CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Zak
The news about Daniel and going back to Hells Gate went over about as well as I'd expected. Dean flipped out on both counts, albeit quietly. Aaron, Kai and Sam weren't happy, but didn't say anything, while Brian was uncharacteristically quiet on the matter. Shockingly, it was Ezra who came to my defense and pointed out that I wouldn't have done this unless I thought it was safe and "he would never put Tori and the mother of his children at risk". A supporting statement that was followed by a look that suggested he'd peel my skin off slowly if anything happened to either of them.
I hadn't wanted to do the summoning so close to our home, but it was the only place close enough and large enough to fit into our time frame. We didn't have the time to hike the five hours to location two. It was also a difficult hike, even for experienced hikers. And leading five inexperienced guys whose outdoor extracurricular activities amounted to RV camping, would be a special kind of stupid. The potential for injury was far too high and we needed everyone at full capacity. But, the two and a half hour hike to location one was manageable and it would give us plenty of time to draw the array properly.
Now, the sun was just starting to rise as I drove up the gravel drive and slowed to a stop just in front of the house and next to Daniel's old, faded red pick – up. I looked over my shoulder so I could see the archway entrance, covered with an illusion of impenetrable forest, to make sure Aaron had followed closely enough to pass through all the wards I'd added. A few seconds later the SUV Aaron had bought to replace his totaled sports car, and first SUV, came into view. Good, I wouldn't have to walk him through like last time.
"Sam. Wake up." I hit his knee, then looked to Brian in the passenger seat. Still out of glamour to conserve what magic he had, he didn't say anything as he opened the door and stepped out. Actually, he'd been quiet the whole ride and had just stared out the windshield while anxiously worrying his phantom harp strap. A behavior that unnerved me because it suggested that he was as nervous as the rest of us. But there was no backing out now.
I took the keys out of the ignition and stepped out too. Then turned my attention to Daniel and Gwyn who were sitting on the front stairs of the half finished wood porch I was building / repairing, and having, what appeared to be, a very pleasant conversation with Rikr, who was standing in front of them, his long, silver hair pulled back in a loose braid, a small smile on his lips and wearing his most casual ensemble. A pale blue, long sleeved tunic with gold embroidery, black leather gauntlets, black leggings and soft, black boots. Basically, the same thing Brian was wearing. Can't outshine a god I guess. Though I noticed he hadn't foregone his gold – antlered head piece.
"Ah, welcome home, Zak." Rikr called as I shut the truck door. Welcome home? I flipped the keys in my palm and arched an eyebrow. That was uncharacteristically friendly. "And my Lord of Great Knowledge." He smiled and gave Brian a respectful nod.
"Hmm." Brian inclined his head, but barely acknowledged his presence as he strode silently past Rikr, onto the porch and into the house.
Rikr gave me a puzzled look and Gwyn watched him with concern.
"Anyway, I was just regaling the lovely Gwyn and the Grey Sky Druid about how you assisted in killing Luthyr last year." Rikr continued, and smiled down at Gwyn.
"Yes," Gwyn brought her attention back to Rikr, "very exciting." She smiled brightly, then stood and walked the few paces to Rikr's side.
By now, the guys and the Winchesters had clustered around us. They were talking to each other but I wasn't paying attention as I re-played what Rikr had just called Daniel.
The Grey Sky? No way. I narrowed my eyes at Daniel in his backwards, navy blue Red Sox baseball cap, green and black plaid shirt, under a black zip-up hoodie, dark jeans and combat boots. Then snorted in disbelief. This kid is the Grey Sky?
The Grey Sky Druid was known as a specialty provider of high – quality, rare, dangerous, and often, illegal alchemic supplies, both from the Fae Demense and human realm. Now his consortship with Gwyn made sense. Nymphs, especially female ones, were some of the most neutral of Fae. Most courts and clans tolerated them because they were healers of both land and body. With a nymph from the Summer Court, a membership that probably had more to do with proximity than anything else, as his companion it would have been very easy to negotiate deals that worked in his favor. And now I understood why he primarily worked through representatives… Because if he was as old as he said he was, I'd been buying from him since he was sixteen. Shit. This week just kept getting better.
Daniel stood as I closed the distance between us so I was only about two feet away. Face like stone, he stared me down waiting for my reaction, before his eyes flicked to the guys.
"You're the Grey Sky Druid?" Kai asked incredulously.
"Yeah, who's askin'?" Daniel snipped back.
"Kai Yamada."
Gwyn's eyes widened and she side-stepped so she was standing in front of Daniel again.
Daniel paled. His eyes flicked from Kai, then to me then back to the guys, all in combat gear, looking at them as if he was calculating his odds of successful escape.
"I, uh" he swallowed hard, "I take it if you're friends with this guy," he gave a quick nod in my direction, "you're not gonna tell your dad I'm here?" His question directed at Kai, but clearly meant for the whole group.
"Don't worry, your secrets safe." Kai replied with a smile, accompanied by nods from the others.
He eyed Sam and Dean, who looked out of place in their version of combat gear: jeans, work boots and flannel shirts.
"Don't know don't care dude." Dean answered, holding up his hands.
"Same." Sam answered with a shrug.
"Fantastic." Daniel smiled as he took off his cap to push some stray locks of blonde hair out of his eyes and back under his cap. "Lookin' forward to working with you then." He extended his hand to Kai.
"Introductions later," I interrupted. "Tori and Saber?"
"Oh, yeah. They're still asleep." He nodded to the house then shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.
I nodded. "Excellent Dead Man's Root by the way." I said under my breath as I passed him and stepped onto the porch.
"Heh. I aim to please." Then turned on his heel and followed me inside, the others, Fae included, close behind.
I stepped inside and took a quick look around. The kitchen was still intact, no signs of fire. Someone had set up the small, flat screen TV and DVD player Kit had insisted on buying us, along with every single Disney movie ever made. That 'someone' must've been Daniel, as there was a 'Mulan' DVD case and ginger ale on the coffee table and the two remotes were on the chaise lounge section next to a pile of blankets and pillows.
"Shit. Sorry." Daniel muttered as he rushed to the sofa and started folding the blankets. "I'll clean this up." He apologized, looking embarrassed.
"Dude. You're in the way." Aaron said as he shouldered me out of the entryway so he and the other guys could get in.
"Son of a bitch!" Dean yelled and ducked as a golden sparrow flew past his face and Rikr, in his white ferret form, scampered between his legs and onto the couch back next to Gwyn, who had already shifted back to her humanoid form.
"Could you guys be any louder?" an annoyed sounding Tori yawned from the stairs. She looked like she'd just woken up, in her rumpled plaid pj pants, an oversized hoodie and her red curls still loose.
A chorus of "sorrys" went around the room. Tori, was not, in any way, shape or form, a morning person and reminded me of Saber after the one time I made the mistake of coming back with chocolate ice cream instead of the disgusting chocolate pudding cups she'd been devouring. So while the room was big enough for all of us to be comfortable, if pre-coffee Tori was grumpy, there'd be no way to escape her wrath. Fortunately, we seemed to be in the clear.
She gave us a grunt, pushed Aaron out of the way and She gave us a grunt, pushed Aaron out of the way and ambled sleepily across the room to Ezra. He pulled her into a hug as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then began trying to work her curls into a ponytail. "Coffee maker is prepped and we made granola bags for you guys. You know, so you don't starve out there."
A 'blech' sound came from Dean at the same time as Aaron grimaced at the mention of granola.
She rolled her eyes, "Don't worry," she yawn smiled as she plopped back down on the couch and nodded to where Daniel was making coffee with Kai in the kitchen. "Daniel did the shopping so we put M in there too."
Dean clicked his tongue and winked at her, "You're awesome."
Granola was just the tip of the iceberg. Tori had messaged Daniel almost immediately after I'd told her he was coming and sent him grocery shopping. And he'd bought enough food, water and 'pregnant lady' snacks to provision a small army, and twenty minutes later we were more than well provisioned and ready to set out. Brian, who'd finally emerged from wherever he'd gone, and the guys were waiting outside for me. But I needed to talk to Daniel first.
I took three of my crystal necklaces and my crystal studded leather gauntlet out of the small lock box in the back closet where I kept a ready supply of weapons and combat materials, then shut the ward locked door. Putting the three crystals around my neck, I headed back down the hall to the kitchen / living room and took in the scene.
Tori and Saber were on the couch, both clutching their coffee mugs, with Gwyn in the middle, excitedly telling them a story about a kelpie. Daniel was still in the kitchen, arms crossed, leaning casually against the table and smiling as he watched them.
"Daniel," I gave his shoulder a tap with the back of my hand and nodded to the door.
"Hmm? Oh."
I pulled the gauntlet over the empty tattoos on my left forearm, then looked him dead on. "Can you do this?" It was a valid question. I was leaving friends and family in the care of a Druid who I'd just met and who, at the end of the day was a merchant with a silver tongue. I had never heard of any of his negotiations (Fae or human) devolving into bloodshed. An excellent selling point, but a factor that left me more than a little concerned about his combat skills if Cethlenn's minions did decide to make an appearance.
His lips thinned and a kind of hurt, anger look passed over his face, but then shifted to understanding. "Look man, I…"
"Do not worry Crystal Druid," we both turned to look at Gwyn, still sitting on the couch between Tori and Saber, with Rikr in his cat form on her lap. "Daniel is a very capable fighter and if negotiations fail, we will protect your women."
Gwyn gave us a reassuring smile and scratched Rikr's head. I arched an eyebrow and barely contained a grimace. He didn't even let Saber do that. Whatever. I had more pressing concerns than Rikr's liasons.
" His women?" Tori arched an eyebrow and shot me a 'what the hell have you been saying' look.
"Christ," Daniel growled, "Gwyn, I told you, ya' can't say shit like that in public!"
Gwyn blinked, "But the ladies in the books like it…" she pouted, sounding confused.
"Ladies in the books?" Saber smirked and glanced over to Tori.
"Ugh!" Daniel threw his hands up in frustration. "We've been over this. The ladies in the books aren't real! That's it. You're cut off." He sliced a hand through the air and made to grab for his backpack at the far end of the table.
"No!" Gwyn shot to standing, forcing Rikr to jump to the coffee table, leapt nimbly over Saber, and landing gracefully in front of the kitchen table, snatched the bag a second before Daniel got to it. "I need to know what happens to Cecilia and Adam!" she shouted as she clutched the pack to her chest, dodged Daniel's stumbling grab and sprinted out the door.
"Leafy, little pain in the ass…" he grumbled as he watched her run past the guys and stomped to the entryway. "Don't break my phone!" he yelled, leaning out the door, and again, looking like he'd forgotten he wasn't alone, stepped back inside with a sigh. The sound of Tori snort laughing seemed to bring him back, as he looked around the room to Tori and Saber, then back to me. He licked his lip and gave me a nervous smile.
"Heh," he took a step back and put up his hands, "Ok, admittedly," he grimaced, "considering the nature of the current situation, I assume this doesn't inspire much confidence."
No, it really didn't.
"But I can promise you we've got this under control." He smiled confidently.
I rolled my eyes and crossed to the couch so I could give Saber one more kiss. "I'll be back tomorrow." I whispered as I leaned in, putting my hand on her belly.
"You had better be." She smiled. Then tilted her head up slightly, put her hand on the back of my neck to pull me in closer and placed a chaste kiss on my lips.
I kissed her forehead, straightened, then headed for the door, where Daniel was looking at his feet. He looked up when I stopped in front of him and jabbed my finger into his chest. "Do NOT fuck up." I snarled. "I'm trusting you, don't make me regret it."
He straightened, looked me dead on his tone turning from jovial to darkly serious and his Boston accent thickening, replied, "I swear on the grave of my mother, that everyone will be safe and well upon your return. Now you do your job brother, and I'll do mine."
With that, I gave him a curt nod and headed out.