Ghosts of the Fallen: Southern Magic, #4

By Steven F. Warnock

After the terrible events of Halloween 2018, Gideon and Jordy have moved their growing family to Gideon's ranch in Wyoming where they settle into a perfectly routine life, or as perfectly routine as one can get for two immortals, an adopted mage, a goblin butler and a teleporting, fire-breathing dog. 

 

Elsewhere, a string of brutal murders begins to point to a supernatural assassin that leaves few, if any, clues operating in the Program's jurisdiction. When the latest killing strikes too close to home, Gideon, Jordy, and their family are drawn into an adventure with world altering ramifications.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wordsmith Publishing
• Release date: Nov 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393623229

Steven F. Warnock

The author lives in the not-at-all-made-up town of Covington, GA, which is the stand-in for the entirely-made-up-by-somebody-else towns of Mystic Falls, Sparta, Mississippi, and Hazzard County.  He has never seen a vampire, much less the ones that keep diaries, or met Officer Bubba or them Duke Boys.  Instead he prefers to live in worlds of his own creation where his companions include dragons, wizards, alien cyborgs, space battleships, and snarky heroes.  His main hobby is writing third person biographies about himself born of vanity, personal insecurities, and a twisted sense of humor that has led more than one person to remark to him, "Boy, you ain't right."

Book preview

Prologue

DOGWOOD CITY, OGLETHORPIA,

United Principalities of Seelie Atlantea, Tir nan Og

Caer Naomh Fajro

June 15, 2011 (Approximate Temporal Reckoning)

Dogwood City looked an awful lot like Atlanta, but it was not Atlanta. For one thing, Atlanta didn’t have a giant white wall and crystalline dome encircling the city. For another, Atlanta didn’t have a population made up entirely of Faerie creatures. Of course, Atlanta was located on Earth, not the Faerie Realm of Tir nan Og.

Just beyond the city, where Conyers would be on Earth’s version of the Seelie Principality of Oglethorpia, sat Caer Naomh Fajro, the private estate of Her Grand Highness, High Princess Tancorix Ambrosius Maelgwynedd, the de jure ruler of the Principality of Oglethorpia, although in practice her Seneschal was the de facto head of government in Oglethorpia’s capital of Dogwood City. In practice, the various Stewards, Seneschals, and Viceroys of various Dukes, Princes, and Kings ran the various states of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts found on Tir nan Og. So, the fact that the High Princess didn’t directly rule her state wasn’t unusual among Ard Sidhe nobility. However, High Princess Tancorix Ambrosius Maelgwynedd was quite famous across the Realms of Faerie for a number of other reasons.

First of all, she was acknowledged as one of the most powerful biomancers in all of Faerie, if not the most powerful biomancer outside of the High Seelie Summer Court in the Realm of the Summerlands. Several species of Fae, both in the Realms and on the Iron World of Earth, owed their existence to her manipulations. In fact, she had personally created the Living Weapons that Atlantis had deployed against Lemuria during the Demon War tens of thousands of years ago on the Iron World. She’d even personally birthed the first Living Weapon from her own womb, which had given rise to the second thing she was most famous for.

The High Princess, second daughter of His Sublime Majesty Ambrosius Maelgwynedd Myrddin, Wizard King of Cavallon, had eschewed marriage to a fellow Ard Sidhe nobleman in favor of wedding the slave warrior with whom she had conceived the first Living Weapon, a native born Iron World creature. What no one in any of the Courts of Faerie had realized at the time was that the slave in question was the First Reborn Dragon Krey’shh’aw.

The Dragon Prince Consort, as he was styled at court, had gained little, if any, political power from his marriage to the High Princess. On the other hand, Tancorix had gained a significant weapon of deterrence in her political arsenal. Dragon kind was unique to Earth. No other world, not even another Iron World, had given rise to such powerful creatures. The Ard Sidhe power of personal transformation, much less the shapeshifting ability of any Silver, Gold, or Brimstone world creature, paled in comparison to what a dragon was capable of, especially the physical power of their battle form.

On top of that, dragons had the innate ability to directly channel the Five Elements and were capable of using numerous magical skills and gifts. The rumor was that Tancorix had married Krey’shh’aw because he was the only being on Earth or the Faerie Realms who matched or superseded her own intellect. In short, anyone who wanted to challenge Her Grand Highness’s sovereignty was doomed to a brief, fiery, painful end.

So, the High Princess and her Dragon Consort were rightfully well known throughout the Realms. Theirs was an actually happy marriage founded in mutual respect, friendship, and more than a little romantic love. Aside from their first, out-of-wedlock, child, they’d managed to produce three more viable offspring: a daughter and two sons. Their daughter, Her Highness, Princess Macha Tancorix Maelgwynedd, was the Crowned Heir to the throne of Oglethorpia. Of course, Macha was also styled Her Excellency, the Seneschal of Oglethorpia since she was currently running the principality in her mother’s stead. The dragon gene hadn’t taken hold in Macha, so she was generally considered an Ard Sidhe, even though, technically, she was an Aes Sidhe, but she had enough dragon in her to be effectively immortal.

Tancorix and Krey’shh’aw’s two other sons were His Highness Prince Ogmios Tancorix Krey’shh’aw and His Highness Prince Credenus Tancorix Krey’shh’aw. Neither of them were in line for any title or seat of power since neither of them were considered true Ard Sidhe. However, both were dragonkin, and both had become powerful wizards in their mother’s employ.

Their oldest offspring, Myrrdin Tancorix Krey’shh’aw, had departed Tir nan Og many, many centuries ago to return to his Iron World birthplace, which had fulfilled a geas and awakened his dragon nature. He’d eventually changed his name to Gilchrist Shaw and started having offspring of his own, one of whom had shown up at the threshold of Caer Naomh Fajro, with his new wife, claiming kinship.

Why are you come to me, grandson? Tancorix asked once the young dragon had shown his Mark in the Flesh to Krey’shh’aw.

As much as it would please me to say that I was here merely to visit with my grandparents, I do have an ulterior motive, Grandmother, Gideon Shaw replied.

Tancorix practically jiggled with excitement in her throne. Though she was tens of thousands of years old and didn’t look a day over twenty-five, none of her children living with her in Faerie had bothered to have offspring of their own so far. So, hearing herself thus addressed, even so formally as grandmother, sent an unexpected and entirely delightful thrill through her body.

I know this is supposed to be a formal audience, but I am partial to ‘Grandma’, Tancorix declared.

Gideon smiled, and the High Princess felt her heart melt. The young dragon, her grandson, was as beautiful in form as her husband and her first son, the boy’s father.

Well, okay, Grandma. Um, well, I’d like to present to you my wife. She’s Ard Sidhe, brand new to her powers, and she needs a tutor. I was hoping that the most talented Ard Sidhe sorceress in a hundred Realms would be willing to take on the task, Gideon explained.

By all means, my dear, present your wife! Tancorix declared rising from her throne.

Gideon waved forward a beautiful, dark complected young woman. Tancorix could see that the woman was pained.

What ails the lass, grandson? Krey’shh’aw asked stepping between Tancorix and their visitors.

My wife is half-werewolf, Grandfather, but because she’s also half-Ard Sidhe, the First Change didn’t happen until she was nineteen, Gideon explained.

Krey’shh’aw nodded sagely. Growing pains. Look on the bright side, lass: you’ll be tall enough to reach the higher shelves without your husband’s help.

That’s what step ladders are for, the young woman groused.

Krey’shh’aw barked a laugh and turned to his wife. She’s spunky. Like you.

Enough blithering, Tancorix sighed. Introduce us.

Grandmother, Grandfather, may I present to you Jordana Roxanne Quinlan-Shaw... blood daughter and First Heir of Chemosh Magog, slayer of the demon Nahasheron, and my Destined True Love.

Magog? Tancorix gasped.

I. Am. Seelie, Jordy stated bluntly and emphatically as she stood up straighter.

Tancorix placed her hands on Jordy’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. Indeed you are. That news will set the Winter Courts to howling, but there’s nothing they can do about it, and that gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. Yes, I do like you. Granddaughter. She turned to her husband. I have a granddaughter, dear!

Yes, I know. I was standing right next to you when you claimed her a full second ago, the elder dragon replied dryly.

I see Gideon’s snark comes from your side of the family, Jordy snickered.

You take charge of the girl’s training, yeah? Krey’shh’aw said to his wife. I’ll train the boy. Agreed?

Yes! Of course, Tancorix practically cackled. Oh, we need to discuss what titles the two of you will use while living with us.

Boy’s a prince, of course. Nothing fancy, no ‘grand’ or ‘sublime’ needed, Krey’shh’aw said.

I’m fine with ‘Agent’ actually, Gideon offered.

Nonsense! You’re the grandson of a High Princess. Makes you a Prince, Krey’shh’aw snorted.

Aw, I married a prince! Jordy cooed merrily.

Well, technically, he’s more of a prince consort, Tancorix mused. You see, my dear, Magog was a King. That makes you a Queen; a High Princess at the very least!

We have much to catch up on, Krey’shh’aw declared. Girl needs protein. I say we have a feast.

I like the way you think, Grandpa, Gideon chuckled.

Call me that again, pup, and I’ll flay you alive.

DOGWOOD CITY, OGLETHORPIA,

United Principalities of Seelie Atlantea, Tir nan Og

Caer Naomh Fajro

July 4, 2021 (Approximate Temporal Reckoning)

Krey’shh’aw had settled on Granddaddy as his preferred form of familial address. He liked the way it sounded when Gideon said it, especially when using a Southern accent. The elder dragon, of course, affectionately referred to Gideon and Jordy as The Boy and The Girl respectively. The two of them had integrated well into the family here on Tir nan Og. Macha had decided that Roxanne was the name she would give her own first born daughter to honor the beloved niece who was currently her own heir apparent.

Gideon had been amazed at how closely Ogmios and Credenus resembled his twin elder brothers Dylan and Llew. The three of them had become as thick as thieves from the beginning. Gideon was an Iron World wizard of the Myrddin Council, said council being named for Tancorix’s father who’d inspired the legends of Merlin. Ogmios and Credenus were both members of the Grey Council, Tir nan Og’s counterpart wizards’ association. The three of them had spent hours at a time comparing theories and practical applications. At one point, Ogmios and Credenus had assisted Gideon in forging a new magical sword to replace the one that Jordy now carried as her personal weapon.

Krey'shh'aw was rightly proud of The Boy for that little bit of artifice, but where he was really proud was in the area of mastering dragon powers. Gideon had spent five centuries learning many of the basic Elemental skills but had been unable to use them, so now that he’d come into his full power, he was a quick study, especially at the four Physical Elements. Learning those skills had taken only a couple of years. Then, he’d spent the rest of the current decade attempting to master the Element of Spirit.

Spirit will become easier to master as you grow older, Boy, the elder dragon informed his grandson.

It’s frustrating, Granddaddy. I can feel the Element when I reach for it; I can access the Akashic Record of Earth even from here; hell, I can even access Tir nan Og’s version of the Record, which is pretty damn cool, but I can’t do a damn thing with it when I have it in hand! Gideon griped.

The two of them were in one of the estate’s massive gardens, one of Krey’shh’aw’s favorite places to teach. A random part of Gideon’s mind knew that back on Earth, the two of them would have been right in the middle of I-20 underneath the GA Highway 138 overpass. Instead, here on Tir nan Og, they were on a hill overlooking a pond surrounded by colorful fruit trees. Grandma had laughed merrily at the thought of a major highway system passing through the middle of her estate. Gideon had to admit, though, that he liked Grandma’s garden a whole lot better than the main strip through Conyers.

As I said, pup, in time you will master it. You’re still too young and new to your nature to fully embrace the power of Spirit, Granddaddy chuckled. Has your father ever done the ghost trick for you?

The what-now?

Th ghost trick, Granddaddy repeated.

You mean where he summons images of people and animals to create a sort of three dimensional interactive veil?

At its simplest, yes, that is the ghost trick, but there is so much more to it than that, Granddaddy explained. You see, unlike a veil, a dragon’s ghost trick uses the Akashic Record and summoned ectoplasm to make the illusion a reality. Of sorts, of course.

Come again?

Where do you think all that extra mass comes from, or goes to for that matter, when you shapeshift?

Right. It’s ectoplasm from the Record, and ectoplasm is the material form of Spirit energy, Gideon nodded. So, when I shapeshift, I’m using Elemental Spirit to add or subtract mass from my new form as well as providing the basic templates to give that new form shape.

Exactly, Boy! Exactly! A veil is just an image in the mind. It can fool your senses in believing it to be real, appear to have a texture, sound quality, even a feeling of mass or weight, but it is entirely in the mind of the observer. A trick. A dragon’s ghost image, on the other hand, will have those qualities as well, but only because of how much ectoplasm you can channel into the image.

Okay, but when Daddy pulls that trick, you can still walk through ‘em like they ain’t there, Granddaddy, Gideon pointed out.

For a large illusion, of course, but if he wanted to, he could summon a single image, a replica of yourself, say...

Gideon jumped when another Gideon appeared in front of him, an identical twin image. Gideon reached out and felt of the other him.

Damn, Granddaddy! He’s even got stubble on his chin! Wow, I never realized I was so ripped, either, Gideon said as he walked around the other image.

Then, he was ducking under a spinning back fist. Suddenly, Gideon was in a high speed fight with his replica. That detached part of his mind that typically analyzed situations he found himself in was having a panic attack. The replica was a better, faster, stronger fighter than himself! Gideon shifted to his hybrid werewolf form. To his shock and dismay, the replica did him one better and went full dragon.

Yield! Gideon shouted as he assumed human form.

The replica suddenly wafted away like smoke in a breeze.

Krey’shh’aw was having himself a good laugh at the expression on Gideon’s face.

Show me how to do that! Gideon shouted with a mad grin of his own.

"I’ve already taught you how, Boy. You’ve just got to grow strong enough to do it. Your father, at his current age, should be able to pull off a doppelganger like that. Even project an ectoplasmic replica of himself around the world. At my age, I can summon a small army of these ghost clones, say a dozen or two, with all the skill and strength that one had. Your strength and skills, but with just a little boost, Krey’shh’aw explained. Start small. Simple replicas will come to you naturally in a few years. Then, your replicas will get progressively better. Say, do you know any Wee Folk Spirits?"

Uh, yeah. I’ve got a troop of Domovoi who work for me on my Wyoming ranch, Gideon said.

Excellent! Wee Folk use the same ability to make themselves appear larger and to change their shape when they need to. Get a good look at them through the Record, and you’ll see how to do it yourself, the elder dragon said sagely.

So, are dragons the only ones who can do the ghost trick?

No, we were not even the first to master that kind of magic. We learned it in the time before the War in Heaven from the High Celestials, Krey’shh’aw said.

"Wait, you mean... angels? Dragons learned magic from the angels?" Gideon gaped.

Yes, Krey’shh’aw said with a snort. First, the Creator made the High Celestials to do his bidding. Then, he made the Lesser Celestials of the Golden Worlds, the Infernals of the Brimstone Worlds, the Ard Sidhe of the Silver Worlds, and, finally, the Dragons of the Iron World of Earth.

Whoa, Gideon said. That’s... Whoa.

And of those beings cast in the image of the Creator, we dragons were the most powerful after those you call angels, Krey’shh’aw said.

Really?

Oh, yes, when the Morning Star rebelled and attempted to set himself above the Creator, he wooed our people, your ancestors, to his cause, and corrupted enough of us that when The Captain-General of the Host Mikha’el cast the Morning Star down, he cast him to our Earth in order to smite the wicked among our people. Those of us who remained faithful were given the insight to merge with the Earth to spare our lives and to be Reborn into a new Creation one day. Only, even within the very bones of the Earth, the Morning Star continued to corrupt our people. That is why dragons covet treasure, you know.

I see, Gideon said with a thoughtful frown, but we’re not bound by our covetousness, are we?

No, Krey’shh’aw laughed. I covet a greater relationship with my Creator, don’t you?

You sound like my father, Gideon chuckled.

More accurately, your father sounds like me, Krey’shh’aw said. This lesson is over now, my grandson. I will miss you when you return to our Iron World.

I’ll miss you, too, old man, Gideon said. Maybe you can convince Grandma to come for a visit?

I shall try, Krey’shh’aw promised.

TEN YEARS IN THE REALMS of Faerie had given Gideon and Jordy plenty of time to explore. Even though both of them were now a decade older, neither one looked it, the boon of being immortal, and that was a good thing because when they returned to Earth only a month would have passed there. Jordy had formally claimed Magog’s Entitlement and transferred its allegiance from Unseelie to Seelie. That had caused some seething rage to be expressed in the High Unseelie Winter Court in the Realm of Winterdeep, but that rage had been somewhat mitigated by Jordy also declaring Magog’s former territories in Faerie would become Wild. Wild Fae, unlike the Seelie and Unseelie, had actual free will to choose whom and how they would serve. Instead of ruling a kingdom in Faerie, Jordy would have a place with the Seelie Council of North America back on Earth.

A pack of glaistig had shown up on Oglethorpia’s border and requested an audience with the High Princess Magog. Since Jordy wouldn’t be ruling a Wild Demesne, she’d given up the title Queen in favor of the lesser but equally powerful High Princess. Tancorix had allowed the Wild Fae to approach, under heavy guard, which had included her husband, sons, and grandson. These glaistig were the last surviving Handmaids of Chemosh Magog, and they’d come to pledge their loyalty to their new lady.

Of the glaistig in the pack, only one had never served under Chemosh Magog directly. The rest had committed various crimes on Earth in his name at one time or another, which they freely admitted. Only the youngest glaistig of the pack, the daughter of Bronwen, Alpha of the Handmaidens, had never been to Earth or committed any acts of war. She’d never even pledged her service.

Jordy had decided to turn the pack over to Aunt Macha, and the Seneschal of Oglethorpia had accepted them to her service as penance for past crimes. All except for the youngest who Jordy personally accepted as her servant.

How shall I be called, Mistress? the young glaistig had asked.

What’s your name? Jordy had replied.

I dinnae have a name, Mistress. Names are for those who’ve been pledged, and one’s master or mistress gives one a name. Naming be how one’s power be granted by one’s master, Mistress, the glaistig had explained.

You don’t think Knobs chose his name for himself, do you? Gideon had inserted. ’Philemon Knobs’ was all Dad.

You know, I’ve always liked the name ‘Siobhan’ for some reason, and my, ugh, ‘father’ was fond of giving the Handmaidens Irish names, so your Name will be Siobhan, but we’ll call you ‘Chevy’ for short, Jordy had decided.

Chevy had served as Jordy’s Lady’s Maid for the past two years, and she was coming with them now that they were returning to Earth. Chevy was excited, of course, but Jordy was having some concerns.

What are we gonna do with Chevy once we get back to Earth? she asked Gideon.

First thing we need to do is get her a last name and set her up with an identity. Maybe fast track her for citizenship. She’s picked up English real well, Gideon said.

Yeah, but why does she sound Scottish?

Um, because I’ve been teaching her English with a Scottish accent?

Seriously?

"No, of course not. Her native accent in Atlantean has a very Scottish brogue to it. So does Granddaddy’s for some reason, but in Chevy’s case I’d have thought her accent was more Irish than Scottish since Magog was Irish, but historically speaking, the folklore of the glaistig is Scottish..." Gideon replied.

You’re chasing rabbits, Jordy interrupted before Gideon could go into a full forensic analysis of accents and their cultural relevance.

Either way, she’s got a non-American accent, although I think with a little time and training, she could pick one up pretty easily, Gideon said with a shrug. I’m thinking, though, that we’ll be needing to set her up with a new identity, one that includes a last name, and put her up somewhere she can learn how to blend in with Earth humans. Minimize her culture shock. Or maximize it if that’s what it takes to get her up to speed...

I suppose you’ve got a last name already picked out for her, don’t you?

Yeah, I was thinking ‘McClellan’ actually.

Any particular reason?

It means ‘son of the servant of Faolan' and ‘Faolan’ means ‘little wolf’.

I’m the little wolf, and Chevy’s my servant. I get it. I like it.

I thought you would. Ready?

Yes. Chevy?

Aye, Miss?

Ready to go?

Ever so ready, Miss!

Good-bye, Tir nan Og, Gideon said. We’ll miss you.

Chapter One

COVINGTON, GEORGIA, USA

Belle Arbor Plantation

January 31, 2019

Living in an antebellum mansion had its advantages and disadvantages, Cassie Liu reflected as she wandered the halls of Magee House looking for her godparents. Magee House was big, not including the basement and sub-basements that burrowed into the earth beneath the old plantation house. So, there were plenty of spaces where she could hide out when she needed a moment to grieve the tragic loss of her parents. On the other hand, when she wanted to find a specific person among the dozen or so people living on the estate, tracking that person down became a task, a quest even.

Sure, she could have just summoned Mr. Knobs, the goblin butler who could find everyone, everywhere, within the grounds of the Belle Arbor estate. However, Cassie wanted to do this particular task on her own for some reason that she couldn’t quite put into words. It was a matter of taking control of her own life in some small way, she supposed as she eliminated the music room and the study. A few minutes later, she also decided that Gideon and Jordy weren’t in the kitchen either.

Getting used to calling them something other than Alex and Gemma had taken a little effort. Louise Cook, the full time cook, was in the kitchen, and the rotund young Black woman had treated Cassie to a big grin and a warm hug. She’d also suggested that Cassie try the coach house. Cassie thanked Louise and headed toward the front of Magee House.

The coach house was across the circular drive from the main house. Originally, it had been built to house the estate’s carriages, but over time it had been converted into a sort of garage with an apartment on the second floor. Everyone knew that the carriage house was Gideon’s private place. The only cars parked in the garage below belonged to him or Jordy, and the apartment on the second floor was where he and Jordy stayed when they visited the estate.

Belle Arbor Plantation wasn’t Gideon’s full time home anymore, although they’d been living here since Helloween ‘18. That was the meme-worthy name that had been given to the eventful night of October 31, 2018, which happened to be Cassie’s own fifteenth birthday, and the day that both of her parents had been murdered. Of course, Miles Liu and his ex-wife, Amber Pope, hadn’t been the only people to die that night. Several hundred people had been killed just in Absalom Falls, Georgia, that night. That was a statistical drop in the bucket compared to the tens of thousands of people who’d been killed across the United States that same night in a variety of natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

Well, there was nothing natural about any of the disasters that had occurred that night, Cassie thought. While not generally coordinated, Helloween ‘18 had been a concerted attack against America and several of its allies around the world by the various member groups of an evil organization of paranormal and supernatural terrorists known as the Dark Word.

The Dark Word wasn’t monolithic. Various member groups were known to work at cross-purposes with one another, according to the Washington Program’s Threat Matrix Database... that Cassie wasn’t supposed to have been browsing. Gideon had looked the other way when Cassie had become curious about the people who’d helped murder her parents and the town she had been living in at the time. According to the Program’s Threat Matrix, the Dark Word’s members were working toward some common goal, but what that goal was no one was entirely certain, and how that goal could be accomplished was a subject of often violent debate among the adherents of the Dark Word. The result of their various plots was chaos and death.

Thinking about the circumstances of her parents death put Cassie in a dark mood as she arrived at the coach house. She paused in front of the open bays where the cars were parked to gather herself. Gideon’s truck, The Big Red Beast, a red 2014 Dodge Ram 2500 Power Wagon, was parked next to Jordy’s white 2018 GMC Terrain, which had not been given a clever nickname other than Jordy’s car. The third bay of the garage area held a pair of racing bikes, a BMW S1000RR and a Honda CBR 600RR. Gideon had begun recently teaching Cassie about engines on the two bikes with the promise that he would also teach her how to ride a motorcycle eventually.

As much as she missed and still loved her birth parents, Cassie had come to truly love her godparents as well. Part of that had to do with a geas inherited from her Grandpa Ernie Pope’s side of the family that had named Gideon and Jordy as her second parents. Miles Liu had changed his will to name Gideon and Jordy as Cassie’s godparents and legal guardians in the event of his untimely passing. Her dad had been a strong believer in preparation. His will had detailed the disposal of his estate, co-executed by his brother-in-law, Chris Gibson, and Gideon, under his alias of Alex Shepherd.

Pretty much everything of monetary value had gone into a trust for Cassie. At her insistence, their family car, a nearly brand new Nissan Pathfinder, had been given to her grandparents, Ernie and Thuy Pope, to replace the aging truck that Grandpa Ernie insisted was still a good car. Their house had belonged to the school Miles had been working for at the time, Absalom Falls Academy, but the furnishings had been given to her Uncle Chris’s family. With five children living under their roof, Chris and Tiffany Gibson were always in need of good, unbroken furniture. Whatever the family couldn’t use had been donated to the Absalom Falls Relief Fund. Cassie had just kept a few of her father’s personal items, like his laptop, and the contents of her own room, which had been packed into the same trailer that they had towed all their belongings to Absalom Falls in the first time.

Amber Pope had been in the middle of an acrimonious divorce from her second husband at the time of her death. Cassie’s stepfather had owed Cassie’s mother a two million dollar penalty for violating their prenuptial agreement. He’d paid that money into Cassie’s trust fund with the understanding that that money was all Cassie would be getting from him. The remainder of Amber Pope’s personal possessions had been boxed up and stored in that same white trailer. Instead of taking the stairs up to the second floor apartment, Cassie went around behind the coach house to stare at the white trailer for a moment.

Above her head a window opened on the second floor, and Gideon stuck his head out. Might as well get up here, Grasshopper, we’re discussing your future. You should be a part of that conversation, don’t you think?

Cassie looked up and smiled sadly. Yeah. I need a break from the past for a minute, but just a minute. I’ve got a really good head of melancholy building up that I don’t want to lose.

Hm, sounds like that’ll go nicely with the teenage angst, Gideon agreed.

How did you know I was here? Cassie asked.

"I’m a dragon. You’re my treasure. I always know where you are," Gideon replied.

I am going to choose to see that as more comforting and less creepy than it sounds, Cassie decided.

Good choice. Don’t dawdle, Gideon scolded before disappearing back into the apartment and closing the window.

When Cassie entered the second floor apartment she discovered that Gideon and Jordy were not alone. In addition to the family dog, Pukwudgie, and Gideon’s macaw familiar, Bruce, a stranger was sitting at the old dining table in the kitchen area with her godparents. Puck was stretched out on the couch in the little living room area of the loft-style apartment. Cassie was familiar with how comfortable that couch was. She’d slept on it for a week after they’d moved down from Absalom Falls to Covington.

She hadn’t wanted to be alone in the pink bedroom that had been set aside for her in the main house. Instead, she’d stayed with Gideon and Jordy in the carriage house. They’d slept on the foldaway Murphy bed; Cassie slept on the couch, and Puck had slept on the floor next to her. Cassie was a dreamwalker, and she dreamed other people’s dreams, which meant she never had dreams or nightmares about her own life. She needed to dream about her family, so she’d dreamwalked with Gideon and Jordy who’d shared their memories of Miles and Amber, good and bad, with her.

Bruce was perched on a stand on the other side of the couch from the door that Cassie entered the apartment through. Avast ye, Jail Bait! the blue and yellow macaw squawked in greeting. Bruce had been a present to Gideon from his foster brother and best friend, Matt Einarsson. Matt was probably a little saner than he pretended to be, but not much, and he’d decided that it would be hilarious to give Gideon a cursing parrot, and Bruce could use all the four-letter-words in all the worst ways. So, when Gideon and Jordy had gone undercover as Alex Shepherd and Gemma Lopez at Absalom Falls Academy a couple of years ago, Gideon had hypnotized Bruce into having a sort of split personality. Bruce the Foul Mouthed Parrot became Bruce the Pirate Parrot. Gideon had since merged the two personalities back together resulting in Bruce the Somewhat Less Foul Mouthed Pirate Parrot.

Language, Bruce, Cassie chided the