Chapter 4
Slamming the car door shut, Dean assessed the situation. Two pumper trucks were already here but no water was spraying out of the hoses yet. An acrid smell hung in the air and there was a faint buzzing sound inside the fence encircling the hydro facility.
"Over there," Sam pointed at black smoke rising from the far side of the power plant.
"This way," replied Dean heading towards a narrow path between the neighbouring forest and the fence. They followed the perimeter of the fence until it cornered, protecting the south end of the hydro facility.
Across a grassy meadow, Dean and Sam saw a wrought iron fence. Behind it lay gravestones. Amidst the graves they saw Mitch, Lyra and the other members of their coven watching the black smoke rising from the hydro transformers.
oo00oo
"I'd say that went pretty well tonight," commented Lyra's father as she entered his cabin.
The light from the fireplace flickered on his face. She could still smell the pungent burnt sage in the room. She knew he'd seen everything tonight using his silver bowl that now sat innocuously on the kitchen counter.
"Yeah, pretty well," she replied.
"You don't sound so impressed."
"I'm just getting tired of dealing with these tedious lesser demons. They're petty and they sap my energy."
"Ready for the big kahuna, are you?"
Lyra collapsed into the armchair opposite her father sighing. Looking him in the eye, she did look tired but he saw more than exhaustion in her eyes. He saw the uncertainty.
Reaching across to pat her knee, "We're not quite ready for him yet. As much as I'd like to face him as well, we'll need to summon a few more of his minions before that."
Rising from his chair to head for the kitchen he continued, "And we'll need more help. Perhaps those lads could be of assistance."
"What!" Lyra shot her father a look like he was crazed.
"They're not unfamiliar with confronting evil. Perhaps they've even faced a demon."
"You think?"
"They're not just some paranormal detectives or ghost hunters," Jim persisted while putting the kettle on the gas burner. "They've been in close contact with real evil, Lyra. I can tell."
"Yeah, I kind of got that vibe too," she admitted. "But I'm not sure they can help us."
"Earl Grey or Camomile?"
"Earl Grey please." Lyra remembered what she'd meant to tell her father, "They saw me in the graveyard with Mitch's coven."
"When? Tonight?"
"Yeah. Right after the fire started in the power plant."
"What happened with that anyway?"
"I don't know. I thought I had a good hold on the ley line but when the demon finally subjugated all hell broke loose."
Jim laughed bitterly at the pun as he poured the boiling water into mugs.
Looking dejectedly into the fireplace Lyra sighed, "I guess I'm not ready for the big kahuna."
"Nevermind, lass." Jim placed the mug of tea on the table next to her. "No one was injured in the fire and there'll be loads of hydro workers earning some overtime pay tonight."
oo00oo
"Look at this burn mark." Sam pointed to the ground near his feet.
Dean walked through the grave markers to stand next to Sam. He saw a long, straight black line in the grass heading directly towards the hydro plant.
"What do you think that is?" asked Sam.
"Beats me but the EMF is freaking out," replied Dean looking at his homemade handheld electro-magnetic detector.
Dean walked towards a large burnt area. A circle about 10 feet in diameter, the smell of charred grass still fresh. Every light on the EMF lit up as it chirped its electronic warning.
"Something very strange went down here," Dean looked around warily. Mitch and Lyra were long gone.
oo00oo
"Lyra," Dean whispered. His breath ragged in her ear. Pushing her hips against his she felt his pace increase. Shuddering in ecstacy Lyra felt him fill her completely. He bent to kiss her. A long slobbery tongue covered her lips.
Waking suddenly Lyra saw her father's wolfhound looking down at her lying on the couch. Reflexively licking her lips she tasted dog breath.
"Ewww. Riley!" she said wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. "You are so gross."
Riley grinned widely, long red tongue hanging out between sharp teeth.
She must have fallen asleep in front of the fire. A heavy throw covered her and her dad had brought her favourite pillow out to the couch. It was a pretty comfortable bed, the old cabin sofa, she had to admit. And after last night, she hadn't felt like returning to her empty flat alone.
"You should brush your teeth more often," she told the dog as she rose to take her own advice.
oo00oo
"Did you think anymore on how our new friends might help us out?" Jim asked while stirring his coffee across the breakfast table from Lyra.
"Our new friends?" Lyra looked up from her book.
"The Winchester lads."
"I'm not sure I'd call them friends yet, Dad."
"Well, whatever they are. I think they could help."
"How exactly?"
"Well, the dark one. You know…Sam. Might be some psychic talent there. A bit raw but definitely could be honed."
"Okay…" Lyra wasn't sure she wanted to have this conversation right now. Aside from the sexually graphic dream she'd had about Dean this morning, she had just been trying to get her head around a passage in the book about the defensive use of leyline energy.
"I'm not sure about the older brother though."
"Dean?"
"Yes, Dean." Jim paused thoughtfully sipping his coffee. "Well, at the very least he could serve as an alchemist paramour."
"What!" Lyra's knee banged the kitchen table painfully.
"Well, you know what I mean," her father continued, taking an advisorly tone. "A mystical tryst could enhance your powers threefold."
"Dad!" Jumping to her feet Lyra's face flushed.
"Mind you," Jim eyed her over his coffee cup. "You'd do best to have the first time in a graveyard. Very powerful magic, that."
Mortified Lyra shut her eyes briefly trying to sound remotely calm. "I'm going for a walk, Dad."
oo00oo
Lyra stalked down the path through the woods. Born and raised pagan at home, she'd been sent to Catholic school as a child in the Highlands before moving with her father to the United States at 13. Her father's non-Christian views on sex and his candid manner embarrassed her sometimes.
How could he talk to her like that? Over breakfast no less? Could we at least save the sex talk until after dinner?
He'd meant it as earnest advice. A bit of instruction on how Lyra could get better at her Craft. He was coaching her after all. Why couldn't he show her how to use the divining bowl more accurately? Jeez.
She heard the waterfall before she saw it. Coming into view, white water raced over black rocks. Long green grass reached out over the bankside wet with spray. The sound of the pounding water was calming, the colours of forest meeting white water soothing.
Kneeling at the edge of the falls, she pulled the candle and the necklace from her pocket. Carefully she placed the necklace on top of a flat black rock. Melting the bottom of the candle with her lighter she stuck it to the rock within the circle of gold chain. Catching the dappled sunlight filtered through the trees, the triple crescent pendant on the necklace glistened. Symbol of the Goddess. Mother, maiden, crone. The three aspects of the moon. Katie had barely gone anywhere without wearing it. It was her protector, her icon. It hadn't protected her from everything.
oo00oo
"So the river doesn't source from the ocean," Sam informed Dean. "There's no way the 10 foot rise in the water level could be the result of tides."
Sam and Dean walked down the sidewalk leading from the Fish & Wildlife office and got into the car. Their inspection of the power plant fire had yielded nothing. No power surges or accidents had caused the fire and judging by the appearance of Mitch's coven and the weird burn marks in the cemetary they were fairly sure he had something to do with it. At a loss, Sam and Dean were going back in time, back to the weird occurrence with the river. There had to be some clues somewhere.
"The river originates out of a nearby hill." Sam continued, "Burk's Falls. About 10 miles from town, off County Road 32."
"Let's check it out then," Dean turned the key. The Impala's engine roared to life.
oo00oo
The gravel crunched beneath the tires as they rolled to a stop in the small parking area just off the county road. Getting out of the car, Dean and Sam surveyed the densely wooded surroundings.
"There's a path over here," called Sam as he headed into the forest.
They heard the waterfall before they saw it. The river dropped vertically about 70 feet. The sounds of their footsteps were concealed by the roar of the falls. Lush green grass and moss met shiny black rocks against the backdrop of the raging white water. Dean's senses felt heightened by the vivid colours and pungent fresh smells of the forest.
Lyra was almost camoflaged in her dark green cloak as she knelt in the soft grass. She'd placed a large white candle on a black rock and salted the immediate area around her. Some herbs lay on the rock next to the candle encircled by a fine gold necklace. An altar in nature, thought Dean.
Lyra's lips were moving but he couldn't hear what she was saying. Moving closer he heard her invoking the Goddess. Asking for protection and strength for her family in the task that lay ahead. Begging peace for her sister's soul.
Realization sunk in for Dean. This wasn't an ostentatious ceremony, a theatrical Wiccan ritual like the sort he'd seen covens perform before - no flourish and drama, no weilding of long swords around large bonfires calling out the names of age-old gods. This was a deeply private, quiet veneration. Lyra really was a devout Wiccan, not just a self-stylized Goth poser. He suddenly felt intrusive; they'd invaded her solitude. Catching Sam's look he recognized that Sam had come to the same conclusion and was quietly moving up the path back the way they'd come.
Too late. She sensed them. Rising from her knees in one fluid motion, her cloak swirled as she turned to face them. Her alibastair cheeks flared crimson, blue eyes blazed coldly. Beads of water glistened on her shoulders reflecting the sun's fading light. There were tiny droplets on her face, though Dean wasn't sure they were from the waterfall's fine mist. He had an impulse to apologize though he wasn't sure what for. Flashing his trademark smile he stepped towards her in an attempt to smooth things over. He felt a pushing sensation on his chest. He couldn't step forward if he tried. Lyra was several feet away from him.
"What the hell?"
"You should go," she said coolly.
Dean didn't like being pushed around psychokinetically or otherwise, "Do you know what you're doing?"
"Do you?" Lyra shot back.
"You should be careful," Sam interjected. "You're tampering with powerful forces."
A bitter laugh burst from Lyra. "I know what they're capable of, believe me."
"You're summoning demons!" Dean burst out.
"What concern is it of yours?"
"You're endangering innocent people," Dean warned.
He'd touched a nerve. A wind blew Lyra's dark hair away from her face, leafy branches swayed overhead. "No one's been injured," she replied.
"Yet," Dean pointed out. "Why are you summoning them?"
Lyra's eyes narrowed "Who are you?" Looking at Sam, "What do you want?"
"We're looking for someone we lost too," stated Sam in his simple, soft tone.
Looking as though she'd been struck, Lyra's face registered shock. She took a pace back.
Sensing the advantage Sam took a step towards her. "Possibly," he ventured, "we're looking for the same thing that's responsible?"
Failing to mask her roiling emotions, Lyra looked simultaneously beaten and ready to attack.
"What's all this then?" Jim's brogue rang out as he came down the path. "I could feel the tension all the way to my wood shed."