Amid the Shadows

Hi, happy new year to you all..This is chapter nine, where things start to pick up speed and get interesting. Hope you're still enjoying it, any comments welcome.

AnnaDreamer.

*

'Sleep well my dear?' Claude was carrying a teapot as Alex descended the stairs barefoot.

'Yes, thank you' Alex gave a warm smile and moved to the seating area by the fire.

'I presume our Mage is still...'

'Still sleeping, may I?' Alex reached for the pot.

'Of course, Its earl grey.' He gave a knowing smile.

'Of course you'd know my tea of choice.' Alex laughed and added milk to her cup.

'I know a lot of things.' Claude winked over the rim of his cup.

'Care to share?' Alex asked with a wink of her own.

Claude sat deep in thought for a moment, oh the situation, such a catch 22, to tell and risk the chance that it could cause change, or tell and prevent what had already been seen. Claude frowned. This was the part of the gift he hated the most. For years he'd remained living a life of relative solitude to ensure he wouldn't imprint on anyone or anything. This time his gift involved Jensen...this time this was different and difficult.

'I've managed to send a message to your Father. He should have received it by now.'

'Thank you. What do you know of Alistair?'

Claude blanched at the shift course of topic. He sat back and stared at his cup intently.

'Are you not interested in contact with you father?' Claude asked hopefully trying to back track in conversation.

'About as much as you are in evading my question.'

'Beautiful and perceptive, you are a wonder.'

'So Alistair?'

'Is evil, vindictive, callous, untrustworthy...many adjectives could be used to describe him, someone who knows him may be more specific.'

'Do you know him?'

'No one truly knows Alistair pet.'

'Do you think I made a mistake? By agreeing to this uneasy...alliance?'

'I think your actions are honourable my dear, its other people that usually caused the afflictions.'

Alex nodded and drank her tea. She could hear the sound of movement from upstairs and felt herself blush. God knows what Claude had heard. Jensen appeared at the bottom of the stairs, his hair tousled, his expression cloudy until his eyes settled on the scene of domesticity before him. He settled on Alex and smiled. He crossed the floor and sat beside her. His hand finding hers.

Claude watched intently his eyes wrinkled at the sides. He knew this was the beginning, it was the ending that was like trying to see through frosted glass. He touched his temple and tried to relax, he'd pushed himself hard the last week or so, once he'd started to see Jensen in his dreams and then in visions, he'd pushed for more, trying for clarity. Alexis appearances however, had started before that, now the pieces were slotting into place.

Jensen was staring, he knew it and Alex knew it. The blush in her cheeks was a clear indication. They'd made love again in the afternoon and talked and laughed until they'd napped once more. For Jensen the new found sense of freedom was a revelation. His smile faded, Alistair was always in the background, in the back of his mind.

'Jensen?' Claude had asked a question.

'Pardon?' Jensen's brow was worried.

'I said I'd like to travel some of the way with you, if you don't mind of course.'

Alex answered for them. 'That would be greatly appreciated, I-'

A warm haze passed over Alex, like a hand touching the heat of a radiator. As she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, in doing so it grew more intense. Her body started to ache and burn. As she opened her eyes the scene was hazy, everything slowed. Her grip on the china cup seemed to fade away as the liquid spilled to the floor and the cup bounced on the rug.

She tore her hand from Jensen's grip and clenched her forehead. Someone was speaking, the words were muffled and far away but sounded familiar. She tried to open her mouth to speak. Her mouth felt numb, her tongue too heavy to move to pronounce the words.

'Alex? Speak to me, Alex' Jensen moved closer to touch her.

'DO NOT!' Claude was the one who knelt before her brushing off Jensen's administrations.

He spoke softly, as Jensen tensed. 'Come on Alexis, show me.' Claude stretched his hands out tentatively and placed them over Alexis' own on her temples.

The image shot into his mind so suddenly he swayed, that was one thing that showed her inexperience with her powers. The image was clearing. Along with it came smells and other senses. A town, no a city. A building built from sandstone, the sound of bells. As Claude looked up he saw where the sound was reverberating from. As he moved closer to the building, the wooden door showing the entrance opened slowly. His feet sounded on the stone floor as he pasted the pews and headed to the alter before the depiction of Madonna and child in the elegant stain glass window.

'Time is short.' Claude turned, Alex stood beside him staring intently at the image of mother and child. She walked to towards the alter and ran her fingers over the wood.

'Have you seen this before?' Claude glanced around the room.

'When Alistair first showed me what he wanted.' She turned away and started for the stone craved piece placed in an archaic alcove. The light from the window gave it a solemn glow.

Claude watched as she moved her hand over the stone. As she reached towards the foot of the statue, a piece moved away, Alex gently moved it away and place her hand into the hole it had created. She slowly pulled a sliver chain from its hiding place, attached to it was a small sliver key.

'Some things are always hidden aren't they?' Alex took the piece and stroked the key gently, it glowed and sang in her hand. She carefully put the chain over her head, it sat perfectly around her neck, the key sat just above the valley of her chest. It continue to glow.

She took Claude's hand and their eyes met she smiled sadly. 'This is where we need to travel to.'

'Where are we?' Claude examined his surroundings once more.

Alex let out a small chuckle, 'Aren't you the oracle?'

'Like you said my dear, some things are always hidden, my visions are no different.'

Claude felt a small pulling sensation and was returned to his own with some velocity, cracking open his eyes and gently praying his hands away from Alex's, he steadied himself with a hand on the coffee table. He stood slowly still shaky from his experience and took Jensen's arm. He moved him towards the kitchen area before he returned to the young lady, filling a fresh cup with tea and adding a heavy helping of sugar. Alex opened her eyes and took in some long breaths, eyeing the room with some surprise.

'You're safe, drink this.' Claude moved back and took her hand, placing it on the cup, as she took a sip, he returned to the Mage.

'What the fuck was that?' Jensen seethed through clenched teeth.

'How much do you know of concealers?'

Jensen lifted his arms in a defeated gesture. 'I-I don't know, the basics.'

'Now that Alexis knows where to go she'll feel the pull.'

'She told me that.'

'What she may not have mentioned or even known is that that pull can extended over a number of...experiences, can develop and push her towards her objective in many different ways.'

Jensen looked intrigued. 'Such as?'

'Dreams, visions, interactions with spirits.'

'She's had an altercation with a spirit already at Alistair's house of hell. But that was before their pact.'

'What happened?'

'She had some apprehension about entering a room in the house, Alistair forced her and she was attacked. The wounds are nearly healed but have scarred some on her chest. I healed her, something in me knew what to do and it healed her.'

Claude looked surprised, he shuffled to the bookcase and pulled out a small hard backed book. Its navy cover was intricately decorated with some Latin. He nodded and passed it back to Jensen. 'You might need this.'

'Is that what that was? Will this help Alex?'

Claude nodded, 'we need to leave as quickly as we can. Get yourselves packed and I'll pack some provisions. We need to leave Asap.'

* 'Where the hell have you been? I've been calling for hours.' Paul gripped his mobile phone with a tight hand as Diana entered the apartment.

'I don't come at your beck and call Paul.' Diana removed her fur coat and flung it over a chair, in a swirl of hair she moved towards the young wizard and stroked his face. He flinched and moved away.

'Where is my sister?' Paul spun and glared at her in anger.

'Sshe was taken to the masster Paul like we planned. We talked about it, we planned the details with the masster you know what wass going to happen.'

'Yes well, now I'm not so sure.' He strode to the window and moved the blind aside eyeing the street intently.

'I didn't get followed lover.' Diane slide her body to the back of his, speaking quietly into his ear.

'You may not have, I'm not so sure.'

'A little late to have cold feet, don't you think?'

Paul glared at her before he took the file from the kitchen work top and shoved it into her hands.

'Someone gave me this, you should read it.'

Diana eyed the item with uncertainty. As she opened her mouth to speak Paul gripped her arm and all but threw her into one of the arm chairs. 'Read. It' he reiterated.

* The mobile phone in his top pocket started to vibrate urgently, Alistair took the item slowly from his pocket and observed the caller ID with some surprise. As he flipped the thing open he uttered one word.

'Speak'

The caller spoke with certainty and purpose. 'Has she?' Alistair growled into the speaker.

As the speaker's information came to an end. Alistair slowly closed the item and returned it to its place, housed in his pocket.

*

Karl sat in silence next to George as he'd watched with disbelief as his son and then the woman from the photo had entered the apartment building in the space of ten minutes of each other.

'What is the meaning of this?' George was rambling, 'Why would he be doing this?'

Karl shifted his eyes into wolf form so he could see things around them more clear, on a ledge on the opposite building a small figure was perched on the ledge viewing the same building. Karl could have sworn their gazes met before the figure moved back into the darkness.

'Karl?' George tapped his shoulder lightly.

'I collected an amount of Intel on Alistair soon after his name was first mentioned. I relayed this information to Paul after discovering his own interaction with said individual.'

George looked horrified. 'What? My son and Alistair? No...surely...' George's frantic expression returned to the window.

'George, its the truth. I have surveillance footage and photos to support the theory. I have 10, 12 photos of a hooded figure leaving several places in and around town 10, 20 minutes before the woman in there and then your son. Its time to open your eyes George.'

'It can't be, not my boy.'

'He's involved in this George and from what I've heard of Alistair and what you remember, the probability is that he's in this up to his neck and slowly drowning.'

*

Diana read over the items in the file quickly and efficiently. Even with her disguise she was faster than human eyes. Paul was lent against the kitchen surface watching her seriously. Even to a demon like Diana some of the crimes and actions listed where horrific and quite literally sickening.

'It doesn't paint him wonderfully does it?'

'I never expected it to.' Diana answered. She slide to a stand and placed the file next to Paul.

As she closed the distance between them and gently touched his arm, she felt her stomach turn. She didn't love the wizard, never had, she'd done what she had been told. But now doing what Alistair instructed didn't seem so appealing. She thought of Taran and her chest ached. She loved her warrior half demon. For him she would do anything. As the though entered her head it felt like an epiphany for her the one thing that needed to be done was the elimination of Alistair. She had been used enough.

'Alexisss has been given a quessst by Alissstair.'

'What kind of quest?' Paul gripped her upper arms tightly.

'The kind that required her calling.'

'What does he want?'

'A ssstone. Before you inquire, I don't know hisss purposse or the intention.'

Paul let go of her arms and started to pace the room. 'Why would she agree to it?' he questioned to himself. He dragged a hand over his face and face Diana. 'Did her hurt her?'

'Not much.' Diana answered as she reached for her coat. Paul grabbed the item at the same time and pulled.

'What does that mean Diana?'

'It meansss I have to go before he knowsss I've gone.'

'Diana, if Alexis...'

Diana cut him off, 'You planned and plotted thisss too Wizard, it wasss what you wanted, what you craved and raved about and when itsss done, you'll have your power.'

* Alexis stood on the platform with the two gentlemen, the train announcer spoke with as much enthusiasm as a wet fish. The transexpress train service pulled to a stop with a squeak of its breaks. She pulled the tickets from her pocket and pressed the illuminated button with her finger. Jensen and Claude flanked her back protectively. Jensen eyed the station like a hawk, eyeing passengers and civilians with disdain. So many people, such a small space. He gripped Alex's arm as she went to board the train. She smiled and tapped his hand. Defeated he let her board and followed after her. They found a table next to the window. A young woman with white headphones and a well worn book was huddled into one corner. As the train filled they took the seats with ease.

Jensen let Alex take the window seat, he scanned the other passengers. One man met his gaze and returned to his board sheet paper. He moved a piece of hair behind Alex's ear and kissed her cheek. The smell of her made the idea of this journey more bearable. As he hoovered near he cheek, he spoke softly in her ear.

'How long are we going to have to endure being on this metal tube?' Jensen heard Claude chuckle as he pulled a book from the satchel he carried. He pulled it open wide and started to read.

Alex looked out of the window with some uneasy feeling, she hated travelling on trains, the motion usually made her a little nauseous. 'Just a little under three hours.'

Jensen pulled back and gave her a look that made her feel like she had a second head. 'That long?'

Alex nodded and cuddled up to his shoulder. He moved his arm to accommodate her frame and tried to settled back into the hard seat. He gently stroked her arm and felt her tense. Yeah he didn't like the idea of taking the train either. It had literally been years since he'd been in close proximity with as many people. He took a deep breathe and looked at Alex as he focused on her he felt the panic fading, Ok he thought, focusing on Alex was definitely something he could do to pass the time.

*

George entered his office in a state of shock. His own son. Betrayed by his own son. The thoughts swimming in his head. The phone ringing in his office was nearly forgotten. He lifted it in a daze as Karl spoke into his ear.

'We followed the demon, she disappeared about three miles out of town. A piece of woodland. Her scent saturated the place as well as a few others. Crazy thing is George old man, she just disappeared, puff, literally. Any ideas?'

George stared at the mirrored photo frame on his desk. It had been taken by his own hand. On a rare occasion when he'd left business behind and spent time with both his children they'd holidayed at the beach. With the sea in the background and a clear blue sky, Alex was on Paul's back. Both were smiling into the camera. George slammed it face down and rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

The solution hit him straight between the eyes. 'Its a portal.'

Karl chuckled, 'You shitting me?'

'No, Alistair and I used to use the all the time. To travel to and from a place in a blink of time, only problem was they used to take a lot of energy. We used too feed them to keep them active.'

'Why do I feel like I know the answer before I ask the question?'

George sighed. 'We feed them blood. Anyone feeding a portal that way can use it.'

'Damn George, I thought turning wolfy a few nights a month was freaky. You wizards make it a day to day occurrence.'

'If its been used regularly, they'll still be traces of the travellers.'

'So we just found our way to the yellow brick road?' Karl laughed.

'Looks like we off to see the wizard my friend.'

* Jensen needed to pee. Badly. Alex was nestled against his arm which had long since fell asleep. He shuffled her slightly and she burrowed into the seat facing away from him to the window. The man with the broadsheet caught his eye and quickly looked away. He frowned and turned his gaze to the paper. He kicked Claude who was snoozing lightly. He cursed and bolted upright.

'Bout time you figured it out.' Claude said grumpily rubbing his calf.

'You let us get on this fucking tin can and you knew we were being followed?' Jensen spoke in a hurried whisper. He hadn't noticed until it was too late that the paper was about a week old.

'He only watching us...so far.'

'How could you place Alex in that kind of position?'

'She needs to be here on this journey my boy.'

'I'm going to take a leak, then we're getting of the train at the next fucking stop, we clear?'

Claude mumbled something and returned to his book, with one last glance at Alex he headed towards the facilities. He watched the doors move open, the whoosh whoosh sounding as he stepped through into a smaller walkway. There was a queue of two men before him, both swaying with the motion of the carriage. As he crossed his arms and lent against the carpeted wall he closed his eyes against the motion. The doors opened one more time, as the whoosh sound dimmed, he cracked his left eye and eyed the man blocking his exit as he turned to his right another man blocked that way. Both men at the toilet door slowly stepped towards him.

'We issue a warning Mage.'

Jensen unfolded from the wall and stood up straighter, the man recoiled slightly before he continued. 'A warning to cease your objective'

Jensen smirked, 'And what objective would that be?'

The second guy spoke, 'We know you and the woman seek the stone.'

'Really? We where just hoping for a weekend away from city life but your version of things sounds better.'

Minion one spoke again, 'This is no time for jokes Mage. We and our fathers before us have guarded the secrets of the stone for centuries. We will not allow it to be found, especially to hand it over to someone so evil.'

Minion two nodded, 'We will not allow his brand of evil to consume the world.'

Jensen observed their clothes, they all dressed identical in royal blue suits and scratchy white shirts, minion three by the door was the guy with the broadsheet. 'This journey is about more than just the stone.'

Broadsheet spoke, 'If we could guarantee your safety?'

Jensen sniggered, 'No one can guarantee jack shit against the master.'

Broadsheet moved forward and grabbed Jensen's arm, 'So far we have been polite.'

Jensen growled, 'Take. Your. Hand. Off. me.' With each word he could feel his temperature raising. The announcer filled the space commenting on the next station stop. Before the announcement finished, Jensen grabbed broadsheet by the arm and flipped him onto his back. Flinging his arm into his face in a quick succession of moves. Minions one and two came towards him, both pulling something from their inner pockets. Shit they were armed. As he straightened minion one pulled a small knife, minion two a hand gun and silencer. As he turned minion two hit him with a right hook, the motion of the train had him bouncing back forwards from the carriage wall.