The Awakening

"Well, we can do that. And hey, you two, you stick with your folks around here, no matter what. People can be weird, you know. Most people are great, but you know, there are those who would hurt others.

And Halloween can be fun, or a little kooky, too, right?"

"Right," Joshua said gravely.

"Creepy—like Mr. Fallon," Ellie said.

He nodded with a half smile. Actually, after last night, his own opinion of Fallon had changed. He had looked like a truly pathetic Ichabod Crane then. Somehow, roles had changed, and Finn hadn't felt like a wayward, maybe dangerous, guest, but somewhat more mature than an old man chanting spells in a kitchen.

He smiled again at the kids. "We'd better hush for now—Susanna is bringing my eggs."

Susanna came back in, obviously huffing and sniffing at the rudeness of guests who came into breakfast at the last minute. Finn smiled at her as sweetly as he could manage.

"Thank you so very much; you're so kind."

When Susanna left again, Ellie burst into laughter. Both children were still laughing when their parents came for them. They looked at Finn, puzzled, but seemed pleased enough to see the kids happy. They all told him good-bye, and to have a nice day.

Finn ate quickly in the empty dining room, then left Huntington House. He walked down to the historic district, and wandered around for a while. When it reached eleven-thirty, he decided to head over to the historic hotel. As he walked, he wondered if he'd actually find Lucian and Jade DeVeau. He hadn't thought of it the night before, but people usually made reservations a year in advance to stay in such a place for Halloween. He doubted that the DeVeaus had actually managed to get in—they had probably been forced to find other accommodations, but they might still have gone there, just to see the place or have a meal.

Or wait for him.

The lobby that afternoon was filled with women and a few men in fancy black dress and cloaks—a Wiccans luncheon was obviously taking place. There were other tourists as well, some gaping at the Wiccans, some trying to pretend that the sight of so many people in cloaks like these was nothing out of the ordinary.

He walked up to the desk and inquired if a Mr. and Mrs. DeVeau had checked in, and he was surprised to hear the clerk reply that yes, certainly, they had checked in late the night before. The clerk would be happy to ring them for Finn. He didn't need to. As he stood there, he heard himself called.

"Finn!"

He turned around.

For a moment, the sight of Lucian DeVeau standing in the lobby was as unnerving as any other event that had taken place since he had come. The man was about his own height. He wasn't dressed in a Wiccan cape, but rather something of a long black railroad duster, increasing his appearance of height, enhancing the darkness of his hair and eyes. Jade walked up behind her husband; she was wearing a long, light wool tailored coat, in black as well, and it created the opposite effect. Her eyes and hair were light, giving her an aura of something almost angelic. Beauty and the Beast, he thought wryly. Except that Lucian had the kind of looks that were classic and compelling, hardly the image of a beast.

"Hi," he said simply, staring at the two. Then he walked forward, shaking Lucian's hand, accepting a kiss on the cheek from Jade. "You made it. No problems getting into the hotel? I was thinking about it after we talked. They're booked so far ahead here for the Halloween events. I was afraid you might have difficulty."

"Oh, they were booked, "Jade said lightly, glancing at her husband. "Lucian talked with the manager.

They were able to find a little room that hadn't been rented because of a few problems. We just assured them we didn't mind. So… it's good to see you, Finn."

"Thanks." He hesitated. They had said that they were coming anyway. He didn't know whether to believe that or not And now… he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to talk to them, tell them about the insanity going on that might all be in his head. "Um, thanks for coming," he said.

"We're pleased to be here," Lucian said. He sounded very serious. Not like a man about to enjoy a brief vacation.

Still, Finn found himself answering lightly. "It's an incredible place, of course. They've done a great job with their various events. There are all kinds of stands for children, where they can create jack-o'-lanterns, make Halloween cutouts, and all kinds of other little artistic creations. There are street entertainers, wonderful stores—and great museums here. Geared toward the witchcraft period, and others as well. There are wonderful places that teach about colonial America, and seafaring—the great whaling days, and all. It's truly wonderful."

"Yes, it's a wonderful place," Lucian agreed. "Have you had lunch yet?"

Finn decided not to say that he'd just had breakfast. "No. There are dozens of places to go, of course.

And if you're seafood lovers, you've got to try the scrod."

"I've an idea. Let's just start walking and see what we find," Jade said.

"Great."

They left the hotel lobby and headed for the street. The day before Halloween had come, and the place seemed busier than ever. The day was cool and crisp with a slight breeze, stirring up the autumn leaves that lay on the ground. As they walked, Finn pointed out a number of places of interest, then paused.

"Sorry. Maybe you've been here before."

"Strangely enough, I haven't," Lucian said.

Finn looked at him. "Not so strange. I'd never been here before. I'm sure a lot of Americans have never seen lots of places in the country. Sorry—are you American?"

"Yes, it's home now," Lucian said.

Before he could say more, Jade broke in. "Someone is waving to you, Finn, from across the street."

Finn looked. Darren Menteith was on the corner opposite them, with Lizzie on her leash.

"A friend?" Lucian asked.

"Well, an acquaintance," Finn said. "A good acquaintance," he said, and explained ruefully, "A fan. Come over, I'll introduce you."

They passed by a group of schoolchildren in costumes and their harried teachers who were trying to keep them all together. As they neared Darren, Lizzie began to growl.

"How strange, she's the sweetest Dane," Finn said.

"Lizzie!" Darren said, distressed as they approached, and getting a better grip on his dog's leash.

She started to bark, her attention all on Lucian. Lucian, however, didn't seem dismayed. He approached the dog, his eyes on hers, his hand extended, and lowered himself to a hunkered down position, touching her head. Lizzie immediately sat, and started licking his hand.

"Wow. Are you a dog trainer?" Darren said.

"No, I just have a way with animals," Lucian told him. "I seem to scare them at first, then get on fairly well."

"Darren," Finn said, hesitating just slightly, "these are friends of mine from home. Lucian and Jade DeVeau. Jade, Lucian, Darren Menteith."

Darren extended a hand, still staring at Lucian. "Pleased to meet you."

"A pleasure," Jade said, and Lucian nodded.

"Beautiful dog," he commented.

"Yeah, thanks," Darren said, still staring.

"Are you from the area?" Jade asked politely.

It seemed as if Darren had to pull his eyes from Lucian's to respond to his wife. "Ah, yes. I am. Is it your first visit?"

"Yes, and Finn is going to show us around some, later, "Jade said. "If you've any suggestions, of course, as a native, we'd love to hear them."

"Peabody Essex Museum," Darren said. "Don't miss it."

"Thanks."

"Well, we're heading out for some lunch," Finn said. "Are you coming to the hotel this evening?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Darren told him, but he was staring at Lucian again.

"Good. We'll see you there."

"Yeah, of course," Darren said. "Well, later, then. Come on Lizzie."

Darren started to move on. Finn, Jade, and Lucian did the same. But halfway down the block, Finn paused and looked back.

Darren hadn't gone anywhere. He remained at the corner, Lizzie sitting at his feet. He was staring at them.

Finn raised a hand and waved. Darren didn't seem to notice. He was staring at Lucian once again.

"How about this place?" Jade said.

She had stopped in front of one of the area restaurants that offered back terrace seating, with heat.

"Looks like we can find a quiet corner," Lucian said.

"Ah, sure," Finn said. He paused again, though, before following the other two in.

Darren was still standing at the corner, staring. He hadn't moved. And once again, he didn't seem to notice when Finn raised a hand, and waved.

"Quite frankly, I don't even begin to know what I'm worried about," Morwenna told Megan. "I mean, were anything bad to happen, it should be at midnight, and you and Finn will be playing at midnight, so everything should be just fine. It worries me, however, that I can't be there, but you know that it's incredibly major to us, and I am the head of my coven, and actually, there will be dozens of Wiccans—

maybe hundreds!—from across the country taking part in our rites, and I am actually part of the major ceremony here, so… still, I wish I could be there."

"Morwenna," Megan said firmly. "You're right. Finn and I will both be playing at the hotel at midnight.

We're not off until one, so there's no way we can be in any danger."

Megan wished she had never spoken about her strange dream with her cousin. Morwenna had taken it far too seriously.

"Right," Morwenna said. "Hm." She kept staring at Megan. "Still…"

"Still what?"

Morwenna shook her head. "I don't know. It's still all been just too strange. I can't forget what I felt when I did your reading the first day you and Finn were here. And Sara… she said the vibes coming off Finn were deadly." ns class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">