Without preamble, the diviner commanded, “Sit down.” He’d been pacing the office restlessly but resumed his seat at Brother Andrew’s arrival.
The herbalist looked anxious. “Have I done something wrong, Father?”
“What?” Abraham asked sharply. Then softening his tone, he added, “No, of course not.”
The man visibly relaxed.
“I’ve been having difficulty sleeping,” the diviner explained.
Brother Andrew seemed perplexed. “Didn’t the tincture I prepared for you help?”
Abraham thought back to his unnerving experience with the foul-tasting medicine. “No, it didn’t. I poured it down the drain. It gave me bad dreams.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
The old man leaned forward over his desk and spoke in a confidential tone. “What we discuss here is to remain private. Is that understood?”
Brother Andres nodded vehemently.
“Good. I want you to prepare something potent enough to allow me to get to sleep and to stay asleep. Do you understand? I don’t wish to dream at all!”
“Well, that’s a bit difficult to control,” the herbalist hedged. “I can’t think of any plant that would suppress dreams completely.”
“You must do something!” Abraham’s fist landed on his desk with a thud. “This situation is unbearable. I can hardly sleep anymore, and when I do, I’m troubled by terrible nightmares. It’s now gotten to the point that I’m having difficulty distinguishing dreams from reality.”
“Hmmm,” Brother Andrew said noncommittally. “Your condition indicates acute anxiety. There are substances that could help with that but...” he hesitated.
“Out with it, man!” Abraham commanded.
The herbalist continued warily. “I can make a tincture from the poppy plant, but it would need to be prepared with alcohol. The Nephilim are forbidden to drink.”
“This isn’t a drink, it’s a medicine,” the diviner retorted.
“That’s very true,” Brother Andrew agreed. “I’ll need your permission to obtain the necessary ingredients.”
Abraham waved his arm dismissively. “Of course.”
“There’s one more thing, Father.” Again, Brother Andrew faltered. “This tincture is very strong and may cause you to become dependent on its use over time.”
Abraham gave a bark of a laugh. “That’s your concern? My sanity is hanging by a thread, and you cavil about dependency. Will this medicine of yours stop me from dreaming or not?”
The herbalist sighed. “It won’t stop you from dreaming. No, it can’t do that. But it will produce a profound sense of calm and replace your nightmares with sweet dreams. Very sweet dreams indeed. At least for a time.”
“Well then, what are you waiting for,” the diviner demanded tartly. “You’ll begin immediately. I hope your remedy lives up to its promise.”
Brother Andrew’s face took on a troubled expression. “People have been using it for hundreds of years. It will do all I’ve said, but perhaps it will do more than you bargained for.”
Abraham gave a thin smile. “For one good night’s sleep, no price is too high to pay.”
Chapter 6—Time and Tide...
The paladin stood in the center of Cassie’s living room jangling his car keys.
“What did you want to talk about?” the pythia prompted.
His eyes traveled around the room as if he were desperately searching for a way out. “I could use some fresh air,” he said distractedly.
Cassie brightened. “I’ve got just the thing. Check this out.” She opened a coat closet to display a standing infrared lamp. “Help me carry it out to the patio.”
Erik hoisted the heavy lamp and brought it to the concrete slab outside the dining room that constituted Cassie’s backyard.
She plugged the cord into an outdoor socket and switched it on. The light emitted a reddish glow, and gentle warmth immediately radiated around the small terrace. Cassie returned to the closet to retrieve two collapsible lawn chairs and brought those outside as well.
“It’s been a long winter, and I was going stir-crazy being cooped up in the vault all day,” she explained. “Once the snow melted, I got the brainstorm of treating myself to a heat lamp. That way I could get a little fresh air in the evenings without also getting frostbite.”
Erik nodded approvingly. “Smart idea.” He took a seat.
Cassie stood by the open patio door. “Hey, do you want a beer?”
The paladin grinned. “Look at you. All grown up and offering me a drink from your very own private stash.”
“Don’t get too excited. It was left over from the party. Somebody besides me needs to drink it.”
After a few moments, she returned with two bottles and handed one to her guest.
He raised a questioning eyebrow when he noticed the second bottle still in her hand.
“Relax, pops. It’s light beer.” She settled into the other lawn chair.
The lights from the dormant fountain in the center of the frozen retention pond cast a pallid glow across the crust of ice.
“Another week and that’ll be gone.” Cassie tilted her head in the direction of the ice.
“You’ll be gone by then too,” Erik observed.
She stared at him in the dim light. “Yeah, that’s true.” Not wanting to hurry him, she waited in silence.
He began with a casual question. “So, are you and Griffin a couple now?
“What!” she exclaimed in shock. “Where did you get a crazy idea like that?”
Erik put up his hands. “Whoa. I couldn’t help noticing that you seemed pretty chummy at the party, that’s all.”
“And that’s all we are. Chums. Teammates. Friends. BFFs as a matter of fact.” She scowled at him. “And how is that your business anyway? You’re the one who bailed, remember?”
“Yeah, I did,” he admitted. “Like you said, it’s none of my business. Just drop it, OK?”
She nodded curtly. “OK then.” Settling back into her seat, she set her bottle on the concrete. In a calmer tone, she asked, “So what did you want to tell me?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took a
