Chapter 35

(Come on, I should be able to do this.)

With an aggravated groan, Pogue took a deep breath and let his eyes drift closed. His mind opened it's self at his command, slowly feeling out his surroundings and when he adjusted to the many sensations filling his head, he formed a mental picture of Caleb.

The inside of his chest tightened slightly from just picturing the boy's soft brown eyes but other then that Pogue didn't see or feel anything out of the un-ordinary and he opened his eyes with a grumbled curse.

(Dammit, Reid can do it and apparently Chase can so why can't I?)

Pogue sighed heavily and brushed a few sweaty strands of hair out of his face. The side of his head throbbed slightly but there was hardly any pain so he was able to ignore it until it faded away.

"Damn." The empath growled and let himself sink further into the couch underneath him.

The lights inside of Gorman's study dimmed a bit from his intense frustration and the fire crackled loudly as Pogue's anger fed into it. He calmed himself a moment later, fearing the strong emotions would attract unwanted attention in the form of Gorman and watched the flames in the fireplace dance and flare.

He'd been trying to locate Caleb for what felt like hours but he had no success as of yet. Every time he closed his eyes and thought of Caleb he'd either come up with a blank picture of images of the night he took advantage of the older boy and his guilt soon became too much and he was forced to open his eyes and find something to take his mind off of the horrid memories.

"It felt good, didn't it, finally having him in your arms."

(Why won't that fucker shut up?)

Pogue shook his head to silence Chase's voice and continued staring at the fireplace. The flames were now a dark red color, perfectly matching Pogue's mood and the teen continued staring into them for a handful of minutes before he closed his eyes and tried again. He thought of Caleb once more and opened his mind, hoping he'd get a glimpse of his friend's location.

Nothing, all he could see was the darkness from his closed eyes.

(Dammit, what the hell am I doing wrong?)

He didn't know the answer to that question and he wasn't about to ask Reid or Gorman about it either. Instead he just slammed his heel into the rim of the couch and rose to his feet grumpily.

(Reid did it on the first try and he even felt the same feeling in his chest. Why the fuck isn't this working?)

He was pacing now, his feet shuffling heavily across the wooden floor as he tore through the hundreds of thoughts running crazy inside his head.

(According to what Gorman said, my powers should've merged with Caleb's that night so I should be able to track him. Why isn't it working?)

The room was slowly filling with his anger and the emotion would soon spread throughout the entire house but the empath hardly cared at the moment. What was he doing wrong? He powers should've merged with Caleb's; after all they were...together for a night.

(Maybe it has to be consensual?)

That thought made him slow to a stop as guilt once again clawed at his throat. Maybe that was it? Caleb didn't willingly give himself that night so that could've blocked the bond, it made since to him anyway.

(Wait...I felt something that night. Something happened afterwards...)

Like a floodgate being opened, memories from that night came to the surface. He remembered after he came inside of Caleb's body he felt something strange happen to his body, like his skin was being set on fire, among many other painful things.

(Something like that doesn't normally happen during an orgasm.)

With a growl, Pogue stopped in front of the fireplace and slumped down into a sitting position in front of it, his eyes watching the red flames devour the wood they were burning. He forced the rest of the memories of that night back into the dark depths of his mind as they grew more detailed, not wanting to be reminded of how stupid he had been thinking that Caleb actually wanted him.

The flames in front of him wavered slightly and dimmed a few shades as his emotions turned dark and with another heavy sigh, Pogue lowered his head. Even if he managed to find a way to free Caleb how could he ever face his friend again after what he did? Did he even deserve to be near him after all of that?

"Pogue?"

The empath jumped when he heard his name and jerked his head in the direction the voice had come from. Reid was standing near the fireplace eyeing him with a confused look.

"You okay 'cause you looked like you were seriously spacing out there."

Pogue blinked and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking. You really need to stop sneaking up on me man."

"I wasn't, it's not my fault you keep spacing every ten seconds." The blond shrugged lightly and sat down on the floor next to him.

Pogue watched him out of the corner of his eye for a moment and then turned his attention back towards the burning fire in front of him. They were back to their normal orange color and both boys seamed to loose themselves as they gazed into the fire's arms as it devoured the logs once again. Reid shuffled slightly next to him in what looked like an attempt to get comfortable but the anxiousness nipping frantically at his subconscious told the empath otherwise.

With a small groan, Pogue turned his head and locked eyes with the blonde. "Yes?"

"What?" Reid shrugged innocently, or at least attempted too.

"Apparently you want to say something so do it before you give me a headache."

The blond looked taken back but soon found his voice. "Fine, I wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"About what happened with Chase yesterday."

Pogue eyed him closely for a second. "Which part, the one where you sold us out to Chase or when you attacked me?

Reid stiffened slightly and bit his lip with a small growl.

"He said he was going to hurt Tyler if I didn't help him."

Pogue sighed in the back of his mind and let his head fall forwards. In truth, he was still bitter at Reid for his betrayal and he seriously doubted he'd ever fully forgive the blond but only someone truly heartless wouldn't understand his reasons.

(I haven't sunk that low yet thankfully.)

"It's fine Reid. Forget about it."

"Why do I have the feeling you're still pissed at me?"

"Cause I am." Pogue said evenly, his eyes focused on the fire once again. "But you're forgiven."

Reid looked like he was about to say something but a calm wave of awareness washed against the empath's mind as the blond held his tongue and joined him in watching the fire, knowing that was the best answer he was going to receive at the moment.

"How's Tyler doing?"

Reid was quiet for a few seconds and fidgeted slightly.

"He's fine. A little shaken up but he'll be fine."

(Thank god, one less worry.)

"Good. He'll be safe here I doubt Chase will–" Pogue's breath hitched slightly and he cut off sharply.

Something cold and heavy brushed against him, almost like someone's fingers were creeping up the back of his neck and into his skull. The coldness probed deeper into his skin and touched his mind. Pogue was too confused at first to recoil but as the invisible hand touched his well hidden memories –the ones about Caleb and himself – he forced his mental barricades up in order to prevent it from going any deeper.

The hand halted suddenly and tried to break through his defenses. Luckily the presence wasn't strong enough to and Pogue easily repelled it. He felt something like frustration wash back against him as the link withdrew it's self fully and retreated from his mind.

Just as it faded, Pogue felt the left side of his chest heat up with its usual warmth and he latched onto to the retreating presence. It was strong – it's power seamed almost limitless – and Pogue instantly knew it belonged to Chase. Keeping a firm hold on the strand of consciousness, Pogue tried not to wince from the feeling of being pulled out of his body and soon he felt himself being submerge in a thick sea of darkness. He instantly felt himself grow cold and he couldn't help his shiver as he searched through the darkness for something – hell anything – to lead him out of the black abyss.

He was relieved from the chill when a small image soon formed behind his closed lids. He found himself looking at a large pile of broken and burnt wood clustered around a heavy frame that looked like it had once been a building. Thick wilderness surrounded him on all sides and the more Pogue stared at the crumbled building, the colder he felt.

He was staring at what remained of Putnum barn.

(What the fuck?)

Just as quick as it had come, the image faded and Pogue's eyes snapped open. The flames in the fireplace had completely died and a hand kept waving in front of his now open eyes.

"Yo Pogue!" Reid called and snapped his fingers a few times.

Pogue's nerves jumped roughly. "What?"

"Dude, you seriously need to stop spacing like that, it's creepy as fuck man."

"Sorry." Pogue nervously mumbled and eyed the now dead fire.

(Putnum Barn?)

Just thinking the name sent an intense chill down Pogue's spine. The barn had been completely dismantled during Caleb's fight with Chase and no one had dared to go there since that night, not even Gorman.

(Is that where Caleb is?)

He tried closing his eyes and thinking Caleb once again but nothing happened. He felt Reid's eyes focus on him once again and he was quick to hide his unease.

"You alright, you're starting to freak me out."

"I'm fine. Just a headache." The empath grumbled and raised a hand to his head.

"Some headache, I thought you were gonna torch the place with that fire. It damned near burned me."

Pogue didn't say anything back; he just lowered his head and wrapped his arms tightly against his torso feeling cold.

(Putnum Barn...)

--

Gorman heaved a deep sigh as his fingers stroked the smooth surface gold surface of the trinket clutched tightly in his hand.

(After fifteen years this thing finds its way back into my house.)

Had it really been fifteen years since he last held the small item? It honestly felt like it had been a life time since that small moment when Gavin had shown it to him.

(Gavin, Roran, Richard...how could one small trinket destroy so many lives?)

The fingers holding the pendent started to tremble and Gorman dropped the small talisman onto his bed. It clanged softly as it landed, its face still aimed in the elder's direction. Gorman eyed it with a dark gaze and turned his eyes away from its golden surface.

Every single nerve inside of his body cried out for him to destroy the pendent and he was more then tempted too but his unanswered questions prevented it. He wanted to know why Richard and Gabriel didn't destroy it like he ordered them too and what was worse, their decedents were paying for it dearly.

(I feel so useless. I'm suppose to protect them damn it.)

With a glare directed towards the small pendent's direction, Gorman grabbed his cane and rose from his bed. He was tired of feeling so useless while his god children suffered and he needed something to take his mind off that damn thing.

The silence of the hall was interrupted as his cane struck the floor boards but the elder had long since grown used to the sound. He stopped outside the room Tyler was occupying and quietly stuck his head inside. The faint outline of Tyler's figure could be seen lying on the bed in the room's darkness and after seeing that the youngest covenant member was still asleep, the elder continued down the hall towards his study. Several emotions touched his mind as he neared the room, confusion, fear and anger that carried Pogue's presence in their depths. The force of the emotions rooted him to the spot for a handful of moments and Gorman hummed sadly.

(He's growing stronger every passing day, just like Gavin and Richard were at his age.)

With a small intake of breath, Gorman passed through the open doorway and automatically scanned the room for any sign of the empath. He found none at first but his eyes noticed a figure sitting on the ground in front of his fireplace, however it wasn't Pogue.

"Hello Reid."

Reid turned his head when he heard his name and gave the elder a small nod. "Hey Gorman."

The elder returned his nod and continued looking through the length of the room. His concern grew when he didn't see the empath anywhere and he turned his attention back towards Reid.

"Where's Pogue?"

The blond blinked and looked over his shoulder at the rest of the room. "I dunno, he was here five seconds ago."

Gorman's concern grew even deeper and the elder felt the air inside of the room with his powers. Pogue's emotions still lingered strongly in the air around him, meaning the empath had only been gone a short amount of time but a stronger feeling pushed its way into Gorman's subconscious: determination.

The strength of the emotion alone was enough to uproot the elder's nerves and the elder was quick to turn on his heel and move back into the hallway. He hobbled down the hall as quick as he could but as he neared the foyer, something more pressing grabbed his attention. The colony house's front door was left wide open, reviling its forest surroundings.

(No.)

Swallowing down the nerves that were starting to build inside of his throat, Gorman continued his way down the hall towards his bedroom. When he reached the doorway, his feet stopped dead cold.

The pendent was gone from his bed.

(Damn it Pogue, you don't know what you're messing with.)

With groan, Gorman fallowed the hall back towards the foyer. The door was still wide open and as he approached it, the elder looked at the house's surroundings in a desperate hope to locate the wandering boy. When he found none, an enraged yell tore from his mouth and the elder threw his cane to the ground.

(That boy will be the death of me I swear!)

--

(Alright, what the hell is so damn special about this place?)

With a growl, Pogue kicked a large chunk of wood off to the side as he made his way through the endless pile of brunt lumber. The rubble he was currently climbing through was all that remained of John Putum's once proud legacy after Caleb's clash with Chase many months ago and Pogue was seriously starting to wonder what exactly was the hell he doing here.

(This is fucking ridiculous, there's nothing here but rubble.)

The ground was stained black with ash that wafted upwards in large puffs as he walked, making him cough slightly. He climbed over another fallen support beam and used his powers to move another large piece out of his way as he neared the center of the fallen building. He couldn't feel anything in the air, which both relieved and disturbed him and he made sure to keep his mind open as he pawed through the mess, hoping he'd pick up something.

He lifted another log out of the way as he reached the center of fallen building and his feet atomically slowed to a stop. Traces of Caleb and Chase's fight was etched and scratched into every single patch of ground and wood, leaving hidden memories in their scares. Pogue eyed a large gash clawed into the fallen beam he just moved and started walking again.

However, he came to a stop after taking a few steps afterwards when his foot hit something with a loud metal clang. His eyes moved downwards and he saw a heavy looking metal ring etched into the ground; a handle of some kind. Curious, he stomped down on the ground next to it a few times and the ground under his foot jingled loosely.

Turning his eyes black, Pogue waved his arm and all of the ash and splintered wood blew away from the ground near his foot, revealing a heavy cellar door built into the floor. Unlike the rest of the barn's floor, the door wasn't burnt or ruined in anyway. It looked brand new as a matter of a fact.

The hairs on the back of Pogue's neck started rising and despite the uncomfortable feelings brewing inside of his stomach, Pogue closed his fingers together and waved his arm outwards. The door swung upwards as it opened, reveling a wide set of stairs that lead down into a thick darkness.

Heat started gathering on the left side of his chest once again and Pogue raised a hand to it. His skin was burning with more heat then it usually was, even through his layers of clothing he could still feel its warmth.

(Caleb's down there somewhere, I know he is.)

A deep breath settled his nerves and after eyeing the long trail of stairs, Pogue descended down them at cautious pace. The darkness grew even more intense the deeper he went and after stumbling a few times from it and was forced to summon a light source with his powers.

A line of candles anchored over his head automatically lit themselves, filling the small tunnel with more then enough light for him to see by and he continued downward with out anymore incidents. His legs started burning after what felt like a handful of minutes, making Pogue feel like he'd fall down if he had to go much further. Thankfully, his eyes caught sight of a narrow dirt path just a few more feet down.

(Christ what's down here, the lost kingdom?)

The line of candles continued down the straight corridor and Pogue saw no other choice but to fallow them. This portion of the tunnel was different; its walls were made of heavy stone with many drawings and inscriptions etched into their face. Most of the designs were done in blue ink and formed a strange tribal design that the empath stopped to gaze at for a moment before continuing.

He soon came upon a large set of stone doors, the blue design covered their entire surface and Pogue felt a cold sting slid down his back as he stopped in front of them. He could feel hundreds of emotions on the other side of the doors, most of them dark.

(I know this feeling. I've been here before.)

With a deep breath, Pogue raised his hands and placed them on the surface of the doors. They opened with a firm push and a heavy gust of wind blew through the opening, extinguishing all of the tiny flames of the candles.