Part Nine
By the time Sara reached her apartment, she felt like her whole world was crumbling. The images were still fresh and very vivid in her mind. It was as though she was being shown something and just couldn't make the pieces fit. Looking down at the darken jewel on the bracelet she only became angrier.
"Look you piece of shit! You're supposed to be helping me. How can I trust you when I can't even trust what I see and hear?" For a fleeting second she thought it hissed at her angrily. "Yeah, well, same to you!"
"Does that really help Pez?" Danny appeared in one corner, smiling slightly.
"And what about you!" She stormed toward him. "You take me on a trip like Peter Pan to God knows where and show me things I have no idea whether to believe or not."
"You really should take an Anger Management class or something Pez. You're gonna give yourself a stroke."
"Danny, I don't need this right now." She tried to take deep breaths. "I don't need your mumbo jumbo crap or this thing glowing or…or…what was that shit Nottingham was pulling in the Park?" She paced back and forth in front of her deceased partner. "What was he trying to say, Lilly and Irons were married?"
"Not in the sense…"
"Oh so they just shacked up together. Had a romp in the back rooms." She stopped and ran shaky fingers through her hair. "All I want is just one day. One day of boredom. Is that too much to ask? Just one day of waking up and going to work. Maybe bust some bad guys. Nothing special, just a day of everything being normal."
"What is normal Sara?" Danny asked quietly.
"What is normal?" She glared into his dark eyes. "Normal is not having this thing go off and seeing images I have no idea what they are. Normal is not having to talk to, much less see Kenneth Irons. Normal is not looking around to see if Nottingham is hiding behind a shadow just waiting for me to come around the corner." She felt tears and fought them off. "Normal is not waking up in a cold sweat because of some nightmare that I don't understand." She shook her head angrily as her cell phone began ringing. "Normal is not knowing who is going to be on the other end of that line." She flipped the phone open and held it up to her ear, just listening.
"Hello Sara." Kenneth Irons' soft voice seemed to whisper in her ear. She looked to glare once again at Danny, but he had already gone.
"What do you want Irons?" She hissed and with her free hand, wiped tears that had escaped down her cheek.
"You left so quickly this morning that I never got a chance to apologize for my behavior last night."
"Apologize?" Her eyes grew wide as she spoke. "Irons, you nearly killed Nottingham last night."
"I would not have gone that far Sara. Ian knows this."
"Yeah well…"
"Sara, do not judge what you do not understand. You have no idea of the relationship between Ian and myself."
"And just what is that relationship Mr. Irons." Her voice was cold.
"One that you could never understand." He paused before continuing. "He is very important to me."
"I know you didn't call just to apologize Irons. What do you really want."
"To invite you to dinner tonight." Irons' voice lightened. "I would like you to come and dine with the three of us."
"The three of you? Oh yeah, I suppose you mean You, Nottingham and Lilly."
"Of course Sara. Do be on time. Dinner will be served at seven o'clock prompt." Before she could refuse the line went dead.
"I really hate when he does that." She closed the phone and tossed it aside. Sighing deeply she mechanically moved to her bed and fell in it. Throwing one arm over her eyes, she soon found herself drifting off to sleep.
Before she knew what was happening, images began to flow in front of her eyes. For a change, instead of fighting them, she tried to relax and just watch.
She found herself in a large room, full of torches and sweet smelling incense. Looking down she realized that again she was dressed in full armor. She waited patiently for the blade to show her what was necessary. Her wait was short. Soon one of the doors opened and in walked a black robed woman carrying a silver chalice in one hand and a dagger in the other. Behind her walked a robed man, head down.
"Are you ready daughter?" The voice was timeless and full of strength. Sara felt her head nod. "Give me your hand." Sara felt her hand rise toward the woman. Quickly the dagger was drawn across her palm and her blood gathered into the chalice. Turning the woman faced the man who had extended his hand and the act was repeated. When enough blood was taken from the man, he knelt down. Sara found herself doing the same thing, never taking her eyes of the woman. The chalice was lifted high.
"Together again, this woman and man.
Joined once more from time and land.
Their souls combine through trail and test
Let their mission be holy blessed."
She moved to the man and lifted the cup to his lips. He drank deeply.
"Remember your place.
You are sworn this night
Be ever watchful of the maid.
See that she always walks toward the Light."
He nodded and folded his hands over his chest as in prayer as the woman walked to Sara. The old woman lifted the cup to Sara's lips. The still warm liquid entered her mouth. Swallowing, she could taste the saltiness of the mixed blood.
"Blessed are you among women this day.
Chosen are you by virtue of the Blade.
Choose your words and steps with care.
May your passion and love never fade."
Sara felt warmth course through her body as she licked her lips. The woman placed the dagger and chalice on a small stone altar. As she turned around, she pushed back the hood and Sara found herself staring at the eyes of Lilly. Looking over at the man, he nodded and removed his own hood.
"Nottingham?" As he smiled and began to stand, Sara found herself drifting away. "I don't understand? What are you trying to tell me." She woke in her bed with a start. For a change it wasn't fear that woke her. She felt a peace and calmness to her soul and as she looked at the bracelet on her wrist, it was glowing warmly. "Can I make a suggestion?" The stone continued to pulsate. "Next time we do this, would you mind coming with some kind of instruction manual?"
By the time Sara reached her apartment, she felt like her whole world was crumbling. The images were still fresh and very vivid in her mind. It was as though she was being shown something and just couldn't make the pieces fit. Looking down at the darken jewel on the bracelet she only became angrier.
"Look you piece of shit! You're supposed to be helping me. How can I trust you when I can't even trust what I see and hear?" For a fleeting second she thought it hissed at her angrily. "Yeah, well, same to you!"
"Does that really help Pez?" Danny appeared in one corner, smiling slightly.
"And what about you!" She stormed toward him. "You take me on a trip like Peter Pan to God knows where and show me things I have no idea whether to believe or not."
"You really should take an Anger Management class or something Pez. You're gonna give yourself a stroke."
"Danny, I don't need this right now." She tried to take deep breaths. "I don't need your mumbo jumbo crap or this thing glowing or…or…what was that shit Nottingham was pulling in the Park?" She paced back and forth in front of her deceased partner. "What was he trying to say, Lilly and Irons were married?"
"Not in the sense…"
"Oh so they just shacked up together. Had a romp in the back rooms." She stopped and ran shaky fingers through her hair. "All I want is just one day. One day of boredom. Is that too much to ask? Just one day of waking up and going to work. Maybe bust some bad guys. Nothing special, just a day of everything being normal."
"What is normal Sara?" Danny asked quietly.
"What is normal?" She glared into his dark eyes. "Normal is not having this thing go off and seeing images I have no idea what they are. Normal is not having to talk to, much less see Kenneth Irons. Normal is not looking around to see if Nottingham is hiding behind a shadow just waiting for me to come around the corner." She felt tears and fought them off. "Normal is not waking up in a cold sweat because of some nightmare that I don't understand." She shook her head angrily as her cell phone began ringing. "Normal is not knowing who is going to be on the other end of that line." She flipped the phone open and held it up to her ear, just listening.
"Hello Sara." Kenneth Irons' soft voice seemed to whisper in her ear. She looked to glare once again at Danny, but he had already gone.
"What do you want Irons?" She hissed and with her free hand, wiped tears that had escaped down her cheek.
"You left so quickly this morning that I never got a chance to apologize for my behavior last night."
"Apologize?" Her eyes grew wide as she spoke. "Irons, you nearly killed Nottingham last night."
"I would not have gone that far Sara. Ian knows this."
"Yeah well…"
"Sara, do not judge what you do not understand. You have no idea of the relationship between Ian and myself."
"And just what is that relationship Mr. Irons." Her voice was cold.
"One that you could never understand." He paused before continuing. "He is very important to me."
"I know you didn't call just to apologize Irons. What do you really want."
"To invite you to dinner tonight." Irons' voice lightened. "I would like you to come and dine with the three of us."
"The three of you? Oh yeah, I suppose you mean You, Nottingham and Lilly."
"Of course Sara. Do be on time. Dinner will be served at seven o'clock prompt." Before she could refuse the line went dead.
"I really hate when he does that." She closed the phone and tossed it aside. Sighing deeply she mechanically moved to her bed and fell in it. Throwing one arm over her eyes, she soon found herself drifting off to sleep.
Before she knew what was happening, images began to flow in front of her eyes. For a change, instead of fighting them, she tried to relax and just watch.
She found herself in a large room, full of torches and sweet smelling incense. Looking down she realized that again she was dressed in full armor. She waited patiently for the blade to show her what was necessary. Her wait was short. Soon one of the doors opened and in walked a black robed woman carrying a silver chalice in one hand and a dagger in the other. Behind her walked a robed man, head down.
"Are you ready daughter?" The voice was timeless and full of strength. Sara felt her head nod. "Give me your hand." Sara felt her hand rise toward the woman. Quickly the dagger was drawn across her palm and her blood gathered into the chalice. Turning the woman faced the man who had extended his hand and the act was repeated. When enough blood was taken from the man, he knelt down. Sara found herself doing the same thing, never taking her eyes of the woman. The chalice was lifted high.
"Together again, this woman and man.
Joined once more from time and land.
Their souls combine through trail and test
Let their mission be holy blessed."
She moved to the man and lifted the cup to his lips. He drank deeply.
"Remember your place.
You are sworn this night
Be ever watchful of the maid.
See that she always walks toward the Light."
He nodded and folded his hands over his chest as in prayer as the woman walked to Sara. The old woman lifted the cup to Sara's lips. The still warm liquid entered her mouth. Swallowing, she could taste the saltiness of the mixed blood.
"Blessed are you among women this day.
Chosen are you by virtue of the Blade.
Choose your words and steps with care.
May your passion and love never fade."
Sara felt warmth course through her body as she licked her lips. The woman placed the dagger and chalice on a small stone altar. As she turned around, she pushed back the hood and Sara found herself staring at the eyes of Lilly. Looking over at the man, he nodded and removed his own hood.
"Nottingham?" As he smiled and began to stand, Sara found herself drifting away. "I don't understand? What are you trying to tell me." She woke in her bed with a start. For a change it wasn't fear that woke her. She felt a peace and calmness to her soul and as she looked at the bracelet on her wrist, it was glowing warmly. "Can I make a suggestion?" The stone continued to pulsate. "Next time we do this, would you mind coming with some kind of instruction manual?"