The Chaos Tree
Chapter 29
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The Impala cruised back down Main Street followed by a blue Ford pickup truck belonging to none other than Mr. Arnold, the man who had threatened Elijah Matthews in the café earlier that day. He rather sheepishly said he "owed" them and wanted to help out. Thus the '67 Chevy carried Dean, Caleb, Onida and Adam, while JT drove the pickup truck with James and Max on board.
Caleb shifted in his seat and looked into the back, asking, "You know what's happening next?"
"All I know is that we're doing a spell to call back the seeds," Onida relayed, indicating her and Adam. "Or Adam is doing the spell. I'm along for energy support."
"You're calling the mineral within the seeds back here, and I'm amplifying your energy so it can reach the seeds," Adam explained.
Dean glanced into the rearview mirror. "You can do that? From all around the country?"
"The spell is sound," was all Adam said.
Caleb blinked, and gave Onida a questioning look.
"Yeah, he kept saying that to me too," Onida complained, though she gave the stoic man a smile.
"And after that?" Caleb asked.
Adam gave a small shrug. "I don't know. I believe Joshua has a plan, but I don't know what it is."
Nodding, Caleb turned around and watched the road. He was irritated and wanted to yell at Adam for not knowing what was going on, but knew that was the influence of the Tree. They were all on edge, despite the enhanced spell pouches Joshua had made for them. As he glared out the window, a blue light stole through his mind, calming and cool. The tension in his shoulders loosened and he slid a little lower in the seat, relaxing. Thank you, he said to Onida. The blue winked slightly, then retreated.
Dean turned left onto Route 191 toward the park. The closer they got, the more wound up he felt. He knew Caleb was tense as well, and his grip on the wheel tightened. Suddenly brilliant lights flashed before them as the high beams of an eighteen-wheeler flipped on. The massive horn screamed as the driver rushed at them straight on in their lane. Onida screamed.
"Deuce!" Caleb exclaimed even as Dean swerved onto the shoulder of the road, tires grinding up the dirt and shrubs along the roadside. Everyone held on tightly to whatever afforded them some security as the car skidded and slid. Only Dean's masterful driving kept them from careening off into the trees. After muscling them back onto the road, he pulled the car off to the side. Breathing hard, he turned and searched frantically for the blue truck to their rear.
"They're fine," Caleb gasped, his heart still racing. "They saw us swerve and did the same. They're fine."
Dean, however, needed to see for himself. Jumping from the car, he jogged back to the small truck, where JT had already rolled down the driver's side window.
"We're fine, Dad," JT called, giving Dean a wan smile. "We saw the truck and pulled off to the side of the road."
Dean's eyes went from JT to James to Max, before he nodded. Dropping his chin to his chest, he blew out a relieved breath.
James shook his head slightly. "He was driving without headlights."
"Until he wasn't," Max mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"We're okay, Dad," JT repeated softly.
Dean knew it was all the turmoil from the Tree that was making their emotions seem larger than life. He needed to rein it in if they were to get this done. Straightening his shoulders, he nodded. "Then let's get on our way, huh?"
James smiled and nodded as Max said, "Let's do it."
Dean jogged back to the Impala and climbed inside. Once they reached the park, they climbed from the vehicles and started for the park. It wasn't until they'd passed the scattered trees, picnic benches and trash cans, that James, JT and Max faltered. More than a dozen people lay around the edges of the park grass, hands zip-tied together.
"What's with the bodies?" James asked. "Are they all right?"
"They're fine," Caleb explained. "Like those in town, they were used by Piruz in his spell. Right now they're asleep until we send the Tree away.
Nodding, JT looked out into the park and saw Joshua and Ryker walking in a large circle around the Tree while Sam knelt nearby working over some bowls. "Are they making a protection circle?"
"A purification circle," Adam said. Though he knew these people wouldn't have been hurt, they'd been an integral part of Piruz's spell, and he wanted to ensure that no one was in distress.
Caleb stepped onto the grass, his whole body feeling as though it were tearing itself in two. He got a few feet before bending over, one hand on his middle, the other on his knee for support.
"Caleb!" Onida exclaimed, hurrying to his side.
"I'm … okay," Caleb muttered. Swallowing hard, he pushed himself up and started walking again.
"Let me help," Onida said.
Giving a definitive shake of his head, Caleb said, "No, you've got a job to do, and I don't think it's going to be easy. You need to save your strength."
Onida gritted her teeth. Caleb was right, in that she had no idea how much energy calling the seeds back would take, and she'd used much more than her usual stores tonight already. But Caleb was in pain now. She looked around at the others. Max was completely white, and JT and James both looked pale. With Adam it was difficult to tell, as his usually stoic nature was a tough nut to crack, and his natural golden skin tone didn't give away a lot. But she thought he was looking a little grayer than normal. Dean's back was to her, so she couldn't see his face, but the stiff set of his shoulders told her the Guardian of the Brotherhood was feeling the effects of the Tree, as they all were.
Dean approached Sam. "How's it going?"
Sam sighed and looked up.
"Sam!" Dean exclaimed, dropping to his knees. "Are you all right?"
Sam's face was white and wet with sweat. "I'm…" he swallowed, "I'm fine … ish." He gave his brother a wan smile. "It's not easy being this close to the Tree for any length of time." Focusing more on Dean, he frowned. "You don't look too good either."
"Whichever it is, the Tree or the Chaos Spell, it's a bitch," Dean growled. "How are we on sending it away?"
"Not sure." Sam waved a hand over the bowls in front of him. "Joshua just said to arrange all these bowls in a certain order, and I've been doing that while he and Ryker cleanse away Piruz's spell so they can recreate one of their own." He shrugged. "I'm just here for window dressing."
"You're much more than that," Dean asserted fervently, receiving a smile in return.
Joshua and Ryker were walking a slow circuit around the Tree, Ryker in front swinging a thurible suspended from three metal chains. Smoke flowed from the sides as his lips moved. In his other hand had held a tall amphora from which he was carefully dribbling something on the line. Joshua followed about four feet behind holding a flask of oil and a thick bundle of something green over the line.
Caleb walked up, frowning. "What are they doing?"
"Purifying the old line," Sam said. "Joshua said the old line was a binding spell, to keep the Tree inside. Ryker is using frankincense and myrrh to purify the old line while Joshua follows with rosemary, signifying a new beginning."
As they watched, Ryker stumbled slightly. Adam looked alarmed, but though he gave a few involuntary steps forward, he remained on the sidelines. When Joshua stepped forward and spoke to the young man, his shoulders relaxed a bit. Ryker was listening, and after a moment, he straightened and continued moving forward. Adam's eyes were glued to the pair, watching their slow cadence until he finally walked determinedly forward.
"Adam!" Sam called softly after the man, but Adam either didn't hear or ignored him.
Adam walked up to Joshua and waited for the other man to pause. He then whispered a word or two. At Joshua's nod, he moved up beside his son, gently took the thurible from his hand and moved in front. Taking the lead, he swung the smoking metal from side to side, murmuring the ages old incantation for purification, freeing his son to pour the oil onto the old line. Very soon he could tell that being this close to the Tree was not for the faint of heart. Only considerable years of focusing on difficult spell work and incantations kept his head in the game.
Ryker seemed to take strength and heart from watching his father's straight back and steady footfalls, and he followed, repeating the purification incantation and pouring out pure frankincense and myrrh oil on the old binding spell line.
Dean looked down and saw that Sam was watching the tableau around the Tree, having already finished arranging the bowls for Joshua. Rising, he said, "Everyone back to the tree line. Let's get at least some distance between us and the Tree."
No one needed telling twice as they all turned and walked away. Once they were in the shelter of the park rim, Onida sat down beneath one of the small trees. Leaning back, she closed her eyes, taking advantage of this time to collect her strength for the task she and Adam would soon undertake. When someone tapped her shoulder, she looked up to see James handing her a bottle of water. Smiling, she took it. "Thanks."
James' lips quirked slightly. "Thank you," he said earnestly.
Caleb watched the exchange before moving away as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He needed to check in with Ethan, see what was happening in the town.
James walked over to his brother and Max as they remained by the grass edge, watching Ryker as he made his way around the circle. "Does anyone know how we're going to get rid of the Tree?"
"Dad does," Max stated confidently, no doubt whatsoever in his tone.
Sam glanced at Dean, who returned the look with a shrug of his shoulders; nope, he didn't know either.
James merely nodded. With a sigh, he turned and dropped down a few feet away, leaning back into a tree like Onida.
JT watched his brother a moment, then went over and sat nearby. "You feeling all right?"
"Yeah, tired," James said. He looked up at Max. The young Knight-to-be was standing watch over them, though his eyes were still trained on Ryker, Adam, and Joshua. "Wouldn't mind a bed and a long night's sleep, but I'm good."
JT smiled, nodding. He wouldn't mind a bed either, preferably at mom and dad's on the farm.
Caleb returned to where Sam and Dean stood. "Ethan said the hostages were being kept in the Elevator Factory. By the time our guys got there, the ones guarding them were already setting everyone free. Obviously there was a lot of confusion and tension in the place."
"Guess so," Sam mused. "The people keeping you captive are suddenly setting you free and trying to be sympathetic. I imagine that was tough to take."
"Some of the captives took advantage of their freedom to deliver some payback," Caleb stated. "There was a lot of aggressive emotions flying around all mixed up with joy and relief at families being reunited. But they'll surface again, and soon."
"And the kids?" Dean asked. He couldn't imagine tots and babies being held in the factory.
"The younger kids and infants were being held in the church basement," Caleb relayed. "Ethan couldn't believe he and Elijah were so close and had no idea. The pastor had sequestered the children away from the adults, since so many odd things were happening. Along with the church pianist and the secretary, they were able to keep the kids fed and safe."
Sam's look incredulous. "The parents were okay with that?"
"The ones under the spell didn't seem to notice. So if children were in the mix, the pastor took those kids under his wing. When other families were being detained or family members were taken hostage, many younger families brought their children to the church for safe keeping. The pastor has been watching out for them all ever since."
Dean shook his head. He wondered if Piruz even thought of children and babies being without their parents, without care or food. He figured not.
"As for the people we tied up or secured throughout the town," Caleb continued, "Joel and Daniel along with Keith and William are working to set them free and send them down to the high school."
"How are Ethan and Elijah handling everything?" Sam asked.
"They're working with the town sheriff and pastor on setting up a triage at the high school gymnasium. It's the only place large enough for everyone to gather all at once, including the coven members. They've arranged to bring in food, some cots, bandages, stuff like that. But several fights have broken out already, and questions are starting to rise about what happened."
"Like why family members and people they'd known all their life were holding them hostage?" Sam stated.
Caleb nodded. "Joel and Daniel are helping the deputy keep a lid on the violence."
"The deputy?"
"Lebanon has a population of a little over two hundred people," Caleb commented dryly. "You were expecting a police force?"
Dean gave Caleb the finger.
Attempting to keep the conversation on track, Sam said, "If we don't tell them something soon, this is going to tear the town apart."
Sighing, Caleb nodded. "It's not like we can explain about people being enthralled by a wizard. These folks are the practical heart of the Midwest. They won't believe in magic, covens or crafters."
"Except the ones in a coven," Sam snarked, only to earn a glare from Caleb.
"What about the coven leader guy," Dean asked. "What's his name…?"
"Cadmael," Sam supplied.
"Yeah. Can't he do anything? Cast a spell of forgetting or something?"
"A spell on the entire town?" Sam said skeptically. "You want to traumatize them more?"
"Okay," Dean huffed. "Maybe not a spell. What about a potion?"
"The coven isn't from Lebanon," Caleb countered. "The people here have no reason to trust what they say or drink what they make."
"Plus you're talking about making a complicated potion," Sam said.
"Josh could make it," Caleb interjected.
"Yeah, he could," Sam stated. "But that would take time. I'd say we tell them something that sounds reasonable right now. What we don't need if for them to come here and start interfering. We can wipe their memories later."
Dean nodded. "Okay, let's head back and I'll tell the people … something. Sam, you're the most sincere out of all of us. Chime in when my story needs shoring up."
Sam sighed and nodded. He was used to his brother throwing him into the deep end with no oar after all this time. "Is it too much to ask what the story is?"
Caleb merely grinned as Dean said, "Yup! I don't know yet."
Sam snorted, and was about to comment when he looked over Dean's shoulder. Without another word he jogged past Dean and Caleb straight for the Tree.
JT walked over, James and Max on his heels, and asked, "What's up?"
"Looks like show time," Caleb said, watching Adam and Ryker finish the purification spell and walk slowly away from the Tree.
Onida pushed herself to her feet, knowing it was almost time for the spell she and Adam would perform.
Joshua was moving slowly over the last of the binding circle with his rosemary. As they watched, Joshua finished and strode over to Sam, Ryker and Adam. They spoke for a moment, then Ryker and Joshua picked up two bowls.
Adam walked half way to the tree line, and after a moment he spotted Onida and gestured for her to come.
Swallowing down her fear, Onida started forward, only to find Caleb's hand clasped strongly in hers. "You shouldn't be near the Tree until absolutely necessary," she said.
"I've got Joshua's protection," Caleb said, indicating the spell pouches around his neck. "I'll walk you there then come back." Giving her a small smile, he finished, "We're in this together."
Onida nodded and gripped his hand tight. Together. It was a wonderful word.
Dean turned and looked toward the town. The jeopardy of the Chaos Spell and the proximity of the Tree to Lebanon posed a real threat. Cities that had been exposed to just the seeds had experienced extreme violence. For Lebanon, having just come out of a traumatic experience, the townspeople would feel out of control, afraid. Fear impacted thinking and decision making; it made people unpredictable. Add to that the influence of the Chaos Spell and the impact of the Tree, there was no telling what the townspeople would do. They needed to protect Joshua and Ryker until the Tree could be sent back to Eden. Turning to JT, he said, "I'm heading into town, see if I can come up with something to calm things down."
JT frowned. "The influence of the Tree won't let things calm down long."
"There are two sides of this Tree-coin," Dean said. "If needed, we'll secure the more aggressive ones and let the givers watch the cell doors. I want you guys to stay here, protect Joshua so he can get the Tree out of here."
"We got it covered," JT stated.
Dean gave JT a squeeze on the shoulder, then turned and jogged toward the Tree. Joshua was speaking with Adam and Onida while Ryker set bowls and some pouches together in what would obviously be a circle for the pair. Walking up to Caleb, he said, "Let's get back into town."
"You want to try and calm things down," Caleb said.
"If I was the Sheriff, I'd want answers, pronto."
"Ethan's there, and he's got a badge."
"If things are going to get as wild as they were in Houston, we should be on hand."
"Agreed." Caleb turned and over to where Onida was standing with Adam and Ryker near a decent sized protection circle.
"Take care of things here while I touch base with Josh," Dean said, nodding toward Onida. He walked over to Sam and Joshua, who were deep in conversation, and waited for a break in the conversation. When it came, he asked, "How are things going?"
Joshua sighed. "Good, fine. Adam and Onida are about to get started, then when they're finished, Ryker and I will draw a new line around the Tree so we can complete the spell to send it back to Eden."
"Excellent," Dean said. "I want to hear everything about the spell later. Now, Sam? Let's get going."
"What?" Joshua exclaimed. "Where are you going?"
"Into town," Dean said. "The people need someone to tell them what's going on."
"It can't be you," Joshua stated firmly. "You're needed here."
Dean frowned. "What do you mean? You're the one doing the spell to send the Tree back, not me. They need help."
"And you're needed here," Joshua said again. "I need you for the spell."
"What? Why?"
Running a hand through his blondish white hair, Joshua said, "I don't have time to explain right now. I need you here for the spell, so you can't go."
Dean didn't understand, but he trusted Joshua. He'd thrown this mess into their Advisor's lap, and if he was needed, so be it. "Okay, then Caleb and Sam…"
"No, they're needed here too."
Dean ran a hand over his face in a patented gesture known by them all; it meant that his brain was going a mile a minute to come up with a solution. Finally he said, "Okay. I'll send…"
"JT, James and Max are needed here too."
"Seriously?" Dean exclaimed.
Joshua nodded. "I'm not trying to be difficult, and I know the townspeople have to be on the extreme edge right now. But the spell to send the Tree back needs all six of you."
Dean stepped away, one hand massaging the back of his neck as he thought of what to do. Maybe Ethan and his badge were all that would be needed to calm the townspeople. But if the aggressors needed to be subdued, would Ethan, Elijah, Daniel and Joel be enough to take down a mob?
Caleb walked up, eyeing the three men, waiting to see what was happening.
"Okay, hang on," Sam interjected, looking to Joshua. "You've already purified Piruz's line, and Adam and Onida still need to call the seeds back. Then you and Ryker need to make the protection circle around the Tree before you do the spell, right?"
Joshua nodded, saying, "But you three and the boys need to be here when I make the spell circle."
"Okay, but you can't do the spell circle until Adam and Onida finish their task; is that right?"
"Yes," Joshua said, his tone infused with weariness.
"How about we leave right now and try to get the town's people settled," Sam suggested. "Ethan said triage was set up in the high school. That's on the north end of town, and we could be there in, like, three minutes. How long can you give us before we need to be back?"
Looking highly uncomfortable, Joshua ended up merely sighing. He didn't want them going anywhere. Things happened, and the spell needed them here. But they would all do what needed to be done. Finally he gave Sam a nod and said, "Twenty minutes. Then you've got to be back here. I can't do this spell without you three. It won't work."
Sam looked over at Dean. "Compromise," he said.
Dean gave their Advisor a slow nod. "Then if we're going to be back in twenty minutes, we'd better get going. JT, James and Max will watch your back here."
Turning, the three took off running across the grass and through the straggled trees around the park to the Impala. Once inside, Dean rammed the car into reverse and they took off.
"Twenty minutes isn't a lot of time to calm people down," Caleb said.
"Then we'd better be damned persuasive," Dean muttered.
"Know what you're going to say yet?" Sam asked.
"No, but I'm thinking. So shut up."
Caleb turned and eyed Sam, who rolled his eyes. They both hoped the whopper Dean thought up this time would be a good one.
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Adam placed the bowl between him and Onida. Inside was a thick paste of ingredients with a thin film of liquid floating on top.
"How do I get the seeds to go to the Tree?" Onida asked.
"Joshua said the seeds wanted to go back to the Tree," Adam said. "I trust his judgment."
Blowing out a calming breath, Onida said, "Yeah, okay."
Giving her a confident nod, Adam said, "Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"Just focus on the minerals and calling them with your energy. Don't think about where they are now; just call this specific mineral."
Onida nodded again. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused on the mineral inside the seeds. To her energy, they were slightly acidic with a little bit of a citrus tang and a floral overtone. They were different from anything else she'd ever sensed in nature, so it was no problem focusing on that unique resonance. She was focusing so hard, everything and everyone else began to fade away.
Adam nodded, his own eyes closed as he worked the spell that would bring the seeds to the Tree. His hands moved over the potion, and he worked on extending Onida's energy to the furthest corners of the continent. Lower and lower his hands went until he touched the cool liquid at the top of the potion. His fingers tingled as the liquid began to swirl.
Joshua watched what was happening, then gave an inaudible sigh. Rubbing a hand over his forehead, he suddenly listed to the side. Thankfully Ryker was standing nearby, and he quickly stepped in, preventing Joshua from falling.
Max, watching from the edge of the park, immediately took off running to his father followed by JT and James.
"I'm … all right," Joshua breathed, giving Ryker a pat on the shoulder.
"Dad!" Max exclaimed softly, trying not to disturb Adam or Onida. Gripping Joshua arm, he moved to help the older man sit down. JT knocked a bottle of water against Max's shoulder. Nodding his thanks, he took the bottle and handed it to his father. "Here, drink some water."
Joshua nodded his thanks and took the bottle of water. After drinking half, he said, "I'm fine. Just the Tree," he waved a hand.
Ryker squatted down. "You need some rest. I'm making you a protection circle. It'll block out the Tree and the Chaos Spell."
Joshua's eyes went to Adam and Onida, who were safely ensconced inside their own circle, their eyes closed as they worked on calling the seeds back. He would need all the strength he possessed to work the spell needed to send back the Tree. As he'd told Dean; they had a little time. Maybe some rest was needed. "Yes, all right, but you're inside as well." He looked up at JT, James and Max, noting their pale and strained faces. "In fact, all of us should get some rest. Everyone, sit down, lie down, whatever you need. Then Ryker can make the circle to shield us."
"I'm staying out here," JT said. "Dad said some of the townspeople might come and try to cause trouble. Someone needs to stand guard."
"Since Ryker's making the spell, we'll be able to step outside without breaking the line," Max stated. Stepping closer to JT, he said in a low tone, "I can tell you're on your last nerve; we all are. We need some rest." He looked over at James, whose face was completely white, dark circles etched under his eyes, and he played the big brother card without a hint of guilt. "And James won't go in without you."
JT glanced covertly at his brother, then nodded. "All right."
All four men sat down in a wide circle. At JT's urging, James rolled his eyes, but lay down, his head on his brother's legs. Max sat with his back to JT's so they could lean on one another. Ryker held out his duffle for Joshua, and the older man lay on his back, his head cushioned by the pack. Quickly Ryker walked a large circle around them all, himself included, then sealed it with his blood.
The sense of relief everyone felt the moment the circle closed was profound. James sighed and closed his eyes, his body relaxing. He was asleep in seconds. Joshua too dropped quickly off to sleep, the stress of the last couple of days finally giving way to weariness. JT, Max and Ryker kept watch.
"I've got the west side," JT murmured. "Max…?"
"North."
"I've got south," Ryker murmured, taking his eyes off his father's circle and focusing on the distant edge of the park.
.
Dean, Caleb and Sam climbed from the car and hurried toward the high school. They could hear heightened activity and the venting of emotions even from outside.
"Know what you're going to say?" Sam asked as they jogged to the doors.
"Sorta," Dean replied. He ripped open the double doors of the gymnasium and they stepped inside.
It was barely controlled bedlam inside. Up near front of the gym were several cots holding numerous people. A few were even lying atop blankets on the floor. On the far side were several long conference tables covered with food and bottles of water. On the side near where they stood, several people were milling around several rows of folding chairs. It was obvious someone had tried unsuccessfully to get people to sit down, or maybe just calm down.
Ethan was talking to a man of medium height with black hair. Spotting Dean, Caleb and Sam, he murmured a few words and hurried over. "Hey. I hope you've got something up your sleeve. The natives are restless."
"Badging them didn't work?" Caleb asked.
"Not really. I didn't have time to think of a convincing reason for what happened here. We've been able to calm people a bit, but whatever truce or understanding we come to keeps breaking down."
"The Chaos Spell," Sam said.
"Hole in one," Ethan conceded.
"I'll make protection sigils on each side of the building," Sam said. "It should help a little." At Dean's nod, he turned and jogged out the door.
Ethan watched the retreating Scholar, before saying, "I hope he's got invisible paint, cause if anyone finds those, questions will be asked."
Dean smiled. "He's got something similar."
Ethan looked startled, then shook his head and moved on. "The Sheriff has already put some of the more aggressive types in jail, but this is a small town. He's trying to keep some room free for the most violent cases. We've put other troublemakers in places like the school gardening shed, the principal's office..." Dean gave a spontaneous grin at that one, "...janitor's closet, other places around the school that had good locks. But we're quickly running out of space."
Elijah walked up, his expression harried. "Joel's got two more tied up in the locker room showers. He hoped some cold water might cool them off." Looking to Dean, he said, "I hope you've got something to help out."
"Can the coven make something to calm these people down?"
Frowning, Elijah said, "I don't know. They're protection crafters. I don't know how much other magic they know." Glancing over his shoulder to where Cadmael was standing, he said, "I'll ask."
"We can't drug these people," Ethan said. "They've been traumatized enough without that."
"We're not going to drug them," Dean said. "They're going to take it voluntarily."
"What are you thinking?" Caleb asked.
Just then Elijah walked up with Cadmael at his side.
The man with the black hair held out his hand to Dean and said, "My name is Cadmael. Thank you for freeing my people and the town."
Dean shook it. "Did Elijah tell you what we need?"
The man nodded. "You want a calming draft. Yes, we can make that, but…"
"How quickly?" Dean interrupted.
Cadmael's eyes went to Elijah before he said, "For everyone, even the children?"
That's when Dean looked around and realized that, save for teens and tweens, there were no children in the room. "Where are the children?"
"In the gymnastics room," Elijah said. "The tumbling mats gave them something comfortable to sleep on. And the pastor brought blankets and pillows over from the church."
"I don't think the little ones would need the potion," Caleb interjected. "If they are experiencing emotional fluctuations and tantrums, they aren't big enough to do damage. Anyway, they'll probably be asleep soon, with all the stress."
"Most of the little ones are already asleep," Elijah confirmed.
"Then if we're making the potion for all those over fourteen or fifteen, it would take about fifteen minutes once we have all the needed ingredients gathered. And with the help of my coven, of course," Cadmael continued. He wanted to ask what was going on, but kept his counsel.
"Do you have the ingredients here?"
"Yes, at City Hall."
"Get them," Dean ordered. Turning to Ethan, he said, "Where's the Sheriff?"
"He just took a couple of men to the jail. He should be back in a few minutes."
"Have him call everyone to order when he gets here."
Ethan nodded and hurried to the doors, passing Sam as he went out.
Sam approached his brother and Caleb. "Protection sigils are up, though there's so much turbulence, I don't know how much good they'll be"
"They'll help, and that's enough," Dean said.
Caleb eyed his friend. Finally he asked, "Okay, the Sheriff: want to spill the beans?"
"Terrorism," Dean stated.
Caleb and Sam exchanged confused looks.
Sighing, Dean said, "A terrorist group plans on taking over Washington. What they want is to subdue our country's leaders, get them working for them. To prepare, they've practiced on small towns in the Midwest, places with small communities, places the media ignores as irrelevant. They hypnotize some of the townsfolk, have them subdue others, then they run the town. The feeling of being out of control is a drug the terrorists have administered to keep the public off balance so they don't work out what's happening. Some, however, were able to shake off the drug, and with their courageous help, we've taken out the leader and the entire cell. Then we'll say we're administering a counter-agent to reverse the effects of the drug they were given. It'll make them sleepy, but they need the rest anyway. They'll all be receiving letters of commendation, though these letters will be sealed inside the Department of Defense, as are all classified materials. And we're asking them to remain silent about what happened here, so as not to panic the nation."
Caleb and Sam were staring at Dean, their mouths hanging open in shock.
Feeling defensive, Dean declared, "It was the best I could come up with on short notice!"
Caleb laughed. "It's brilliant!"
"It's completely mental!" Sam exclaimed. "No one in their right minds would believe that."
"Good thing no one is in their right mind," Dean shrugged.
"Terrorism has been rising steadily for decades," Caleb said. "You hear something about a terrorist attack in the news almost weekly. We could sell this!"
"These people may be from a small town, but they're not stupid," Sam stated hotly. "I won't play them for fools."
"I'm not trying to play them for fools," Dean hissed, rounding on his brother. "I'm trying to keep them from hurting one another or stopping us from getting that Tree out of here! What would you suggest I tell them? That a wizard from before the time of Noah's flood came here to plant a Tree from Eden in order to send the country into chaos so he could rule and show up God?"
Sam huffed. "No."
"We've only got another," Dean glanced at his watch, "fourteen minutes. I'm open to something else that might sound remotely plausible, Sam."
"And you think that was plausible?" Sam hissed.
The doors opened behind them and Ethan came back inside followed by a middle-aged man with wiry gray hair and a solid build.
"Sam?" Dean said quietly.
Sam grimaced. He didn't like the idea of using a story about terrorism, because it would frighten people. But he couldn't come up with something else either. Dean had always been better at coming up with plausible stories on the fly, and the truth was, he could sell them. If he were honest, he thought most of Dean's stories were fanciful and didn't understand why people believed them. But then, he knew the truth, didn't he? He wasn't desperately trying to come up with something reasonable to explain a frightening and unexplainable situation. People believed incredible things so they didn't have to believe the incredible itself.
"Sam!" Dean hissed. The Sheriff was almost to them.
"No, I can't think of anything else," Sam admitted hastily.
Dean's gaze went to his brother, his expressive eyes showing that he understood Sam's reticence for the story. Nodding once, he turned and held out his hand to the Sheriff. "John Rutsey. Department of Homeland Security: Special Taskforce."
"Andy Howard, Sheriff of Lebanon." Hard eyes studied Dean's appearance, from the worn jeans to the black tee-shirt and plaid flannel. "Got some identification?"
"In my car," Dean said. "I can go get it, or I can try and explain what happened so people can calm down, get the help they need."
"Help they need?" Sheriff Howard echoed skeptically.
Giving the sheriff a hard nod, Dean said, "Let's get a little privacy and I'll explain what you and your town have achieved here." Holding out a hand, he led the man to a distant corner.
Caleb, Sam and Ethan watched them talk, the sheriff listening intently to whatever Dean was saying.
Without looking away from the pair, Ethan asked, "John Rutsey?"
Sam gave a long-suffering sigh. "Rush."
"Rutsey was the original drummer for the group," Caleb explained. "He was replaced by Neil Peart in nineteen-seventy-four due to health issues." It had been a very long time since Dean had used an alias from a band. Damn, he hadn't realized how much he'd missed that.
"Plus he hated touring," Sam added. "Rush isn't as well-known as some classic rock bands, but Dean pretty much knows them all."
Ethan laughed.
Walking up, Elijah asked, "What's so funny?"
"Dean and rock bands," Ethan relayed, shaking his head. "What about the potion?"
"Cadmael is working on it right now with ten other coven members. When they're finished, they'll load the mix into the back of a truck and bring it over to the gym." Looking around, Elijah said, "But it looks like things have gotten a little calmer."
"Sam put protection sigils on each side of the building," Caleb said.
Giving himself a mental head slap, Elijah grumbled, "Why didn't we think of that?"
"Too many aggressive people and trying to keep them under control," Sam replied.
"I'm wondering why a coven whose focus is on protecting people didn't think of it?" Caleb grumbled.
"Probably because they're not used to dealing with situations like this." Sam could understand that. Not many people, even covens, were used to dealing with the supernatural like they were.
"My question is, how do we get the townspeople to take the potion without alarming them?" Ethan said. "If I were them and had been through what they had, I'd be pretty damned suspicious of everyone and everything."
"If Dean is presenting it like an antidote, we'll treat it like that," Sam suggested. "Get those little Dixie cups, pour some in and hand it out. They'll drink it."
Caleb glanced at his watch. "Eleven minutes."
"What about eleven minutes?" Ethan asked.
"Apparently Joshua needs us there for the spell to get rid of the Tree," Sam said. "He gave us twenty minutes before he needs us back."
Ethan grimaced. "That's cutting this very close."
"Ain't that the truth," Caleb mumbled.
A second later Dean and the Sheriff came back towards them, a new, determined spring in the Sheriff's step.
"I'm heading up to the front, get everyone in their seats," Sheriff Howard said. "Can you get the antidote poured and over to the table? We'll have people file by after you speak and let them know what the hell went on." Holding out his hand, he gave Dean's a hearty shake. "Thank you, thank you for saving this town."
Dean gave the man a firm nod, saying, "Thank you for being the tough, Midwestern sonsabitches we know and love. I'm from Kansas too, so I know the backbone here. It's your people's fighting spirit that helped take down these bastards."
Sheriff Howard nodded, then walked off, calling out for everyone to come sit down, that they had news on what the hell had happened.
Caleb, Sam, Ethan and Elijah were staring at Dean.
"What?" Dean demanded, his fair skin going a smidge pink.
"How in the hell did you manage that?" Ethan asked. "He's been suspicious of us since we set everyone free, and I've got a legit badge from Houston PD! You didn't even show him identification."
"I've been lying longer than you," Dean smirked. "I want you and Elijah to bring in the potion, not the coven. Andy's not going to trust them, and I think I've stretched this as far as it can go."
Ethan nodded. "I'll call Cadmael, fill him in," and he hurried out the double doors.
Dean glanced down at his watch. "We're cutting this close." Looking around, he saw that people were slowly moving to the chairs. In fact, several seats were filled already.
"You're going to speak?" Sam asked.
"I've got to."
"We need out of here in eight minutes, nine at the outside if we're to get back within Josh's twenty-minute window," Caleb said.
Nodding, Dean walked up to where Sheriff Howard was standing, waiting for people to get seated. Smiling, he reached and started shaking hands with the townspeople near the front, introducing himself and telling them he appreciated their service. People were looking confused, but listening.
"I'll be damned," Caleb murmured.
"He's connecting with the crowd, making himself one of them." Elijah shook his head. "I need to take lessons."
Sam merely grinned. Yup, that was his brother; self-assured, charming, an outright deceiver with a heart of gold, and utterly believable. Maybe he should take lessons too.
Finally, when most of the seats were filled, Sheriff Howard stood up front and called for attention. "Thank you! Thank you everyone for sitting down. We don't have the microphone system up, so I'm going to ask for quiet so you can all hear. We'll take questions after this is over. Right now, I want to introduce Special Agent Rutsey from Homeland Security. He's going to tell you about what happened in this town, and about the debt they owe the people right here in Lebanon." Turning, he nodded to Dean.
Stepping forward, Dean nodded to the people, met several of their intense gazes, and started to speak.
.
Onida focused on the mineral found in the seeds, ignoring what Adam was doing, ignoring the sounds and movements around her. Adam had said not to worry about the distance, but just to focus on the seeds. It was a difficult task, because the thought that the seeds were thousands of miles away was a daunting prospect. But she tried to focus on his instructions. She wasn't sure how long she'd been concentrating on her task when she felt a lid pop on one of the boxes. Inhaling sharply in surprise, she narrowed her focus on bringing the phytic acid mineral toward her and the Tree.
Adam also felt the box pop open. Lifting his right hand, he waved his fingers in the air, coaxing the seeds from the box. In his mind's eye he could see the green, vibrant light Onida was using to call the seeds to her, and he was extending its reach with his potion. Other box lids popped open, and in his mind's eyes he saw streams of green light weaving throughout the country. He had no idea how long he and Onida had been working when he began to notice a faint buzzing sound. At first he dismissed it as noise from the Tree. But he then heard it grow louder.
In the other circle, Max was the first to hear the odd noise in the air. It sounded like cicadas in the spring. Lifting his head, he searched the night sky until he spotted a dark cloud coming nearer. "Guys…" he whispered, pointing.
JT and Ryker's heads turned toward the north. Trying not to shift too much and wake James, JT squinted, frowning. "What?"
Ryker was focused on the sky, until finally he pointed, murmuring, "There."
"What is that?" JT asked.
"I'd say that those are the seeds," Joshua murmured quietly, pushing himself into a sitting position. He'd never seen anything so odd in his life, and that was saying something. Of course, no regular person would think anything of it. The dark cloud flying across the moonlit sky looked like a swarm of bugs. There was even a strange sort of buzzing as they drew closer. Of course, they'd all heard the buzzing from the Tree, so he supposed the seed's resonation would be the same.
Near the Tree, Onida heard the sound and almost opened her eyes to look around.
"Stay focused," Adam murmured, his hands now brushing the bottom of an almost empty bowl of potion.
Joshua watched the skies, a smile of delight on his face. To see such a thing, to achieve such an amazing display of magic was phenomenal. To have reached across the entire country and called these seeds to them was truly a work of magical art at its best. Working together, Adam and Onida had done something astounding, and he knew Nadine must never hear about this. If she did, she would stop at nothing to bring Adam, and possibly Onida, back to West Virginia.
Max's head turned this way and that as he watched swarms coming in from all directions. Suddenly he asked, "Did you set up something to capture the seeds?"
Joshua shook his head, his face still tilted towards the sky. "They'll go back to the Tree. It's what they want to do."
The first cloud of seeds from the north hit the Tree, covering the truck and branches like locust in a field. Slowly, the appearance of blackness lightened as the Tree appeared to absorb the seeds back into itself.
"That's amazing," James murmured, his eyes glued to the Tree.
JT looked down and smiled when he saw that James was awake and watching the unbelievable sight, head still resting on his big brother's legs.
Ryker's gaze was going from his father and Onida to the Tree, and back again. "Definitely," he whispered.
A second, then a third cloud of seeds swirled around the Tree and clung to the trunk, branches and limbs. When the fourth cloud blanketed the Tree, Adam and Onida opened their eyes and looked around. Adam gave Onida a wide smile, and she grinned in return.
"You'll never see anything like that again," Adam remarked, his eyes twinkling.
"I hope not," Onida chuckled, her eyes on the Tree. The seeds were twisting around the base and moving upward as others were absorbed, making room for them. When the last of the seeds had been absorbed, Adam scratched across the line around them. A fresh swath of fresh air curled in along with the chaos and cacophony of the Tree. "Ooh," she murmured as her head ached in pain. Closing her eyes, she quickly covered her ears.
"Pull your energy back inside," Adam stated.
Giving a slight nod, Onida tried to pull in her energy and close herself off from the Tree. But the Chaos Spell was making that difficult. If she hadn't been wearing one of Joshua's potion protection spell bags, she thought she would have hauled off and clobbered someone. Finally she just sighed and opened her eyes. If Caleb could deal with it, so could she.
"Here."
Onida looked up to see Joshua standing beside her, holding out a power bar. Shaking her head ruefully, she realized that Caleb had made sure everyone was up on the care and feeding of Onida. Smiling, she murmured, "Thanks."
"Come," Adam said, holding out a hand to pull Onida to her feet.
Standing, Onida ripped the wrapper off her power bar and took a bite. She didn't want to, as she felt distinctly sick to her stomach. But she knew she needed the energy, so she forced herself to swallow and take another bite.
Adam took a step toward Joshua, then suddenly put a hand to his stomach and swallowed hard.
"Adam?" Joshua inquired worriedly.
"I'm … fine," Adam stated, his voice a little thin.
"I think you need one of these too," Joshua said, leaning down and pulling another power bar from his duffel. Standing again, he looked off toward the edge of the park where Dean had parked his car.
"Something?" Adam murmured as he pulled the wrapper away from his bar and took a reluctant bite.
"We can't send the Tree back without Dean, Sam and Caleb."
"They'll be here."
"Yes." Joshua watched the tree line for another second, then swung around to where Ryker was standing near their gear. Striding over, he said, "Let's get ready."
.
Dean watched the faces in the crowd. Most were listening intently, their reacts as varied as the people; most appeared to be giving him the benefit of the doubt, though some expressions were incredulous. He needed them all to believe what he was saying, he needed this town onboard. Time to pull out the big guns.
Moving away from the straight-in-the-eye federal agent act, he switched to the sympathetic, I-know-this-is-tough approach. He didn't want to deceive these people, but he knew without one iota of doubt that they needed some sort of peace in order to deal with what happened and get on with their lives.
Widening his eyes slightly, he let his head drop slightly to his chest and sighed. After a moment, he looked up again. "I know this is tough. I know this experience has been one for the record books. Fifty years ago, we didn't have to think about our towns and homes being violated by terrorists. Hell, I'm from Lawrence Kansas just three and a half hours from here. I'm as small town as they come." Slowly he gave them a slight smile, his gaze understanding. "You want the complete truth?" There was a murmur of assent from the crowd, though many merely continued to watch and listen. "The truth is Lebanon Kansas was violated; you were violated by a group of terrorists. This is the twenty-first century; it's twenty-forty-one. No one is exempt from terrorism. You weren't the first small town to encounter this group, but you are definitely the last. But do you understand what you have achieved here?" Dean watched as the faces became more animated; some people even leaned forward in their chairs slightly. "You fought them, you survived. Those of you who had family members held hostage, under mind control? You persevered! And those of you held hostage? Yeah, you were scared, yes; you were worried about your family. But you held on! You hung in there! You prayed!"
Now there was a smattering of applause and heightened murmuring amongst the crowd.
Dean shook his head. "You gave us the time to find this group; you gave us the time to take them down. You may feel like your fear disqualifies you from being a hero, but let me tell you…" he made eye contact with several people, "It. Does. Not."
Now there was a bit more applause from the crowd.
"From the Offices of Homeland Security, I thank you for your courage, ragged and battered though you may feel it was. Each and every member of this town will be issued a classified commendation, which will be filed under the code name Chaos Agenda in the National Homeland Security Classified File Offices. I must ask you not to speak of this to anyone outside of Lebanon. This is a classified operation, and needs to be kept quiet."
A man stood up, frowning. "But people need to know what's out there. Shouldn't this be publicized?"
A second man stood up. "Shouldn't other towns be warned?"
"People should be warned to watch out," a woman called out.
Dean held up his hands for quiet. It was a sign of how much he'd connected with these people, of how much confidence he had gained from the town members that they quieted almost immediately.
Caleb grinned like a proud papa, shaking his head slightly.
Sam was beaming. Dean, his brother who used to think he wasn't good at much except throwing a punch, convincing a room of people they'd been taken over by terrorists. He wished he'd been able to see his brother with open eyes as a kid, but then … he'd been a kid. Dean had been, for all intents and purposes, his parent, and children never saw their parents for who they truly were. But Dean had had this ability from youth; the ability to charm, to convince others to trust him implicitly. This gift had been evident all through their school years. Maybe he hadn't seen it then, but he could now.
"Damn," Ethan murmured. "I should have him talk to my suspects. They'd all confess just to please him."
Sam's smile widened.
"I hear you," Dean said. "But let me ask you this; what would you have done if someone had said terrorists were coming to Lebanon, and that they were going to use a combination of mind control, drugs and hostage taking to take over?"
There was a small smattering of laughter while some people looked peevish and others understanding.
"People," Dean said, eyeing as many as he could, "are different than society, or towns. You went through this, you understand what can happen out there. And you might tell someone one-on-one and they might believe you. But society as a whole won't. Let's face it, I don't even want to believe a group of terrorists could possibly come into my home town and take over, and I work for Homeland Security. But put this out to the world at large? What would happen?"
There was silence for a moment before someone called out, "They would think we were crazy."
"They would think we were making it up!" someone else shouted.
"They wouldn't believe us," another yelled.
Dean nodded. "Silence is the hardest part of my job, and it has now become the hardest part of your lives. And for that, I am truly sorry. But I do not want Lebanon and all you have endured to become the butt of media jokes or downplayed by those in cushy jobs who have little idea of what goes on in the world. So I am asking for your silence, not only for the sake of all we do in Homeland Security, but for your protection."
There was a knock at the double doors, and Ethan hurried to open it. Elijah and Joel came inside carrying a large ten galloon cooler.
"My team is going to give out an antidote to the serum that was used on everyone in the town. As I said, the serum used was mostly inert, but it shortened tempers and lowered your inhibitions. So, if your best friend, your child, your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend did something to you during the last couple of months," Dean gave each of the people there a sympathetic look, "forgive them. In this instant, they literally couldn't help it." He let his smile widen. "Of course, you can't dine out on that card forever, so your actions are your own from here on out." There was laughter in the room, and the tension lessened considerably. Dean looked over at Sam and nodded. "Agent Lee?"
Sam's eyes widened slightly as he walked forward.
Turning back to the crowd, Dean said, "Agent Lee is going to tell you about the antidote."
Sam glared at Dean before turning to the crowd and explaining a little about the "antidote" they would be taking.
As he spoke, two men and a woman started fighting toward the back of the crowd. Screams erupted and chairs overturned as the three were fighting. Caleb, Daniel, Sherriff Howard and a deputy hurried to subdue the squabbling trio.
When he could be heard, Dean stepped forward, saying, "And don't hold anything against them either." There was more relieved laughter as he nodded to Sam to continue.
"So, all you'll feel is a little sleepy," Sam said. "This is mainly due to the tension in your bodies from the last month or so. That tension is a symptom of the drug's lowering your inhibitions."
"Wouldn't a person feel more loose if that was happening?"
Sam searched for the speaking, then smiled. "Town doctor?"
The man nodded and stood. "Doctor Abraham."
"Good to meet you. I would appreciate your help in measuring the doses, if you feel confident in doing so. And yes, normally a lowering of inhibitions would signal relaxed muscles. However, in this case the inhibitions are in conflict with what you want. It's not like being drunk, which affects the entire body. This drug affects the prefrontal cortex of the brain and signals you to do what you don't want to. You don't want to hit your friend; you don't want to hurt your family. Thus the tension is the body fighting against the drug."
Doctor Abraham nodded slowly.
"It's quite insidious, and we've only just been able to find something to counter it. We administered it to the residents of a small town in Missouri as well. They're all fine."
"What town?" someone asked, fearfully.
Sam looked sympathetic. "You have family in Missouri?"
A woman and man nodded.
"Where?"
"Asbury," they said.
"They're safe," Dean stated, stepping forward. "They're safe. That was not the town that was compromised."
"Which town was compromised?" another person asked, and a few others echoed the question.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that."
There was a disgruntled murmuring.
"I won't tell you for their safety, just as what happened here will be kept secret for your safety," Dean stated. "Do you want Lebanon overrun with media making fun of you and your families? Do you want your lives upended more than they are now? I will protect you and Lebanon with my life," he said fervently, "just as I will protect the other towns this terrorist group has attacked." Giving the crowd a decisive nod, he stepped back, letting Sam have the stage again. Time, Caleb murmured in Dean's head. We're going to be late getting back.
"So, any questions?" Sam asked, scanning the crowd. When no one answered, he said, "Doctor? If you can come forward, I'll explain more about the compound we'll be administering. Everyone else, please line up at the tables."
Dean stepped up behind Sam and murmured, "We're down two minutes."
Sam nodded as Doctor Abraham approached.
Dean left Sam to do his brainiac speak to convince the doctor what they were giving to his people was safe. Approaching Caleb, he asked, "You call Josh?"
Caleb nodded. "He said to get there as soon as we can."
Dean glanced at his watch with a sigh. "I should have known we couldn't get out of here in twenty minutes. Damn it."
Caleb eyed his friend, but couldn't help the grin spreading across his face.
"What?" Dean spat, irritated and feeling guilty about telling such a whopper to some very nice people.
"You could convince a Washington bureaucrat he'd been visited by vampires and to keep it a secret," Caleb chuckled.
Dean felt his face heat up. "That's ridiculous," he muttered, turning away so his friend couldn't see his embarrassment.
Caleb merely smiled and changed the subject. What he wanted to do was tease his friend some more, but they had other concerns. "Looks like Sam was successful."
Dean looked at the front of the gym to where Sam and the doctor had been conversing. Sam called over Elijah and introduced the pair. Now he was coming their way, followed by the Sheriff. Along with Elijah, the doctor was headed to the table where Joel and Daniel were ladling potion into small cups.
As soon as the Sheriff got to Dean, he held out his hand. Shaking Dean's firmly, he said, "Thank you and your team for getting here, for finding those terrorists and setting the town free."
"Just doin' our job," Dean stated. "Sheriff, we've still got some clean up to do. Three of us will be leaving to sweep the countryside, make sure no one slips through our hands. Can I leave things here to you and your people?"
Sheriff Howard nodded. "We can handle it. If it's all right with you, the four who helped liberate the people at the factory can stay, finish assisting Doctor Abraham give out the potion, calm nerves."
Dean nodded. "Happy to help. I'll check in before we head back to Washington."
Sheriff Howard shook Dean's hand one more time, saying, "Thanks again." Then he turned to walk through the groups of people milling about, shaking hands, patting backs, saying a comforting word here and there.
"That's a good man," Dean said softly. "He took a lot on faith today."
Sam frowned. "You don't think he believes you."
"He's a cop," Dean said. "It's his job to be skeptical." Staring at the man doing his best to calm the nerves and sooth the people under his protection, he understood exactly what the sheriff has chosen to do. "Sometimes you choose to believe the unbelievable because it's the best thing for everyone."
Sam stared at his brother for a moment, then looked over at the sheriff. The man had taken the steps needed to protect his town. He was a hero.
"I'm going to check in with Ethan, let him know we're heading out," Caleb said. "Let's get back to the park."
.
Joshua and Ryker were nearly finished laying the main portion of the spell circle around the Tree. Twice they'd had to stop already to rest, as the Tree's influence combined with the Chaos Spell was causing havoc with their circulatory systems. As Joshua sat down for the third time, he worried he wouldn't have the strength to complete the spell.
"Can I do anything?" Adam asked as he finished the protection circle around Joshua, giving him the sanctuary he needed to rest.
"Perhaps," Joshua murmured. He'd expended an enormous amount of magical energy over the last few days, and there was a very complicated spell that remained to be worked. Did he need to finish the spell line himself?
Max sat inside the circle with his father, watching over him; plying him with water and food.
Joshua thought through his spell and the plan for perhaps the hundredth time. He and Ryker would need to be inside the outer circle and within their own circles to complete the spell. If they weren't protected, he believed the vortex of the spell would possibly endanger their lives. Adam wasn't a member of the Brotherhood, nor was he an Advisor or Advisor-to-be, but the outer spell circle was a variation of a traditional boundary spell. The ingredients, while mainly traditional, didn't need to be activated until the spell was closed. Adam could help Ryker finish the circle, then he could close the spell himself after Dean, Caleb and Sam returned. Nodding, Joshua said, "Yes, please," and he quickly explained the spell that needed to be laid.
His voice was thin, and Max was worried. His eyes met his godfather's, concern evident in both pairs.
"Finish the protection circle," Joshua continued. "Include the half-dome bubbles Piruz included in his own circle."
Adam wanted to ask why the bubbles, but decided to leave that for a later conversation when both he and Joshua were sitting before the fire in either of their homes, sipping a fine, dry red wine.
"Leave openings in the East and South bubbles. Ryker and I will seal those later. Inside the circle, make two circles, four feet in diameter. Ryker knows what goes inside each of those circles." Pausing, Joshua took a deep drink of water from the bottle he was holding. "Ryker knows where to place the spell bags."
Adam nodded. "Don't worry. You've got a big task ahead of you. Rest. You've got time."
Joshua nodded at his oldest friend and closed his eyes, leaning against Max.
"Dad?" Max said softly, his voice conveying his worry.
"I'm fine," Joshua assured his son. "This is just a lot of magic in a very short period of time." He opened his eyes and looked over to where Onida was lying asleep inside a protection circle Adam had drawn for her ten minutes before. "You understand what magic requires."
"Yeah," Max sighed.
"It will be all right…" Joshua began.
"Dad," Max interrupted. "Rest. I know it will all be fine."
Joshua smiled and laid his head on the duffel beside his son. He had dozed off in the next second.
Max looked over at JT and James, who were both hovering nearby.
JT stood. "We're going to patrol the park."
"Don't go too far," Max murmured.
"Will do." JT rose and nodded to James. Rising, they walked about twenty yards away, guns out and ready to use. Three men used in Piruz's original spell had woken from the sleeping draft that had been administered earlier. Though their hands were bound, they'd still risen and attempted to attack JT, James and Max out of fear and confusion. James had used another sleeping potion to put them out, and JT had secured them to a picnic table. Rather than take a chance, he and Max had zip-tied everyone's feet to prevent another incident. So far, no one else had woken, and they both hoped it would remain that way.
It was almost twenty minutes later when Dean, Sam and Caleb came jogging back into the park. They'd been gone a total of thirty-five minutes.
Caleb squatted down beside the protection circle, concern etched on his face. "Is he all right?" he asked Max.
"You're late," Joshua stated, pushing himself into a sitting position.
"Are you all right?" Caleb repeated.
"Tired, but fine." With Max's help, he climbed to his feet, and they walked out of Adam's protection circle. Turning back, Joshua smudged his toe across the line and murmured a couple words, effectively breaking the small circle.
Once Caleb assured himself Joshua was fine, he turned and went over to where Onida was lying asleep.
Dean gave Joshua the once over, noting that though his face was pale, his eyes were sharp and clear. Turning, he stepped up beside Sam who was watching Adam and Ryker walk around the Tree. It was obvious they were making a line, whatever line Joshua would be using to send the Tree back to Eden. He wanted to ask whether Adam could draw a Brotherhood Circle, but figured Joshua wouldn't have let him do it if it would be a problem.
Sam, however, didn't mind asking. "Is it all right if Adam makes the circle instead of you?"
Joshua looked to Dean, who rolled his eyes in return as though he wasn't thinking the very same thing. Smiling, Joshua said, "All Adam is making is a standard boundary circle. I put together the ingredients, and I made the spell bags."
Sam's eyes shot to Joshua and he grimaced. "Sorry, I didn't mean to…"
Joshua chuckled, raising a hand to wave off Sam's unintentional gaffe. He understood who Sam was after all these years, and questions were the Scholar's stock-in-trade. "It's all right. You weren't questioning my ability, you were just curious about whether a non-Advisor would change the way the spell unfolded. And no, it won't. I'll still be doing the spell with Ryker's help."
Sam looked slightly abashed, but gave their Advisor an apologetic smile. They had worked together many times, and Joshua knew him inside and out.
Ryker and Adam walked over. "All right," Ryker said, "The circle is drawn, with openings in the eastern and southern domes. Our circles are drawn and waiting for us to take up our positions, and the spell bags have been placed just inside the four cardinal domes to the circle."
"Thank you, Ryker," Joshua said. "Let's get this done, shall we?"
Ryker smiled and nodded.
Adam walked over to where Onida was sleeping. Since he'd made the circle, he reached inside, and the circle collapsed, waking the sleeping woman immediately. He and Joshua had already discussed that he along with Onida would get inside a strong protection circle at least thirty yards from the boundary spell circle.
Blinking upward, Onida frowned. "Adam?"
"It's time to move a bit further away," Adam said. Then he smiled. "And I think this is a show you won't want to miss."
Climbing to her feet, Onida looked around and spotted Caleb coming toward her. Smiling, she walked forward into his outstretched arms.
"This will be over soon," Caleb murmured into her hair.
"Good. I need some one-on-one time with my man," Onida whispered into his ear. Stepping back, she turned and walked with Adam away from the circle and the Tree.
"All right," Joshua said, calling everyone's attention back to the job at hand. "The Tree is surrounded by a boundary spell circle with cardinal domes."
"Like the domes Piruz was using to keep the Tree in check?" Sam asked
"Yes. Only we'll be using the cardinal domes to send the Tree back. I'll be placing each team inside a dome. Ryker and I will be inside the two circles nearest the center, working to relocate the Tree in tandem."
"Is that safe?" Caleb interrupted.
"We'll work the spell from be inside our own protection circles, so we should be quite safe. Now, I'm not going to explain the spell I wrote, because it's simply too complicated. But you won't need to do anything but just be the Triad anchors in the domes." Looking around at the seven men; three of whom he'd fought beside for years, four his honorary nephews, godson and son, he asked, "Any questions?"
"I wouldn't know where to start," Sam said with a smile.
Returning the smile, Joshua continued, "Then let's get going. JT, James, Max; you go with Ryker. Dean, Caleb, Sam? Follow me."
Joshua led then down to the south side of the spell circle. A large dome about five feet by six feet arced out from the edges of the circle. "There's plenty of room to walk around so you won't feel crowded."
Dean stepped inside the curved boundaries of the dome and looked at the Tree. He was more on edge now than he'd ever been, even inside the circle. The buzzing was a constant annoyance, thought he would be able to do his part in Joshua's spell. Turning to Joshua, he asked, "Will we be all right when you close the circle and we're in here with the Tree?"
Joshua didn't answer immediately. It had been a concern of his since he'd written the spell. But if he and Ryker closed the lines from inside the circle, then went directly to starting the spell, he hoped there would be no additional discomfort. Meeting Dean's eye, he said, "Truthfully, I don't know. You're wearing a double punch of protection potions, and the discomfort you've all felt hasn't been debilitating yet. My hope is that starting the spell quickly will forestall any increased effect from the Tree."
Chewing at his lip slightly, Dean said, "Yeah, all right."
"You should also know that the boundary spell lines cannot be broken," Joshua said.
Startled, Sam said, "What? You mean we're stuck in here?"
"In a manner of speaking. To make a circle strong enough to merge the Tree with Eden and to send it back, I needed to make a spell line that couldn't be broken by anyone."
Sam frowned. "You can do that?"
Joshua nodded.
"Then how do we get out when the Tree's gone?" Dean asked.
"Boundary lines fade," Joshua stated. "While strong as titanium, they're of short duration. So while we won't be able to get out, and no one can get in, it will fade away within a short period of time."
"How long?"
"An hour, probably two, but no more than that."
Dean nodded slowly.
"Ryker brought water and power bars into the circle if they're needed."
"I could use the sleep," Caleb stated.
Joshua smiled. Turning to the right, he walked around the inner circumference of the circle to the western dome. Lifting a large glass jar, he placed it on the inside of the dome, to the backside of a large spell bag before he returned to where Caleb, Sam and Dean were standing. Looking over his shoulder, he noted that Ryker was heading back to the eastern side, having just placed a glass jar inside the northern dome. "In two!" he called.
Ryker lifted a hand.
"Do we need to do anything with that?" Sam asked, pointing to a very large spell pouch that sat just to the inner edge of the main circle. He had noticed one at each of the domes, though their dome had no jar.
"No, you don't need to worry about that." Moving inside the dome, Joshua bent down and closed the open outer edge of the dome, sealing it with his blood.
Sam instantly felt the increase of buzzing and his stomach turned. Quickly he checked out Dean, Caleb and Joshua. Each looked the worse for wear.
Joshua met Dean's eyes before nodding and hurrying out into the main circle.
Ryker was already standing near what looked like a four foot wide circle just in front of JT, James and Max. A row of jars and spell bags were lined up. When Joshua got to his circle on the western side of the Tree, both men stepped inside the smaller circles and closed the lines.
Dean looked over to his right, where JT, James and Max were standing inside the eastern circle.
"Do you think it will make a difference if the western and northern circles are empty?" Sam asked.
"The jars are taking the place of people," Caleb retorted. "Joshua thought of that."
Sam merely nodded, a hand to his stomach.
Sighing, Caleb said, "Sorry."
Giving the Knight a slight smile, Sam just watched Joshua and Ryker.
Dean felt as though he would throw up if he opened his mouth, so he just kept it clapped tightly shut and watched the two Advisors working their spell. His concentration was so intense, that he almost missed the rumbling under their feet.
Light had begun to spiral up from the spell circles around Joshua and Ryker. Neither man had his eyes opened as the luminescence rose in ribbons of brightness. The ground rumbled as though something was fighting to get out.
Caleb reached out and grabbed Sam and Dean's arms to steady everyone as the ground shifted.
Sam stared down, and it actually took him a moment to realize that there was rumbling and roaring from below their feet. Suddenly the ground cracked, and shafts of light knifed upward from the earth. Skittering to the side, he exclaimed, "Dean!"
Dean grabbed Sam's arm and started to pull him back to the rear of the arc when another shaft of brilliant, intense light shot upward. All three men crowded to the front of the dome, sidestepping the potion bag as they attempted to stay within the half-sphere.
"Can we leave here?" Caleb shouted as they crowded the lip of the dome.
"I don't know!" Dean called back.
"I think we're supposed to stay!" Sam cried loudly.
Caleb grimaced as he tried to stay inside the dome, even though they were almost being forced into the main circle. "That might not be an option…"
Suddenly, light as brilliant and intense as a solar flare shot upward from the depths of the earth, blinding everyone and obliterating everything from sight. When the intensity diminished a fraction, Dean, Caleb and Sam were lying unconscious on the ground.
.
TBC
Author's Note: Dean using Agent Lee for Sam. Staying with Rush - Geddy Lee was one of the founding members: Keyboards/Bass/Vocals.
Thank you Dede and everyone for taking a moment to comment on how the story is keeping you entertained. I love it! This journey is nearing the end, so hang on to your hats!