

I spun in my seat. "What do you mean by intimately?"

Sean put a hand on my knee. "Josen, please don't."

I glanced at him— at the pain he let show in his eyes. Then back at TJ. His eyes were flint steel—hard, cold. The amethyst sparkles in his black eyes were like a frigid cold fire. And then I got it. He and Adrian had confronted a witch of this strength... and it had been an intimate encounter. Where TJ had come away from the experience battle hardened, Adrian had come away with a self-depreciation that bordered on hatred. They'd both been damaged, but Sean had been able to heal TJ, whereas Adrian was slowly dying.

He'd said his father was a monster. I looked into Sean's eyes, at the sorrow that radiated from them.

"He was a master witch, wasn't he?"

Sean looked over my shoulder at his mate and slowly shook his head. "Worse."

"Worse?"

TJ growled, "Changeling witch—half elf, half witch—the combination is deadly in the strictest sense. Add in the insanity of one that lives and breathes power and dominion over others and you have a monster in every meaning of the word."

"Power and dominion." My breath became harsh and ragged as I began to understand what had been done. I moved closer to Brian and settled my mind with the act of gently combing thru his hair, stroking his cheek.

"Josen," Sean said gently while rubbing my back. "He'll be okay."

"How?" I wiped at my eyes. It seemed I had started crying. I could understand why. It was one of the few things in the past couple days that wasn't difficult to understand. "How do you fix something like this?"

"Saeldur has gone to get Samantha."

"She can help?"

"Samantha is the only one I have ever met that can pull the fire made by a witch," TJ said.

"What is she?"

"She is Saeldur's daughter."

"An elf? I don't understand."

"No, Josen. Samantha is not an elf. She is half," Sean whispered.

His gaze was intense as he watched my reaction to his words. At first I didn't get it. But as I thought about it, and what we'd been talking about...

I swallowed hard and croaked out, "Changeling witch?"

Sean nodded. "But not what you are thinking. Samantha is nothing like—"

TJ interrupted, "Samantha is important. She is an anomaly and everything we are somehow circles what she is. But what is important now is that she can heal Brian."

I only nodded and turned my attention back to the man lying as still as a stone on the bed. I knew in the deepest recesses of my mind that I could and would trust them.

Hours later, I was alone with Brian. I'd dozed off, resting my head on his shoulder, when the bedroom door opened. Before looking to see who'd come in, I brushed my lips over Brian's cheek, relishing the feel of his skin.

"Samantha has come." Saeldur said as he came closer. "He is awake."

I looked down at Brian's chest. "She will heal the burn?" I asked.

Brian's face twisted as he struggled in waking.

"Shh, relax my love."

A small sprite of a woman, looking no older than twenty-two, with rich auburn hair and eyes that burned with emerald fire stepped around Saeldur and rested a hand on Brian's chest. He sucked in a deep breath and froze in his movements. His body grew as rigid as a plank and deathly cold.

"Leave us," the woman commanded.

I fought her words with everything I had, but my legs moved me away. There was no choice. Saeldur followed me out of the bedroom and closed the door.

"Trust us, Josen. The fire is deep and the drawing will not be pleasant. You will suffer enough in your soul without suffering through your eyes as well."

He pulled me down the hall and turned to take me out onto the back patio. I fell into a seat as a burning sensation started in the core of my being. I hissed and began panting trying to contain myself as I realized that what I was feeling was nothing next to what Brian must be going through. It felt as though someone had put dry ice in the center of my chest—freezing cold that burned through my body.

"I can make you sleep," Saeldur said moving to place his hand on my face.

"No," I said through gritted teeth and swatted his hand away. "I will feel it with him."

Sean came up and knelt in front of me. "Josen, let me help."

"No." I tried to push him away. "I won't let him feel this alone."

He grasped both my wrists and held me firm. "Let me help him through you."

I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded. I felt his hands rest on my breastbone and an almost bubbling vibration pulsed into me. It pushed the pain aside, dulling it like a soothing balm. I felt my body relax into the chair as an overwhelming peace overcame me.

I don't know how long I sat there, but when I finally came to my senses, Anthony was sitting on my lap with his head resting against my chest and his hand lying where Sean's had been. He had taken Sean's place.

Joshua and Alex sat nearby watching their son with eyes so filled with love it came off them like a flowing fountain. I looked out at the end of the yard and saw Adrian walking with a slender young woman. His arm was around her waist in a show of protection. But it was more than that. He was completely at ease. There was no pause in his step, or fidget in his limbs.

"He has found his soul," Sean said from behind me.

"And Mandy has found hers." I looked over at Alex and he smiled. "We've come to the end of the line. We just didn't know that the line was drawn for more than only Josh and me."