Chapter 3

 

Rory had reached the cemetery gates by the time my vision became clear. He came upon Damon, who’d returned from the mortal realm, giving me hope that he’d be able to help Kasey get back to his life before it was too late.

Damon stood at the gates, his hands raised above him. He was moving them up and down in slow movements. As his hands moved, the gates glowed stronger with the same vibrant light they had the last time we were out there. I felt a calm, soothing warmth radiating from it, almost like how the sun makes you feel on a bright summer day. Despite being aware of the dangers that would result in the ancestors’ escape from the cemetery, looking into the light filled me with a sense of peace.

Damon approached Rory and put his hand on his arm. Rory studied Damon’s face. There was no sparkle in his eyes, no light. Dark circles surrounded them.

“Are you alright, Damon?”

“I’m alright now that you’re here. You knew I’d be here, and I’m very delighted to see that. It’s a sign that your intuition’s growing, and that’s extremely positive.”

“You don’t look alright. What’s wrong? Is the force field not strong enough?”

“It has weakened some, but I was able to stabilize it.”

“I’m doing my best to keep it strong. When I see you looking so tired because you have to stabilize it, I feel as though I’ve let you down.”

Damon smiled. “You could never let me down. You’re doing a good job. This isn’t not an easy task especially now. I haven’t had much time to rest since the ancestors’ escape from the cenotaph. It’s taken even more of my strength to keep the force field strong so that they don’t get out, or anyone else gets in. After thirty years of this, I suppose I’m a bit worn. I’m not a young man and after all, despite my abilities, I’m only mortal.”

“You have me and that’s what you’ve trained me for, to help you.”

Damon managed a small smile. “I’m comforted that I’ve got someone with a strong will and even stronger heart to take my place after I’m gone. That’s part of why I’ve come. I must get back to the mortal realm again, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. I need you to take my place in my absence. You can’t let your guard down for a second.”

Rory raised an eyebrow. “Something’s wrong, something you’re not telling me.”

“I don’t have the time to explain it all now, but I will. I promise.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready to guard the gate alone yet. Not indefinitely. We’ve always done it together.”

Damon patted Rory’s arm. “If I didn’t believe that you were ready, I wouldn’t entrust you with the responsibility. Has Shelly learned anything new from the mortal realm?”

Rory nodded. “Jeremy inhabited Kasey’s body, and he knows now that Kasey isn’t his son. He threatened Kasey’s life to get Ethan to tell him who his real son was. Not only does he know it’s Jason, but he's also found Jason and promised him that he wouldn’t kill Rebecca if Jason allowed him to inhabit his body. Jason agreed. You know what that means.”

“I’m afraid I do. We’ve got even less time than I thought. If Jeremy makes the transfer he’ll be stronger than ever and Kasey will never get home.”

“When do you think he’ll try to make the transfer?”

“Knowing Jeremy, it will be at the next Midnight’s Edge when his powers are the strongest. It’s been some time since the last one, so I’m sure it will be soon.” He rubbed his chin. “Since Jeremy was successful in possessing Kasey, it stands to reason that Kasey’s here.”

“He is. He awoke in the mausoleum where Jeremy made the transfer. Shelly saw him there in a vision, and we got him out. They’re together at the house now.”

“It’s a small comfort to know that my children are together. I look forward to meeting him.”

“Why don’t you go with me to the house and I’ll introduce you? He’s been wanting to hear your ideas about how to get back. You’d mentioned before that you could potentially help Reed before the ancestors got to him. Kasey’s wondering if you could do the same for him.”

Rory didn’t admit that he had to talk Kasey and me out of using the painting as a portal to the way out.

“I won’t be able to do that now. I’m meeting someone in the mortal realm in just a short while.”

Rory lowered his brow. “Who or what could be more important than meeting your son?”

“I told you I’d explain everything later and I will. Just keep watch over the gates for me.”

“Can’t you give me an estimate at least as to when you’ll be back?”

“I can’t do that. I understand your concern, but I’ve taught you well, and you’ve been a worthy student. You’ll be fine. I know you will. I trust you.”

Rory sighed heavily. “You’re not acting like you do.”

Damon put his hands on Rory’s shoulders. “Be patient with me. I hope to have good news for you when I get back.”

“What should I tell Kasey and Shelly?”

“Tell them not to do anything rash. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Rory chuckled. “You haven’t met Kasey yet. He’s just as damn stubborn as Shelly. That’s easier said than done.”

Damon began to fade away. “Do your best. I have faith that you’ll keep my children safe.”

He disappeared quickly. Rory stood alone and troubled, although he hadn’t let on to Damon how much. He approached the gate with concern in his eyes. He raised his hands and the light from the force field around the cemetery, which had diminished to a degree, brightened.

Rory’s face looked strained. The veins in his forehead bulged, and his arms began to tremble. He let out a moan and moved his arms down, bending over as if he’d just run a marathon. After a moment, he caught his breath and stood up straight. “It’s getting more difficult to maintain this alone. I don’t know if I can do this.”

 

* * * *

 

I felt his fear at the responsibility of maintaining the force field alone and the uneasiness of Damon’s reluctance to explain who he was meeting and why. I opened my eyes and found myself with Kasey again. He’d been holding my hand.

“I saw everything you did by touching your hand,” he said, a glimmer of hope in his eye. “It’s amazing. We must share an ability we inherited from Damon. Why isn’t Damon telling Rory everything?”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t pick up on what Damon was hiding. Could you?”

He lifted his hand. “No. The one positive thing about being here other than being with you is that the abilities I’ve always had are stronger than ever. It used to scare me. Now it’s kinda cool.”

“You have to be careful, Kasey. Sometimes it’s not always a gift. You saw that when I showed you my suicide. It can be a curse too, and the things you see haunt you. You’ll only want to use it as necessary.”

“I realize that.” His expression turned solemn. “Why wouldn’t he come here to see me? He said that he had to get back. He couldn’t take five minutes to meet me? Rory said he could help me. Why wouldn’t he come?”

“Damon has a plan to help us, and that’s why he was in a rush to get back. If Rory has confidence in him, then we must too.”

“Why does he have to be so secretive about it?”

“Reed’s running loose in the cemetery and under the control of the ancestors. If Damon has a plan to banish Jeremy from the mortal realm, maybe he didn’t want to broadcast it for Reed to overhear. I’m going to see if I can find out what’s happening in the mortal realm. You’ll stay here?”

He tilted his head. His mouth curled up in a cute way that was only Kasey’s. “Now where else would I go, huh?”

I laughed and felt comforted that he would be here when I returned. He touched my hand, and I closed my eyes. A cold rush of air brushed against my face, and then the moist feeling of rainfall. There was a heavy rain in the mortal realm.

I saw before me a car on the winding road leading here to the house. The rain beat down hard on the windshield, and the passengers could barely see. It took me a moment to recognize Ethan’s beat up Chevy, but as my vision came into focus, I saw that he was driving while Rebecca sat in the passenger’s seat beside him. She seemed agitated and tense.

 

* * * *

 

“Ethan, slow down. I can’t see a thing, which means you can’t either. If you don’t slow down, our car will be the next one to plummet over Lover’s Bluff never to be seen again.”

“I know what I’m doing. I’ve driven in worse weather than this. We haven’t got the time to slow down. Kasey’s in trouble, and he needs me.”

“That’s not Kasey up there. We both know that.”

“That doesn’t matter. I’ve still got to get to the Wickcliff place to confront Jeremy. I need to make sure he hasn’t done anything to harm Kasey’s body or Freddy. There’s got to be a way to get the real Kasey back and to get Freddy home. I can’t lose Kasey, Becca, and I can’t let my nephew stay in that house.”

She turned her head to him. “I’ve always known that you two cared for each other, but I didn’t realize the extent of your love for Kasey until now. I’m sorry for what you’re going through.”

He didn’t glance at her. He kept his eyes on the road. He’d never admitted to anyone how he felt about Kasey, especially himself. He was tired of hiding it.

“I do love him. There’s no reason to feel sorry for me, though. I’m going to get Kasey back, and we’re going to be together.”

She put her hand on his knee. “I know that.” She squinted and leaned forward. “It’s pitch black out there, the rain’s blinding. You’re not going to be able to help Kasey if we end up hurt or worse.”

“Don’t worry, Becca.” He held tight onto the steering wheel and focused on the road. “We’re almost there.”

Although his eyes were on the road, I could feel that his mind was elsewhere. He had an idea of what Jeremy’s plans were and despite the dangers to himself and Rebecca, he was determined to confront him. As they approached the house, he couldn’t stop thinking about how he would feel if he never saw Kasey again.

Ethan’s thoughts halted when Rebecca screamed. “Watch out!”