and he collapses to the floor passing out.
When consciousness returns, he comes awake disoriented and with a headache threatening to split his skull wide open. Others are in the room, but he’s having a hard time getting his eyes to focus properly so couldn’t make them out.
“James, are you all right?” a familiar voice asks.
He knows it’s familiar, but his mind can’t quite put a name to it. Unable to utter more than an incoherent grunt, he shakes his head. Water is poured into his mouth and after a couple swallows, his vision clears. He manages a weak smile as his eyes finally focus on the one addressing him; Ceryn.
“Thought…you…home,” he manages to get out.
“Thought I went home?” When James nods, Ceryn shakes his head. “No. I was visiting a friend and happened to be at the Squawking Goose when Corbin came running through the front doors screaming of demons.”
“When he finally told us what was going on, we hurried out here.” He then gestures to a man by the pentagram and continues, “I dragged our priest along just in case. When we saw the devastation, we thought for sure to find you dead. Imagine our surprise that you weren’t.”
His mind couldn’t make sense of what the Warden was saying. “Devastation?”
“Devastation like I never would have believed. Trees shriveled in a massive swath with this house at the center; plenty of the animals, too.”
“How?”
“We thought you might be able to tell us.”
James just shakes his head.
Another man kneels by the pentagram, the little girl in his arms. Sobs come from the man. James thought at first she was dead, but then the man notices him looking their way, wipes tears from his eyes, smiles and says, “Thank you. I don’t know how I can ever repay you for saving my little girl.” His sobs were those of gladness, not sorrow.
The priest walks over and addresses Ceryn. “The girl is fine, if very weak. She will be fine after a few days rest I would think.” Turning to James, he adds, “You could do with a little rest yourself, young man” With that, he returns to the girl and her father and talks quietly with them.
Another man enters the room and walks to Ceryn. “We found Hern and Joshua upstairs, they’re both dead. Looks like they were sucked dry somehow, their bodies are being loaded on the wagon as we speak and then we’re taking them back to town.”
“Very well. Thank you for your help.” The man shakes Ceryn’s hand and then turns to walk out the door.
The man by the pentagram helps his daughter to her feet and with the priest lending an arm, they manage to get her moving. They make their way slowly out the door and disappear down the hallway.
Ceryn and Corbin help James to his feet. He glances at the older girl whose feet are still encased in the stone floor. “What are you going to do with her?”
“Leave her for now,” Ceryn replies. “We plan to return tomorrow and the priest will thoroughly cleanse the house. Then we’re going to raze it to the ground.”
They help him across the room and out to the narrow hallway, but not before he takes one last look at the girl and the words San Francisco on her shirt. She must have been that girl the news had said went missing the night before he left for the interview. He couldn’t help but wonder how she had come to such a state. Will his fate be similar? Shuddering at the thought, he leaves the room.
Out front, he pauses to survey the devastation of which Ceryn had spoken. Mouth agape in horrified shock, he took in the trees shattered and twisted remnants of trees that stretched a far distance before the forest resumed its natural appearance. Some had even been blasted apart; for where the forest had been closest to the house lay a carpet of splintered wood. And from what Ceryn had said, it had not only been trees and undergrowth, but animals as well.
Thinking back to the battle and the myriad tendrils of power that had answered his call, he understands. Forces of Good, Forces of nature. I did this. My spell called on nature and nature responded.
Keeping such thoughts to himself, he allows Ceryn to bring him to a roan mare and assist him in mounting. He rides in silence while they lead him through what once had been a living and thriving ecosystem. His mind has a hard time coming to grips with what he has done.
Upon reaching Trendle, Ceryn parts company as he plans to confer with the town council about what happened at the old abandoned estate.
James is in a daze, has been since shortly after they left the devastated area. He merely nods as the Warden takes his leave.
Corbin takes him home where James goes right to bed.
Chapter Six
Over the next two days James takes it easy, sleeping through most of the first, only awakening when Mary brings in a plate filled with eggs and potatoes. During his breakfast of the second day, he spies the girls peeking at him through the doorway. Their giggling alerts Mary who immediately shoos them away saying, “Let the boy eat in peace!” Once he’s eaten his fill, he lies back down.
“You rest,” she says.
As she passes through the doorway, James hears Mary again berate her girls for bothering him. Apparently they hadn’t shooed very far. He couldn’t help but grin. He has come to like Corbin and his family. They had definitely done everything they could to make him feel welcome while staying with them.
The redness and welts caused by the black cloud have all but disappeared, and he feels much better after having rested the day before. He manages to fall asleep again and remains so until Mary brings in his lunch. The sound of her approaching his bedside prompts him to open his eyes.
In her one hand she carries a bowl of soup and in the other, a cup of water. When she sees him looking at her, she asks, “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” he replies as he sits up.
She sets the glass of water on the nightstand next to the bed and then hands him the bowl and a spoon.
The aroma coming from the soup makes his stomach growl. Taking the spoon, he eagerly scoops out a portion and begins eating. “Very good,” he says much to Mary’s pleasure.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, she inspects his injuries. “We were worried about you,” she says. “Corbin said that when they found you, he thought you were dead.”
He gives her a grin. “I can imagine,” he replies.
“Too bad about Hern and the boy,” she says sadly. “At least you were able to help the girl.”
“Is she alright?” he asks.
Mary nods. “Her father says that she is much more subdued than what she used to be,” she explains. “Our priest thinks after some time has past, she will gradually regain much of her youthful exuberance.” A pause, then…“She used to be such a happy girl.”
“After what she went through,” began James. “I can imagine it taking some time for her to recover.”
“Yes,” she agrees. “We are all just thankful she is alive.”
His bowl is soon empty. Taking it, she leaves the room with a final word about him getting more sleep.
Taking her advice, he lies in bed for awhile but sleep is an unattainable goal. It isn’t long before he concludes that he’s not going to be able to fall asleep any time soon. Thankfully the throbbing in his head which had been nigh on unbearable the day before has subsided to a dull ache and he starts thinking that he may be able to enjoy living again. Being tired of lying in bed, he decides to get up and stretch his legs, wobbly though they may be.
Taking it slow, he swings his legs over the bed and attempts to stand. When he gains his feet, sudden dizziness strikes him and he has to sit back down on the bed. Holding his head in his hands to calm the dizziness, and the slight increase in pain, he takes several deep breaths. Once the dizziness subsides and the pain returns to a manageable level, he again attempts to get to his feet, this time managing it without the sudden onslaught of dizziness and worsening of his headache. Feeling only slightly dizzy and unsteady, he refuses to give into weakness
