Part Seven

Reality Bends – Second Act

********

Ezra had to go home.

He did not have much of a choice really. After spending most of the day hiding in his office, playing the facade of the respectable lawyer, Ezra knew he could not remain there indefinitely even though no questions were asked of him when all his staff of law clerks had departed for the day. He gathered that it must have been routine for him to stay late since no one had raised an eye brow at the sight of his being in his office when all of them were hell bent on leaving.

Ezra was glad when they were finally gone and let out a sigh of relief when he had regained some measure of solitude.

The exchange with Mrs. Washington this morning had preyed heavily upon him when he realized just what kind of man he was in this reality, beyond the devoted family man and husband. Ezra could not imagine anything worse than the fact that underneath what he deemed to be his idyllic existence, was a man who thought another should be subjugated because of colour. He remembered Nicholas Serfonteine and what he suffered under the man's ministrations as well as the dangerous philosophy that prompted such treatment. Nathan Jackson was his friend and that was one of the few things in his life that Ezra was genuinely proud of, that he had overcome the barrier of his own beliefs to learn something truly precious when he realized that Nathan was a better man than he.

To know that dream of his perfect existence would mean sacrificing the man he had become was more than he could stand. Serfonteine had shown Ezra just how ugly it was to be so intolerant. What the Klan stood for and was willing to commit in the name of racial purity still sickened him and there were nights he woke up in a cold sweat to the sound of a cracking whip. As he finally left his office, with no alternative but to go home to the wife and child he had wanted so long ago, Ezra wondered if Annabelle shared the same beliefs. Had he raised his children to be that way as well? Was Olive only allowed in his home if she was a subservient supplicant who knew her place?

Although he had no wish to return home and wanted to disappear into the mists where no one would find him where he could again, take up the reins of the life he knew, Ezra was compelled to return to the townhouse. The woman in that happy home deserved an explanation before he walked out of her life and the lives of his children. Now more than ever, he wanted to find Julia and the others. He needed to find her because he could not stand this cloistered existence where he was a pillar of the community with a dark secret that made him no less than a human monster.

As soon as first light came, he was going to Four Corners. He had no idea if his friends were there or not, whether Julia Pemberton's life had gone on without him as always. He missed her acerbic wit, he missed how she would gaze at him with those emerald coloured eyes and tell him that he was not fooling her for one moment with his practiced southern charm. He missed Josiah giving him that look which more or less said that he was unredeemable and he missed watching Inez and Buck sparring, just as much he longed to cheat J.D. out of all his money and have Vin shake it out of him later. He even missed Chris Larabee staring at him with a twinge of doubt as to whether he was going to be around the next day or would he sneak away like a thief in the night before the morning came. The worst part of needing every one of them was the fact that he was at a point in his life where he was not about to endure the loneliness that had plagued him before arriving at Four Corners.

Sooner than he would have liked, Ezra found himself at the townhouse once and took a deep breath as he proceeded to the front door of his home. He did not feel like it was his home and the people within it were strangers even though he knew that there was every reason in the world for him to accept them.

Stepping in through the front door, he saw Annabelle standing on the steps of the main staircase, speaking with two men that he did not recognize. Both were well-dressed examples of respectable gentlemen and they turned in his direction when he entered the doorway. Annabelle immediately broke into a smile, as did the men with her. Judging by her manner towards them, these two strangers were not strangers at all but appeared to be quite familiar with the Standish family.

"There you are Ezra," The first man with the dark curly hair exclaimed. "We are going to be late for our business meeting."

Ezra wondered what new torture this was and decided he had no further patience for any more surprises. Putting to good use the thespian skills that made him one of the better con men in the West, Ezra quickly responded with a weary tinge to his voice. "Perhaps, you ought to go on without me. I feel the inclination to spend some time with my lovely wife." He flashed Annabelle a smile.

"Nonsense!" She exclaimed and swept down the stairs, planting a soft kiss on his cheek when she reached him. "The thought is sweet darling but business is business and Cousin Charles and Cousin Jacob are waiting."

Ezra groaned inwardly, thinking to himself that Julia would have seen through that excuse immediately and backed him up. Once again, the gambler found himself missing her. He met the gaze of the men before him and wondered which was Charles and Jacob and decided readily it was not important since there would be plenty of time to learn that later, since his wife had inadvertently condemned him to their company for the rest of the evening.

"It appears that I am in your hands this evening, gentlemen." Ezra sighed, wishing that fact was anything but true. He needed a game of cards badly. He needed to be some place that served rotgut whisky and reeked of smoke and leather. As attractive as these opulent surroundings might have been, Ezra felt out of place here.

"Don't worry," the man with the dark curls said with a grin as he prompted Ezra to follow them. "Our business won't take very long."

A trio of horses were waiting for them when they emerged from the house and while it was impossible for him to discern where they were going without giving himself away, Ezra was able to keep up with most of the conversation. It took him a while to realize that that Cousin Charles was Charles Hollander. Cousin was about a close a description as one could get on their familial connections.

Ezra remembered that the Hollanders were distant relatives and he had spent one summer in their company. Charles had been an arrogant boor for most of that stay and following that visit, Maude took pity on Ezra and decided it was time he went on the road with her to learn the trade.

Wherever their business was being conducted, Ezra soon learned that it was nowhere in town. Their journey took them out of Charleston. They were some distance away from the city with the lights twinkling in the distance behind them, when Charles directed them off the cobbled path leading to town onto a dirt track. Ezra wanted to ask where they were going but was prevented from doing so because of this facade of familiarity he was forced to maintain.

However, they did not travel very far along the track when Charles brought his steed to a gradual halt.

"What are you doing?" Ezra found himself compelled to ask as Charles reached into his saddlebag.

"What do you think?" Jacob looked at him strangely and did the same thing. It took no more than a second for Ezra to realize what they were doing and somehow, seeing it did not surprise him in the least. After everything he had discovered today, this was just the icing on top of the cake. Ezra watched with well-concealed disgust as Charles and Jacob slipped on the white robes and the pointed hats that left no doubt as to the nature of the 'business' he was required to participate. It took him a further second to realize that he had to don on the same costume because the Ezra Standish that they believed him to be was a card-carrying member of the Ku Klux Klan. He hated the idea of putting on such clothing and he did not even want to imagine what specifically they intended to do tonight but for the moment, he had little choice. This was serious business and these men very particular about protecting themselves from what they perceived to be weak-willed traitors.

After a moment of silent debate, Ezra decided he had no choice but to acquiesced to the wishes of the fold. Searching through the bags on his own saddle, he realized that there was a gun in a holster amongst the dreaded robes he was required to wear. Feeling the need to be armed now that he had some idea of what the rest of the night held in store for him, Ezra slipped on the gun belt and still felt dirty about wearing these robes over his normal clothes. It was even worse when he had to wear the hat, thinking to himself that he was glad that Nathan did not know him in this reality because Ezra could not look him in the eye after wearing this embodiment of racial hatred.

"I'm ready for the evening's entertainment." Ezra said trying to sound natural when he loathed the idea of going along with this twisted charade. Though the material of the robes was thin, it still felt insufferable for reasons that were more than just physical. He felt the sweat forming in rivulets, plastering his clothes to his skin. As it was, he could not understand how they could see out of the narrow eye slits that came with these pointed hats. If anything fortified his resolve to leave this life behind him and head for the hills, it was this final nail in the coffin. He was never going to accept being apart of this kind of world where men rode around in white robes spreading terror in the name of white supremacy.

"Good," Charles responded, although it was difficult to tell who was talking now that they were dressed like ghouls. "The others should be there by now."

Ezra did not ask want to ask what was being planned for the evening but a terrible foreboding had started to fill his heart as they thundered up the dirt track to a destination that he understood as not being very far away. He knew the violence committed by men like these and he knew that if it came down to the crunch, large numbers or not, he refused to sit by and let them harm anyone.

After a few minutes down the dirt road, Charles broke the line of trees that flanked the track and continued riding into the bush. They had not travelled very far along into the night when Ezra looked up to see the smoke billowing through the canopy of trees. He swore inwardly at the implications of what that meant and he prayed that it was a bonfire in celebration of something as he had witnessed after Serfonteine had conducted his campaign of terror on Four Corners.

When he heard the screams of woman in the distance, Ezra knew it was anything but that.

As they neared the source of the fire and the screaming, Ezra could hear more horses and voices amidst the woman's terrified wail. "What's going on?" He asked Charles as the trees began to thin, the nearer they reached the heart of the property.

"We're taking care of this Washington business once and for all." Charles said as they emerged into the clearing of the Washington property.

There were at least a dozen riders, moving through the place. The sky was emblazoned with amber light from the flaming pyre of the main house. Ezra could hear the screeching fear of animals inside the barn. The roof of the structure was also in flames and it was obvious that the building could collapse at any moment. However it was not the chaos that had Ezra searching the scene frantically. It was the woman's scream.

When he found her, he could only stare. Suddenly, Ezra was faced with what would have happened to Alex that night if he had not been present to help her escape from Lamont. Mrs. Washington was on the ground before the house, screaming and sobbing with horror at what was being done to her. Her children was weeping as they watched their mother being violated by two men in robes who had not the decency to show their faces as they took pleasure in the sadistic urges.

"God." He whispered softly, his voice drowned by the noises around him. Ezra came to the first decent decision he had made since he stepped into this nightmare. Whatever the consequences to himself, he was not letting this atrocity continue. He could not more let it happen then than he could allow it to take place now.

With everything to lose and only a life to gain, Ezra kicked his heels into his horse and sent it racing towards Mrs. Washington.

********

Buck Wilmington thought he would never live to see the day when he could admit that perhaps his animal magnetism was not all that it was cracked up to be. He had barely escaped from Alexandra Styles' clinic with his hide intact, well his hide would have been fine but his virtue would not. The memory of her lips against his was still fresh in his mind and he had no idea that the mercurial doctor was capable of such passion. It was no wonder Vin was walking around with a perpetual smile on his face. God, the woman was incredible and that was just a kiss. He wondered what she was like on an even more intimate level.

Don't go there Buck, he warned himself and decided after a moment that it was very sound advice. He had fled from her clinic, hurrying through the streets while trying to avoid every woman in town who seemed to be watching his move like he was the tastiest thing on the table. Suddenly, he had some idea of what a woman must go through and could appreciate what Inez endured on a daily basis at the saloon with men pawing all over her even though her heart lay elsewhere and she had reputation to maintain. Not that it would matter very soon since he had ever intention of marrying her, once this crazy pheromone thing was taken care of.

Deciding that it was best that he lay low for the time being, Buck chose to return to his lodgings, perfectly content to lock himself away for the duration while he figured what he was going to do. However, when he reached the main entrance of the lodging house, Buck saw a group of women pacing the floorboards under the awning, as if waiting in expectation for something. When they looked up and saw him, eyes widening, lustful gazes apparent by their parted lips and the relief at seeing him, he realized his problem was far greater than he had ever imagined.

"BUCK!" They squealed almost in unison. Buck saw them taking a step towards him and decided he was not sticking around for this. Before they could get too close to get a bead on him, he ran back up the way he came and threw the pursuing horde off his trail by ducking into the woodshed behind the lodging house. He was certain that they had not seen him make his unceremonious entry into the small shack and Buck found himself peering through the cracks of the walls to see where the group was going. They hurried past in a cloud of girlish giggles and almost manic chanting of his name before disappearing up the path he had just taken when he fled from Alex. Buck remained in the shadows, taking a deep breath and steadying his racing pulse as he tried to work out his next move.

When he deemed it to be safe to emerge, the big man stepped into the light once more, looking around furtively to ensure that no other female was in the vicinity. The backstreet behind the lodging house was for the moment, devoid of the opposite sex and the lawman raced into the building before anything else happened. Fortunately the lodgers who resided here were predominantly male so he would not have to worry about running into any lustful women on his way to his room. Buck hurried up the stairs at breakneck speed, wondering if Vin would not mind putting him up a few days in Chris' shack. He certainly could not stay here with the entire female population of Four Corners including the loves of his best friends, volunteering to be his personal harem.

Reaching the floor where his room was situated, Buck was grateful to see that all was quiet in the hallway. There was not the sight of one flounced skirt or a whiff of intoxicating perfume that could entice him to throw caution to the winds. As Buck slipped into the familiar surroundings of his room, he let out a sigh of relief at the temporary respite. He had always dreamed of this happening to him, not that he had any trouble gaining companionship. His animal magnetism was strong enough to ensure that he seldom spent his nights alone. Of course, it never worked with Inez and Alex had until this point seen him as nothing more than a friend. In fact, preceding her attachments with Ezra and Vin, the doctor had been quite amused by his attempts to flirt with her. Now, she was throwing herself at him, like they were all throwing were as if God was playing some horrible joke on him since he had made his mind up to settle down with Inez and their child.

Their child.

Despite his present predicament, Buck really liked the sound of that. He looked forward to the birth of a son or a daughter. He would like a son because Buck felt he had more too teach a boy and it was too much work protecting a girl from men like him. After a few seconds, he realized it would just serve him right to have a daughter, as if some cosmic force for justice had deemed it the appropriate punishment for all the hell he had given to the fathers of the women he pursued. Buck locked the door behind him and dropped the key onto a nearby table before advancing further into the room . He had not taken more than a few steps when suddenly, he heard a voice speak in warm, seductive tones.

"Hello Buck."

Buck looked up with wide-eyed surprise to find Julia Pemberton on his bed. It took a few more seconds for him to survey the situation to know that she was not dressed. Indeed, as he made this discovery, he noticed her clothes were draped neatly across the chair beside the bed. Her copper coloured haired was loose against her creamy coloured shoulders and Buck could see the curves of her body beneath the thin layer of the cotton sheet that covered her body. She gazed at him with those incredible eyes and left him no doubt as to what she wanted of him, although her being naked in his room seemed to be a dead giveaway of her intentions.

He had died and gone to hell.

"Julia?" He stammered never believing he could be so afraid in his entire life. "What are you doing in here?" He almost squeaked.

"What do you think?" She smiled and pulled the sheet aside. "I paid your landlady a bribe to get me in here. I needed to see you alone, Buck."

Buck felt his inside melt like butter when he saw her lying on his bed, absolutely naked as the day she came into the world, from every perfect curve of her pale skin to the plum coloured shade of her erect nipples, taut with arousal waiting for him. Buck was unable to keep his eyes from moving over the length of her, admiring the splendor of her flesh as she climbed out of his bed, with the slender grace of some feline creature.

"What about Ezra?" He spoke up because he felt himself faltering. He hoped mentioning Ezra's name would knock some sense into her before she made him do something he would regret after he had satisfied this insane craving that was rising from his gut and threatening to drive all good sense from his mind in a fit of total lust.

"What about Ezra?" She asked as she sauntered towards him, sex oozing from every seductive move in her approach towards him. She paused inches from him and Buck took the opportunity to admire her magnificent form in even closer proximity. Her hand snaked around his neck, painfully slow as she coiled her arm around him and pulled herself against his mouth. Instinctively, Buck reacted as he felt her tongue probing past his teeth, drawing him into a kiss of such intense desire that he could do nothing but savour her mouth plundering his for everything it was worth.

When she pulled away from him, Buck felt himself gasping for air, having become dizzy for the effects of that devastating kiss. However, Julia was far from ending this torture. She pulled open his shirt and started planting soft kisses down his chest in a descent that he felt every inch of the way. Her mouth laved his skin she slid down his body, teasing the velvet skin of his stomach before her hands started working the buttons of his pants.

As he felt each button pop under her seductive ministrations, Buck felt his heart pounding with a mixture of terror and forbidden desire. By the time, her lips stood poised over his cock, ready to take it into his mouth, Buck knew that if he did not pull away now, he was never going to. Ezra like Vin was his friend and like Vin, Ezra would kill him if Buck allowed Julia to do what she was doing now because God, he wanted to let her to so much.

"Julia!" He said bending over and pulling her away from his aching manhood that practically screamed in protest at him when he made his withdrawal. "This ain't what you want honey." He said hastily as he did the buttons on his pants and stepped further away from her, his eyes trying very hard not to notice that she was naked. "It's my animal magnetism," he tried to explain as he searched for the key he had tossed onto the table when he first entered the room. "It's making you crazy! I mean don't get me wrong," he stuttered. "You're a very beautiful woman and the next time I see you, I'm never going to be able to look at your face without imagining the rest of you but this ain't right."

"Of course it is Buck," she said trying to envelop him in her arms again. "I want you. I've always wanted you. You're an animal Buck," she gushed as he scrambled for the key and ran to the door, desperate to get out of the room. "I need an animal," she said lustily. "I need you."

Buck did not wait to hear any more. No sooner than the door opened, he was running for dear life down the hallway, trying to ignore the raging erection caused by the arousal of Julia Pemberton's naked form. However, he was willing to suffer a little discomfort to escape the insanity of what had almost happened in his room. He had thought that walking away from Alex had been difficult but Julia was pure seduction and what she did with her lips was a gift that ought to be shared with the rest of mankind for the good of humanity. At least he had managed to walk away from her albeit a little later than he should have but he was human after all. Still, he was pleased with himself that he had not succumbed and knew that there was nothing more they could throw at him to shake his iron clad resolve. Pheromone or not, he was not falling prey to any more women, Buck did not care how beautiful they were.

Rounding the corner of the hallway, he ran into another familiar face and knew that God was out to get him killed today.

"Why Buck, I was just looking for you." Mary Larabee said with a smile.

********

For all his brave talk, they could smell his fear.

J.D. tried his hardest to wear the same mask of indifference Chris Larabee wore with such mastery that it intimidated most men to look at the gunslinger let alone be foolish enough to draw a weapon against him. Jonah Carlisle's friend, whatever their names were, glared back at him, waiting for the first man to draw his gun and begin the shooting. J.D. knew that he would be facing these men alone, that he would not have Buck or the others to cover his back. However, there was something in him that had surfaced since learning that somehow, through the impossibility of all things real, he had woken up in a nightmare that claimed he had murdered everyone who meant anything to him. Those he had not killed had turned away in revulsion of what he had become. The irony of it all was, this was exactly what J.D. had travelled to the Territory to become.

The best.

Inwardly, he knew he no longer cared whether he lived or died because all that made him J.D. Dunne was as dead as the bearer of the pocket watch he had no right to wear in his jacket. They flashed in front of his eyes, the friends whose lives he had somehow taken. It was not so much that he remembered nothing about killing or causing their deaths by his actions, it was the shame of knowing that he had that ambition inside him, so raw and naked that it would allow him to cast aside their friendship in the name of glory. His mother would have been sickened to know that she sweat and cried tears of blood to give him everything just so he could carry so much darkness inside him.

Across the main street of Four Corners where the jailhouse sat in attendance over the town, people were getting off the street, scattering into the nooks and crannies of their homes and any structure that might offer sufficient shelter until the shooting was done. It was a ritual that they were well aware of and had practiced with almost weary routine since J.D. Dunne had taken up the Silver Star that made him law in this town. He was vaguely aware of them disappearing and felt some measure of relief knowing that they would be safe from the crossfire. Even the men who sought his head understood that it was only right that they allow the innocent bystanders time to put some distance between them and the coming gunfight.

All the while as the scene for their eminent confrontation moved its props into place so the setting would be just perfect for their final performance, the gunfighters stared at each other. Those watching, likened the scene to that of a pack of wolves defending against a lone rogue, all hungry with the same streak of primal rage about to be unleashed. J.D.'s hands remained poised over both his guns as his eyes surveyed the odds against him. There were four, no five he counted again, five men waiting to take his head for the death of the man called Carlisle, whom J.D. had no memory of killing, just as he had no memory of gunning down Chris Larabee or handing Vin Tanner to a bounty hunter.

He remembered what Buck taught him and knew that he was vulnerable because he was out in the open. The jailhouse was still the nearest structure he could reach when the firefight broke and he needed cover. The water through for the horses would offer him protection for maybe one or two bullets. If these men had any skill, the third would finish him. Immediately, J.D. started searching for places that would provide him with alternate cover should the need arise. He saw a few places just as he saw where the men who were before him could go for similar shelter. Chris had once said that to get out alive one had to pay attention to the details. Most people did not know that when Chris was quietly staring down a man, he was not merely sizing up his opponent, he was seeing where the man could run and hide so Chris could stop him before he got there.

A hot wind blew across his cheek, carrying grains of sand as it swept through town, J.D. showed no reaction. His eyes were fixed on the leader, knowing the others would take their cue from him when the shooting finally started. If there was anyone on the street now, they were making themselves might quiet for J.D. could hear nothing and behind him except that harsh wind that had probably blown in from the desert.

"You killed Carlisle." The leader said again, breaking the silence that was all consuming.

"If you say so." J.D. replied, seeing no reason to denying it. He probably had killed this person. His memory was not what it used to be in this time and place.

"He was my brother." The man glared at him, his teeth bared like an animal about to lunge.

"I'm sorry about that. I did what I had to." J.D. lied. In truth, he had no idea what circumstances had prompted him to kill this man's brother but an apology seemed appropriate even though he knew things had progressed beyond that. Apologies did not carry much weight in the west and the only way to settle a slight of this magnitude was an apology of the gun.

"You murdered him!" The man hissed and went for his gun.

J.D. reacted just as swiftly, knowing he had nothing to lose had given him an edge he had never believed could make him so fast. His gun was drawn before his opponent could pull the trigger. J.D. pulled the trigger after taking careful aim and lunged towards the water trough as the other with him opened fire. He did not see where his bullet went as he scrambled behind the rectangular length of wood. He heard the bullet from Carlisle's gun explode and whiz past his arm but it was never close enough to do any damage.

He had thirty seconds maybe to utilized the cover offered by the trough. With both guns drawn, he rolled onto his knee as he landed and pulled the trigger with equal speed in the direction of the other four men. They had run for cover as he had expected, taking refuge behind all the places he had scouted earlier.

J.D. quickly studied the path to the jailhouse where he would have to relocate and check the positioning of the men who was close enough to stop him from getting there. One man was running for the nearby hardware store and J.D. trained both guns on him, unwilling to let him drag a civilian into his mess by taking the fight there.

As he pulled the trigger, he heard a bullet impact against the wood of the trough and quickly scrambled out of its path, knowing another would soon follow in its place when the shooter adjusted his aim. Chris had never liked shooting a man in the back and neither did J.D. He had almost jeopardized his entire relationship with Chris Larabee before it could even begin when J.D. had tried to put a bullet in a man's back during their first meeting. Instead of shooting his present opponent down in that dishonorable way, both bullets from his gun slammed into the man's legs, in particular his knees. He uttered a wail of pain because a shattered knee was indeed a painful injury, before he collapsed on the steps leading to the store, his guns falling from his hands as he went down.

Another bullet entered the trough, splinters of wood exploded outwards from the exit point, only inches away from him. His time was up, he had to move. Firing both guns to offer himself cover as he emerged from the impotent protection of the water trough, he laid down a hail of suppressing fire as he ran towards the jailhouse at breakneck speed. Ezra had always told him to keep a close eye on his bullets because there was nothing worse or more fatal than firing without knowing what was left in the chamber. He knew his ammunition was low and would have to last him until he reached cover.

He trained his guns at specific targets, firing at the man who was taking cover behind horses and appeared to be his last obstacle to reaching the jailhouse. Taking careful aim, J.D. squeezed off a round and caused the animals the man was using as a shield to pull away frantically from the danger. As it was they were quite skittish, trying desperately to untether themselves and flee but the final bullet so close to their ears, pushed them over the edge. They broke up their close gathering and gave enough gap in the man's protection to allow J.D. a clear shot. Knowing he had only a finite amount of bullets, J.D. put him down quickly.

The bullet tore through the man's skull and dropped him where he was standing. The back of his head exploded as the bullet made its exit, grey matter scattering in all directions as he fell backwards. J.D. heard someone scream his name and swung around to the direction of the voice. Without even looking, J.D. kept fired again and the voice was cut short abruptly. Suddenly, a bullet slammed into his shoulder. He felt the pain flare in his arm and uttered a soft grunt of pain. He almost released his grip on his weapon but with resolve he did not know he possessed, J.D. swung around hard and emptied what was left in his guns at the man who had fired. The last man had been hiding behind some crates and J.D. finished during the narrow margin of time during his emergence to fire shoot again.

The two bullets tore into his chest, tearing through fabric and spurting blood from the wounds as he fell slumped forward once the dying was done. J.D. wasted no time because he was unsure of anything at this point and he was unwilling to risk facing it with empty guns. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he quickly reloaded both guns, lest the enemy was not as dead as he might believe and decided upon an encore performance, in which case he would be severely disadvantaged if he his guns were empty. J.D. could feel the slick warmth of blood running down his arm, not to mention the pain of hot lead in his flesh.

Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him. Without thinking, he swung around and fired once.

The shot followed a scream.

"JOSIAH!" He recognized the scream as Casey's.

J.D. blinked and swung around. The preacher was standing only a few meters away form him, Josiah was staring at him with no signs of anger or fear, just resignation. The bullet had hit him in the chest and as the blood pulsed out of him with each beat of his dying heart, he merely looked at J.D. "I thought you could use the help." The man said quietly and then dropped to his knees before falling face down in the dirt.

"What did you do!" Casey ran out of nowhere, her face covered in tears. "I begged him to come help you!" She wept as she ran to Josiah side. She looked no different than she did the last time he had seen her, when they had gone fishing at Nettie's. She turned Josiah over and saw the fatal wound to his chest that was draining his life away. His eyes were still open, staring listlessly into the skies, no doubt searching for the crows that he always claimed would come for him some day.

"I loved you!" She said fiercely, speaking through her tears as her hand became soaked in Josiah's blood. "I loved you even after what you did to Vin, even after Chris! Aunt Nettie threw me out because I believed there was something inside you that was still J.D.!" She looked at Josiah and stared at him with anguish in her eyes. "He said you were different this morning, that you were actually sorry. When the Carlisles came into town, I convinced him that you needed help! Now I have to wear his blood on my hands because of you!"

J.D. Dunne hardly heard a word Casey was saying. All he could do was stare at Josiah. Dead Josiah. Murdered Josiah. Not even Josiah who committed a crime. Josiah who had tried to help him. Josiah who had against his better judgement, followed his heart by believing J.D.'s story only to have J.D. put a bullet through it. There was no point in saying that he had not meant for this to happen because it was a deed done, Josiah was dead and J.D. Dunne had killed him. Like he killed all the others.

"No more J.D.!" Casey ran after him. "I'm through with you!" She hissed as she stood in front of him.

J.D. looked into her eyes and saw the tears running down her cheeks, looking as desolate as she no doubt felt. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost. Leaning down, he planted a kiss on her lips, a soft lingering kiss. Her anger melted from her face, replaced by confusion.

"You should have been done with me long before this." He said softly and kept walking.

********

It was cold but they had to keep moving.

He could see Rebecca shivering but he could not let her rest, nor could they leave the river they were using to mask their scent from the dogs. They had left the main hunting party behind now, although the barking of dogs could still be heard in the far distance. Taking Zeus' earlier advice, they had kept to the river and tried to cover as much distance as possible on their exodus from Georgia. So far, they had gone unseen by anyone as the dark and the uncertain terrain of the river made it difficult for them to be tracked by animal or man. However, they could heard their hunters and had seen the burning torches of slavers as they continued up the river.

Serfonteine was an experienced enough slaver to know that the easiest way for a runaway slave to escape to the north would be by making an attempt to reach the railway lines that would take them quickly to the north. Nathan had no intention of being that predictable, thus he was taking this route, which would mean the expenditure of more time and a harder journey to the north but at least it might throw Serfonteine off the track long enough for Nathan and Rebecca to get out of Georgia.

"Nathan I'm so cold." Rebecca shivered as they stayed close to the reeds and foliage that flanked the river as they progressed up its meandering length.

Nathan had tried to keep his eyes open, hoping they could spot a boat or something that might make the journey easier but so far nothing like that had come into sight and he was starting to get worried. While the river route was unquestionably the best way to proceed, he could see she was starting to get really tired. They had been travelling this way for some hours now and even his own toes were starting to get numb. Only the iciness of the water had kept the ache from fully penetrating in his mind. He knew they could not keep this up indefinitely because eventually, they would be in danger of getting sick and that was the one thing that neither of them could afford at the moment. It was still a long way to Kentucky and they had to find Josiah yet and convince him to take them across the border to the north. He had no idea what had prompted the preacher to help him that night but he prayed that Josiah would not hesitate to do so again. The man Josiah had been in those days was not so different from the one whose path he had crossed again in Four Corners.

"I know Becky," he swallowed, trying to keep his teeth from chattering and watched her clutching herself as she tried not to tremble from the chill of icy water. "But we gotta keep moving like this. The dogs can't pick us if we move by water, remember? Besides, it will all be worth it when we get to the north." He said, continuing to speak so that she could concentrate on the sound of his voice and not the cold that biting into both their skins.

"I wonder what its like up there?" She mused, daring to hope that there might be something better beyond this existence of theirs. She had always believed it and until today had often found herself being the one who was always trying to convince her rather somber brother about it.

"No different from here." He said, seeing no reason to lie to her. "People still hate us but at least we're free to do what we will. This man we're meeting will take care of us for a spell until I can join the army and take care of us both."

"Who is he Nathan?" She asked. In private, they always called each other by the names given to them by their father. Fortunately, the master had liked her name and allowed her to keep it, unlike Nathan, which was apparently too Christian a name for nigger slave.

"His name is Josiah," Nathan answered. His eyes moving across the shore, trying to see any evidence of bright torches that were indicative of the slave hunters that had dogged them earlier and just about anyone else who might catch enough of a glimpse of them and alert others to their presence. Their survival depended on their making it out of Georgia. Once they were out of the state, Serfonteine's resources to recapture them would dwindle significantly. He could not afford to have his overseer away from the plantation for an indefinite period of time. Eventually, if Rebecca and Nathan could stay at large long enough, Serfonteine would have to turn over the duties for their retrieval to professional slave hunters. Hopefully by the time that happened, they would be in the north and the war would have started.

"How did you meet him?" Rebecca inquired, knowing that there was something that Nathan was not telling her. Her brother's ability to lie to her had never been good and each time they discussed this escape, she knew there was something he was holding back. If she did not know any better, Rebecca could almost believe that he was afraid of telling her.

"I just did that's all." He said evasively. Nathan hated lying to her but he did not think the truth would be any more well received then the fabrication he was attempting to pass off in its place.

"Nathan," she swallowed, remembering what he she had heard him say earlier. Although there was an unreality about the argument he had used to sway Zeus in the wagon, Rebecca knew enough about her brother to realize that he had honestly believed what he was saying, in particular about her death at the master's hands. Only then had she understood why he was willing to risk both their lives in such a daring escape. "Please I need to know the truth."

She was fourteen years old and Nathan loved her more than anything in the world during their time in slavery. When he had lost her, his world had turned grey and nothing made sense until he walked into that hospital room and discovered the gift that made him whole again. He supposed if there was any one person in the world who would believe what he was about to say, it would be Rebecca because in this time and place, she was still the only thing that meant more to him than his life.

"If I told you a fairy story would you believe it?" He asked, swallowing hard and trying not to let himself be overcome with the memories of what should be happening tonight, flood his mind. By all rights, she should be dead by now and he should be getting whipped by the master for daring to want revenge for her murder.

"I believe anything you tell me Nathan," Rebecca said with a smile. "You're my brother."

Nathan could not help smiling at that remark because for her, it was that simple. He was her brother and that made his word completely believable, no matter how far fetched a story he was about to tell her. "I dreamt that something very bad was going to happen tonight." He began, telling her as much of the truth as he deemed fit. "The master was gonna come for you and he was going to hurt you real bad. I know its going to happen, I know it like I know nothing else in my life. I believe it so much, I am willing to risk everything getting us north so that it doesn't happen. Do you understand?"

Her brow knotted with acceptance, believing him because Nathan would never risk her life on a whim. If he truly believed her life was at stake then she trusted him to steer her safe. "And this man Josiah?"

"He's a preacher." Nathan replied after a moment. "He's good man and in my dream," the healer spoke with a bittersweet smile of the way Josiah had taken a seventeen year old boy so filled with hate and taught him that not all men were bad and some were even worth dying for. "In my dream, he takes us north and he looks after us until the war comes and I become a soldier. I learn how to fix people when they're hurt."

"You mean like a doctor?" She smiled.

"Yeah," he whispered, overcome with emotion because it was future she had never seen, a future where her life would end tonight. "Like a doctor."

"It will happen Nathan," she said in that way of hers that made him believe everything was going to be all right, no matter what the cost.

Suddenly, his eyes shifted past her and the reeds behind amongst which they were taking refuge. Rebecca followed his gaze and saw what had captured his attention so abruptly. The boat was not very big and it seemed rickety but it had oars and would move quietly through the night, cloaked in the sounds of crickets and bullfrogs croaking their nocturnal songs. It would also get them out of the water. The boat was pulled up against the mud of the shore and seemed to belong to whomever dwelt in the log residence situated some a short distance inland.

"Stay here." He instructed as he waded past her.

Rebecca held her breath as Nathan emerged from the shadows of the long reeds that had kept them concealed for much of the day. His eyes studied the area cautiously, knowing how much rode on their spiriting the vessel away undetected. Even though he was seventeen years old, Nathan had the experience and the memories of a man who been in a war and had spent a great deal longer fighting to stay alive in one calamity after another. Reaching the boat, he pulled it back through the mud, making no sound except the soft slap of water against its side as he stepped back into the watery depths. Wood against the slick earth beneath it, brought no attention as Nathan pulled the boat farther from the shore until it was floating of its own volition above the dark waters of the river. Nathan climbed into easily and immediately set the oars to the water and started rowing towards her.

"Becky!" He hissed. "Come on!"

Rebecca looked at the shore and made certain no one was in sight before she started moving towards the boat that Nathan was rowing in her direction. She could not swim very well and was grateful that Nathan was meeting her part of the way. However, by the time he reached her she was standing on her tiptoes trying to keep her head over the water and was most grateful at his timely arrival. Grabbing the side of the boat to keep herself afloat, she waited until Nathan had set the oars aside and leaned over to help before she heaved herself over the side.

After a few seconds of awkwardness, Nathan pulled his sister into the boat resumed his position at the head of the vessel so that he could continue rowing again. Rebecca let out a sigh of relief as she found herself back on somewhat dry land. Perhaps now, she could feel her toes again. Suddenly, the quiet of the night was broken by a rather excited cry.

"Hey you! Bring that boat back here!" The man was screaming at them, waving his rifle at them in a warning to shoot.

"Damn!" Nathan swore and rowed faster, trying to escape the reach of that gun as he saw the man raise the weapon and taken aim. Nathan never moved so fast in his life. His muscles groaned as he put more speed into his rowing. He looked at the shore and saw the man had beckoned others to come aid him in capturing those responsible for the theft as he stood on the edge, his gun poised to fire.

"Becky get down!" Nathan ordered.

She nodded frantically and was about to do as ordered when the gun went off and she uttered a little cry of pain.

"Rebecca!" Nathan fairly screamed as he saw her fall forward, her body slumping over his as the boat drifted further and further away from its owners. The power behind Nathan's constant rowing propelled the boat forward on its own inertia, giving them the gap they needed if not too late. Nathan dropped the oars and took hold of his sister, his stomach hollowing at the sight of the wound on her body. She was bleeding profusely but she was still alive.

At least that was something.

********

It was a beautiful day for a ride and as Inez left her village behind her with Raphael next to her as their horses rode into the warm afternoon sun, she found herself enjoying the company of the man more than she had ever expected. Of course, she had never seen him from this perspective before and was mildly surprised by his manner, which was not as silent or somber, as he was when he had ridden into Four Corners at the side of Don Paulo's son. Nevertheless, she had to remember that those events never happened and he was at this point, still a loyal member of the household not the hunted fugitive that he would be following the defense of his honour. He was of the old school, Inez decided, who believed that a man's honour should be his code. It was the kind of philosophy her father had adhered to, her mother had often said.

"I think you are not as happy to be here as you might admit." He remarked, taking note of her far away expression as they journeyed across the dry landscape that held a beauty of its own to those who knew how to appreciate it.

"I am sorry," she apologized, aware that she was quiet. "I am thinking whether or not it is time to see what is beyond this village."

"An adventurer," he said with a faint smile, suspecting that a streak of non-convention had always existed in Inez Rosillios veins. "Where would you go if you leave this place?"

"I don't know," she lied, knowing precisely where she would go when she finally left the village. In fact, that day was nearer than he knew. "Anywhere. A friend of mine once said that the world is more than just towns and farms. There are hills that run so far into the distance; they looked like oceans of green and mountains so tall that you could reach the ice in just a day." That was Vin Tanner described everything, Inez decided but he was not wrong. The world was that wonderful.

"Your friend is correct." Raphael agreed almost as if he heard the thought in her head. "It is beautiful out there but it is also dangerous and it is not for the weak or the cowardly. To journey into it is one thing, to survive in it, is another." There was a sadness in his eyes as he said those words and she wondered why he was here in this small town, playing lackey to Don Paulo when a man of his honour could do anything.

"Whey do you stay Raphael?" She asked, genuinely interested. She did not know where this curiosity was coming from but Inez could not deny that he was showing her facets of himself that were intriguing and she could not help but feel compel to understand him. "You are an educated man, you used to be an officer. Is there nothing more for you than the life of a gunmen?"

He met her gaze and she saw his eyes softening over that question, as if no one had ever actually asked him that before even though he had spent much time in contemplation over that very issue. "I have nothing left out there. My family does not exist and honour is a fading into the dust, to be forgotten with all the old ways of our people. I fear I am past my time."

"That is foolishness," she declared, not believing such nonsense for a second. "It is a sad world that has no use for a man of honour. You are a good and kind man Raphael, there is much out there you can do."

"Perhaps I consider the village my home," he confessed. "I may be a gunmen in service to Paolo but I know everyone and they know me. I am accustomed to the place and I do not wish to wander alone. I have done that before and I do not recommend it."

Inez who knew what it was like to be alone, to flee in the night with men chasing her, could appreciate that sentiment all too well. The irony of it was, it would be Raphael who was one of her pursuers. Now here she was, talking to him with such intimacy, it surprised her and she had a feeling it surprised him too. Despite her initial fear of him because of what he had been in her mind, Inez had not believed she could care for him. However, he was a good man and his honour was nothing he took lightly, he would risk everything for it and such men were rare. It saddened her to think that the loneliness he loathed so much would be exactly what he would suffer because he had chose to help her and Buck when the time had come for him to choose sides.

"Loneliness does not last forever if you find your place in the world." Inez commented, knowing that in her reality she had found that special place that had she longed to return once again. She wanted to be home in Four Corners, fighting off drunks, telling Ezra to get off his behind and help her with the saloon and most of all; she wanted the baby that Buck Wilmington had helped her conceived. She wanted that child so much and it gnawed at her that an errant wish, motivated by fear and insecurity had taken it away from her.

"Then this is my place." He answered.

"I do not believe that." Inez looked at him. "I do not think you are happy here."

"I am content." Raphael said looking away in the sun soaked horizon. "That is enough."

There was a slight pause when neither spoke for a moment. She noticed that there was something in his manner that told her that he was wrestling with something unspoken as his eyes met hers with a tinge of anxiety. It was not something that she was used to seeing in his face for his equilibrium always appeared so centered as if there was never any doubt or uncertainty in his life. Inez had to admire him for that. She wished her own existence were so focused.

"Inez," he finally responded. "Under normal circumstances, I would consult your father on this matter but since Senor Rosillios is no longer with us, I am unable to do this. Despite the matter of honour, I believe that is unnecessary that I speak to anyone else since it concerns you directly."

"That would be wise," Inez looked at him puzzled, wondering what on earth he was trying to say.

"I would like permission to court you."

********

Finding Audrey King had not been easy.

Fortunately, Pastor Sanchez had a quite a good reputation in town and was able to utilize the contacts he had made with the local sheriff and newspaper editor, to find the woman. Three days after he had awoke in this topsy turvy world where his life was nothing that he recognized, Josiah Sanchez found himself rolling into the Wallace property, the family home of the Audrey and Lilith King. The town was called Cherrybrook and it was like all small towns, a homely place where everyone knew everyone. Josiah had set out as soon as he had been given the information, convinced that Lilith had the key to explaining how he had wound up in this strange reality where he was a preacher during all the years, he should have been in the wilderness.

Although, he liked the notion of living a life where he had not strayed from the path he had dreamed of all his life, Josiah knew that he could not live a lie and this was a lie. The man he was could not continue as the man he was supposed to be and there was a deeper sense of obligation to the friends who might be trapped in the same conundrum that he was. His dreams were relatively docile in their intensity but he knew something of the friends he rode with and could not say that their fantasies might be as pleasant. He had no idea whether or not that within the walls of their prison, they were making similar efforts to break free but while he was in his, Josiah was going to do everything to see to it that he escape.

It was not difficult to find the King property, a few well placed questions and he was riding towards the place, located on the outskirts of town. The gossip he had garnered during his inquiries after the Kings spoke of a recent bereavement. He recalled Mary saying something about the late Mr. King and assumed that things had gone pretty much the same way for the schoolmistress in this reality as well. Josiah himself had never met the woman even though she had been town for some weeks now. He supposed that it was not hard to do when his role as lawman often had him and his companions riding from one place to another to deal with the multitude of problems that seemed to tumble into Four Corners' stead on a regular basis.

The house reminded him of one of those homesteads he had seen during his time up north. It looked very much like the proper New England home with the large attics and Imperial influenced architecture. Josiah wondered what he would say to the woman and decided anything that did not get the door slammed in his face was a good beginning. As he made his way past the white picket fence and stepped onto the cobbled walk leading to the house, he noticed that the wagon was half filled with belongings and it had all the signs of someone making an eminent departure.

Josiah knocked on the door once and upon hearing the clattering and banging on the other side of it, chose to repeat it just in case he was not heard over that loud din. He felt extremely grateful that he had caught the Kings now because it appeared as if they were moving away fairly soon. After a few seconds, the door swung open and Josiah found himself facing a woman in her early forties with dark auburn hair and almost crystal coloured blue eyes. For a second, he could say nothing for he had been expecting an old battleaxe with a ruler in hand rapping knuckles at a moment's notice. Instead, she wore a lovely smile on her face and Josiah found himself wondering what she must have look like as a girl, if she was this handsome now.

"Yes?" She stared at him.

"Mrs. King?" He ventured a guess.

"Yes, I am Audrey King. What can I do for you, Pastor?"

"Josiah Sanchez," he introduced himself, not all feeling like a man of the cloth at the moment. "I need to speak with you privately."

"This isn't really a good time," she confessed, opening the door wide enough to show him the chaos taking place inside the house. People were moving about, packing boxes and moving furniture from its usual place. It looked as if a mass exodus was taking place and she was trying to organize all of it.

"I know it's an inconvenience." He urged. "Believe me, I've come a long way to see you and you're the only one who can help me."

She raised her brow at that, somewhat intrigued despite her preoccupation with what was going on in her house. With a sigh, she stepped further out the door and shut it behind her. "Well, packing up is such a tedious chore anyway, I ought to be grateful you breezed in and liberated me from this ordeal." She flashed him a smile which Josiah thought was nothing less than radiant but kept it to himself for the moment, besides, he had more important things to discuss with her and no guarantee she would not call him a mad man.

"Well what I'm about to say to you might sound insane and I would not blame you if you said so but I'm not crazy and I know I'm right." He replied earnestly.

"Josiah, you have definitely inspired my utmost curiosity and so I do love a mystery. Take a turn with me would you? I'm going to be leaving this place forever and I might as well take the opportunity to take a final look at the place, while I have the time."

It had been a while since someone asked him to take a turn with him and reminded himself that she was asking him to take a walk with her. "Certainly." He said grateful that she was willing to listen. "You lead the way."

There was a creek not far from the house she informed him and they were soon strolling towards it. Once they were a suitable distance into their walk, Josiah finally decided to come out with what he had travelled so far to tell her. "I guess there is no way to say this, so I'm just going to come out and say it."

"Surprise me Josiah." She smiled as if nothing could faze her. Josiah hoped that was true.

"I woke up three days ago and had no idea where I was. I remember being a lawmen in Four Corners, a small town in the Territory with friends and a life. Now I find out that I'm a preacher and have been for some time. I know I'm not crazy because being a preacher is what I always wanted but knew I could never be that. It's just the man I am."

"But now it's happened?" She looked at him, trying to hide her scepticism.

Josiah could see the disbelief in her eyes and knew that he was not convincing her of anything, even though he had half expected as much anyway. "I know how it sounds but in that other life, I remember a conversation with a young boy name Billy Travis. He comes from Four Corners and a day or so before this all happened, he was asking me about magic spells, whether or not any of it was real."

"You think a magic spell caused this sudden change?" She exclaimed as they walked past a row of cherry trees. The disbelief in her eyes was quite evident even though she still appeared amused by the whole notion.

"I know it did." Josiah said firmly. "You have a daughter named Lilith, do you not?"

"Yes, I do." Audrey replied, wondering what he was getting at.

"I know she dabbles in the supernatural arts. Billy told me." Josiah announced.

Audrey stopped walking as if he had made a revelation of great significance. She stared at him, her eyes narrowed in concentration, as if she was trying to decided whether or not he was mad and she ought to discontinue this encounter or hear him out and face learning something incredible. "No one is supposed to know that." She said softly.

"Billy told me that Lilith believes in witches." He continued, hoping to say the words that would make her believe him because he needed her help. Josiah knew he could not do this alone. As it was, everything that he was saying to her was based on assumption, he had no real proof that Lilith was behind this sudden shift in reality. "Is that true?"

Audrey shrugged and tried to understand how any of this could be happening. "You must understand that I indulge my daughter because I believe that knowledge is never evil, just the application of it. She has dreams my Lily and even though they are not conventional or Christian for that matter, I have never felt the need to suppress her desire to learn. I know that those afraid of change or the possibility of things beyond their own sphere of influence writes convention, so I swore I would never raise Lily that way. When she confessed this interest in the supernatural, I did not discourage it but I did warn her to keep it a secret and for most part, I am certain she has."

Josiah knew that the admission had been a difficult one to make so he was not about to rebuke her for allowing her daughter the freedom to learn, even if that knowledge might have inadvertently caused this.

"Billy told me that he was using the magic for good." Josiah explained further, hoping what scant information he had might be able to prompt her own ideas into being. "I believe he was trying to grant a wish. I always wished to be a preacher that could do God's work without questioning the need to turn the other cheek and it's precisely what I got."

"I still don't believe any of this," she said as they reached the banks of the creek that meandered past them. The setting was idyllic and Josiah took in the sight of the flowers in bloom and the landscape of lush green fields. "But Lily has been hiding herself in the attic ever since she found that damn book."

Audrey was not superstitious but this man knew things about her daughter that no one could possibly be aware. When Audrey had given Lily the warning about her new hobby, her daughter had already understood the need to conceal her fascination from others. While Audrey was still unwilling to believe that Lily's dabbling could be the cause of Josiah's trouble, she was not so obtuse to deny him her help. The book had been locked away for a reason and while she was a schoolteacher who dealt in fact, she was astute enough to believe that she did not know everything.

Josiah looked at her. "Book?"

"Yes," Audrey nodded. "It's been in my family for generations, sitting in a locked trunk in the attic. If we had not decided to move, we would never have investigated its contents and found it. Ever since we discovered it, Lily has been fascinated with it."

"It would help if I saw it." Josiah suggested.

"I can do more than that." Audrey replied meeting his gaze. "I don't know whether you're insane or I am for helping you but there's an old woman who lives further down the road. Lily has been spending a lot of time with her lately. More than me anyway. I think she's a witch. If my daughter has twisted your life in some way, Morag would be the one to find out."

They returned to the house where Audrey discreetly told the relative that were helping her move that she had some business with the pastor. Her daughter was presently at school, which was just as well because Audrey did not want a scene when she retrieved the book that Lily had hidden in the attic. Upon entry into the girl's private bastion, the evidence of her amateur sorcery was evidenced inside the trunk where the book was kept. There were jars with all kinds of strange powders and what looked like animal parts along with fragrant herbs and trinkets.

"Oh my God." Audrey groaned as she discovered the contents. "I'm raising a sorceress."

Josiah had to admit it did look bad and thank the Lord that he was not a more pious man than he tried to be or else, his faith would have him demanding the child be burned at the stake. "Let's just get the book and find this Morag, you're talking about." He said gently, knowing that as much as she wanted to indulge her daughter, this was beyond acceptable even for her flamboyant manner.

"I am so glad you're not really a preacher." Audrey said with wry smile.

With that smile beaming in his direction, so was Josiah.

Morag Bellingham lived in an old house not far from the Wallace property. She was an eccentric old woman who had lived in these parts for the better part of fifty years and remained reclusive even though she was one of the more colorful characters in town. People whispered about her being a witch even though no one actually dared to say it to her face in the rare occasions she turned up in town. For most part, Morag kept to herself even though she always donated pie to the church socials and was a regular participant in the congregation.

Although Josiah felt that it was probably wise to have Lily present when they went to see the old woman, Audrey was adamant that her daughter not be involved in any more than she might have already done. Realistically, the child had done nothing in this reality but in the one that Josiah remembered, she had been responsible for a great deal. Yet he could understand Audrey's reasoning and had to respect the decision.

Morag was not what Josiah expected of a witch. In fact, he did not know what to expect. He always thought of witches as wizened old crones, riding brooms.

However Morag was nothing of the sort, she seemed like any respectable woman and she was most cordial about inviting them in when they appeared on her doorstep. However, as she led them into the house, she kept staring at Josiah as if there was something about him that was compelling.

"Morag," Audrey spoke once they had sat down and the old woman had fixed them a pot of tea. It was all so civilized and completely beyond his expectations. "Josiah believes that Lilith might be responsible for casting some kind of reality bending spell. I don't know what to believe Morag and after what I found in the trunk today, I don't think I know my daughter that well either."

Morag met his gaze and nodded slowly. "I can sense it you know." She looked at him. "The enchantment."

"You believe me then?" He said surprised that it would take so little effort to convince her. He had expected disbelief like he had received from Audrey.

"Of course I do." She answered firmly. "I do not often speak of my perceptions but I felt it the moment I saw you. What exactly has happened?"

Josiah explained to her what had happened since he woke up three days ago, from the displacement of his life to the conversation he had shared with Billy that eventually led him to Audrey and her daughter. Morag listened carefully, taking note of everything said as if it would play a great part in her ruminations later on. When Josiah was finally done, the woman let out a long held sigh as if she were decided what to do.

"When she showed me the book," Morag began, "I warned her about using it. Of course in this sphere, she has done nothing but in the world you remember, she dabbled in an incantation that is very old and very powerful. She has potential your daughter and in her youthful innocence, such power is raw and untamed. It can shape the world or tear it apart."

Audrey sucked in her breath as if the knowledge was too much to bear. She had no idea what she had unleashed when she allowed her daughter access to the book. "All this because of a book?" She whispered.

"You must understand that it is not merely a book," Morag emphasized. "It is a grimoire, a book of shadows. It is written by those who practice the arcane arts with more skill than I will ever know."

"Can you help me?" Josiah asked, far more interested in results than portents of a faith that was so far removed from his own.

"I can open the door for you." Morag replied meeting his eyes. "You will have to walk the mists."

"We," Audrey said without hesitation. "We will walk the mists."

"I can't ask you to do that." Josiah looked at her. "This is my problem, not yours."

She was trying to hide her fear but it was apparent in her eyes. "If Lily is the cause of all this then I have to go. As her mother, I don't have a choice."

Josiah was not about to argue with her because he was afraid himself and for once, the company of someone other than God would be good in the journey he was about to take.

Into the mists.

TO BE CONTINUED