The Awakening

Lucian looked up at her, a grim twist to his lips. "La Voisin went to the flames, singing," he said. "And it's true, if you look at history, the monsters you'll find in human form are endless. Gilles de Rais was a soldier, a statesman, a warrior who stood at the side of Joan of Arc, and then he went on to murder hundreds of children—a crime he confessed rather than face the torture before execution."



Finn slammed his own book shut. "I found chapters on Anton Szandor LaVey, the Black Pope—who defended Satanism and condoned no acts of violence," he said, shaking his head. He stared at Lucian.



"We're finding nothing here to help." He hesitated. "I admit that I am reeling; it's still incomprehensible to believe that you all what you say you are, and I don't understand how that can be, or what your Alliance can be, but… this is simply insane. The best thing to do, I believe, is simply get Megan out of here. Get her as far away from these people as possible, whether they're planning a blood sacrifice, or the real rebirth of a demon."



There was silence for a moment as they all looked at one another.



"He could be right," Tara said softly.



"Maybe a few of us should just start getting both of them out of here, "Jade said to Lucian.



Lucian hesitated. "I'm not sure why, but… I don't think that will help us."



"If they don't have Megan, they can't shed her blood," Finn said flatly.



"Perhaps you're right," Lucian said slowly. "But… you mustn't go unarmed against these people."



"You're going to get us guns?" Megan said.



"I don't think that guns will do you much good," Lucian said. "No, there are other weapons. Keep reading; give me an hour, and I'll return."



He rose. Jade frowned, looking up at her husband.



"Keep reading. Our greatest power is going to be in what we know," he said. "Ragnor, if you'll come with me?"



The tall man rose, watching Lucian thoughtfully.



"What is your plan, Lucian?" Tara asked.



"I think we need to keep an eye on our friends and neighbors," he said lightly. "I'll need his help. I have to break into a church, you see."



Finn rose as well. "I'm coming with you."



"Finn, perhaps you shouldn't," Megan murmured uneasily.



But Lucian studied him, and seemed to come to a firm conclusion. "Actually, I could move much faster without you, but…"



"You could be recognized and arrested," Megan persisted.



Finn walked over and kissed her lips lightly. "It will be all right." For a moment, he seemed uncertain himself, but then he said, "You'll be all right, as long as you're here."



Jade came over and set a hand on Megan's shoulder. "Finn will be all right with Lucian."



Then Finn frowned as if doubtful. "Megan—"



"I will be fine here," she said.



"Stay with these… people." He gave the last word just a bit of hesitation.



"Let's go," Lucian said.



Martha watched the news, feeling ill. She hadn't been able to go back to sleep.



She hesitated a long time, watching the story repeat, repeat, and repeat again.



Then she stood. It was time to go out again, come hell or high water.



Megan yawned. She glanced at the clock over the mantel. Six in the morning. Light would be coming soon.



They were no longer gathered around the table, those who remained. Sean Canady sat at a laptop, sipping coffee and studying the files he brought up, barely blinking. Occasionally, he would say something to Ann, who would come over and follow his train of thought, and refer again to one of the many books they had. Jordan had curled up on the sofa with a number of ancient pages, while Jade sat at the other end of the sofa, looking at others. Ann and Tara were studying books of spells, while Maggie seemed to prowl the place like a jungle cat, going from the men to the women, making suggestions here and there, and offering insights to their research. Only Brent Malone remained at the table. He'd taken a notepad and was jotting down a list of what had happened, and what they had learned, trying to make sense of exactly what was planned.



Megan sat in the chair facing the fire.



Maggie brought her another cup of coffee, then sat across from her, cradling her own cup and staring at the fire.



"Maggie," Megan said worriedly.



The other woman looked at her.



"Are they going to be all right?" Megan asked in a whisper.



"They? Who?" Maggie asked. "If you're worried about Finn, believe me, he's safe with Lucian."



"Actually," Megan said, "I wasn't worried about Finn at the moment. I was thinking about Lucian, and Ragnor. It's almost light."



Maggie smiled. "Some of what you see in the movies is true; some isn't. They won't turn to ash once the sun rises. Their strength is greatest at night. But don't worry."



"And then, I started thinking after they left. A vampire is going to break into a church?" Megan said.



Maggie hesitated. "Lucian is very fond of churches these days. He wasn't always. Lucian is definitely a man on a mission, since he, more than any of us, feels a need to atone for the past. He's old, you see, very, very old. And he wasn't always on this side of the good and evil question." She hesitated. "Men have created most their own devils, you know. And as you might have discovered, the power of the mind is one of the greatest strengths in the world. Take the entire Wiccan/Satanism dilemma. Wicca was the religion of the ancients. A celebration of nature. There were feasts for the harvests, for the home, for the time of reaping, the time of sewing. Way back then, the Wiccans, or Wise Ones, knew no such thing as Satan. But then the Middle Ages came, and Christianity, and there were men within the church who began to believe in the 'Evil Eye,' and supernatural, or magic acts done out of malice. And as you've seen, there were those who then twisted practices of the old magic into a defiance of the Christian rites, and prayed to Satan, the God of Darkness, using many of the ancient pagan beliefs as well. True Wicca offers no harm; Satanism celebrates debauchery, and allows men the opportunity to let loose all the demons within them. The ancient Greeks believed that everyone had a guardian daimon, or demon. And there were some great philosophers who believed that demons were within all of us, that demons were the parts of our souls who longed to lash out, cut, slash, and cause harm within the world. The point is…



what you believe is what gives you strength, whether it's to do good, or evil. You have a deep faith. Cling to it. It's important. That doesn't mean that you won't trip or stumble along the way. But at the worst of times, don't give up your faith in all that is good. It may be the final salvation."



Megan smiled. "I'm still not sure I believe in werewolves—but I believe I saw a giant dog standing over a man who would have cut me to ribbons tonight."



"Ah, and there… you have said it. You believe that you saw a giant dog."



"So… I didn't really see a dog?"



Maggie smiled mysteriously. "He's a wolf, silly, not a dog."



"Maggie!"



"A great deal remains in the heart and the mind of the observer, always," Maggie said simply. "And then… well, beyond it all. Most people believe in a divine being, in one way or another. Study religion, and you'll see that gods and goddesses—from the ancient Roman, Norse, and so on—usually have counterparts throughout human belief. Perhaps there's really one place to get at the end of life here on earth, but many paths that may be taken to get there. I personally believe in the soul, and that what lies in the soul is what makes us what we are. And it's why a vampire can learn not to kill, and why he can enter a church at will, and wear a crucifix when he feels the need."



"You've learned all this from observation?" Megan asked.



Maggie shook her head, smiling secretively. "Actually, I was a vampire."



Megan frowned. "But you're not now?"



"No."



"You were a vampire, or you believed you were a vampire?"



Still smiling, Maggie shook her head. "I was a vampire. I admit, I'm the only person I know who ever was a vampire, and gained mortal life again. But you see, that's because there are powers out there greater than evil."



"And what are they?"



She laughed aloud. "Goodness—of course. Love, and belief in our fellow man, and so on." Watching Megan frown, Maggie waved a hand in the air. "It's a very long story, and we've got far too much to worry about tonight. However, to make that long story short, remember that strength of will, love, and the fight for good over evil can all be very powerful."



"Hey! "Jade exclaimed, suddenly looked up from her reading. "I have found the name Douglas mentioned again," she said.



They all stared at her.



She read from the volume on her lap. "'And among those in attendance was the outspoken one, he who called out, Finnegan Douglas.'"



Ragnor departed on his own; apparently, he and Lucian had agreed that Andy Markham might well be a key to the truth, and Ragnor was impatient that he should be watched.



Finn drove alone with Lucian as they headed into town.



"I came to church with Megan before we went to the hospital to see Andy," he told Lucian, staring ahead into the street. "It was painful. I thought that my head was going to explode."



"Did you see a priest?"



"Yes… Father Mario Brindisi."



"Were you blessed?"



"Yes," Finn said, staring at Lucian curiously.



Lucian only shrugged.



Finn hesitated. "All right, let me put it this way. I thought I was going to die, the pain was so great when I was in here. And with everything that has happened… no matter what I say, no matter what denials I give, I'm afraid. I'm afraid that I… that I might have killed the girl in Boston, that I might… that I might hurt someone. That something is happening to me. So… if it comes to a point when I may hurt someone… anyone… Megan, specifically, you have to stop me. By whatever means it takes. Swear to me that you'll do that."