McCann's Manor (51 page)

"Well, well,” Benjamin said as Kim entered the room, “our sleeping beauty has arisen!"

"Sorry, I had a date with a nightmare; unavoidable, I guess,” she said. “Are you having any luck with that?"

"Aye, lass, I believe we have narrowed it to only two possibilities, both of which are capable of being neutralized by the same ingredients,” Benjamin said.

"Well, that sounds promising,” Kim said.

"Except for one thing,” Liz interjected.

"Figures,” Kim said, “and what is the
thing
?"

"We need hyssop root and we don't have any,” Melody said gravely.

"And how can we solve that problem?” Kim asked.

"One of two ways; either go to Moira's chambers and see if she has any hyssop root, or go through the portal to get some,” Benjamin said.

"So, the
thot plickens
, does it?” Kim asked.

"
What
?” Benjamin asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"Never mind,” Kim said. “Just a silly joke. I wouldn't know hyssop root if I tripped over it."

"Aye, lass, ‘tis true,” Benjamin agreed. “I would need to be the one who gets the hyssop root and either way I do it, you three would be without my protection while I am away. Granted, I should be only a few minutes, but Moira and Sean know something is afoot and they will be looking for you, I am sure."

"They have already been looking for me, I think, from the caliber of that
dream
I just had,” Kim said.

"Aye, ‘tis quite likely,” Benjamin agreed. “Melody and I can concoct a spell of protection for you all, but that will take time we don't truly have. Tarrh has placed some protection on these chambers, but they still have access to all the rooms except this one. Yet if you all stay here, Tarrh will be alone and that may not be good in his condition."

"Can we move him in here?” Liz asked.

"Aye, we could do that, theoretically, at least. The problem is that every move he makes takes so much energy from him that it is not wise to move him at all,” Benjamin said.

"What can we do, then?” Liz asked.

"I will stay with Tarrh, as I usually do in the evenings; William and I can be with him,” Melody offered. “Liz and Kim can stay here while you are gone. ‘Twill be but a moment and you will be back."

"Aye, ‘tis probably the best plan, as long as Kimberly and Elizabeth stay in this room,” Benjamin agreed.

Kim looked at Liz. “Sure, we could do that, couldn't we?” Kim asked. “I mean, what could happen to mess that up?"

"With my protection gone, even for an instant, the energy will be different,” Benjamin warned. “They could try to flush you out of hiding. You should stay alert and stay in this room, no matter what you hear or what you think you hear."

"That sounds easy enough,” Kim said brightly.

Benjamin looked at her without comment.

Liz shrugged. “I'm not moving out of here!” she said.

"Not even if Moira sends Sean to you, looking like me—or John?” Benjamin asked solemnly.

"How will you prove it's you, then?” Liz asked.

He gazed deep into her eyes, held her hand to his heart. “I will have hyssop root and I will be in a hurry to use it,” he said.

"Where are you going?” Liz asked.

"To my pyramid, in my own time,” he said. “Remember to stay here, whatever happens; you will be safe here, but nowhere else. And don't invite anyone in. Melody will be with Tarrh. She won't leave Tarrh or ask you to help her with him."

"We will stay
right here
,” Liz promised. “You hurry back."

Liz couldn't help wondering what it was Ben wasn't telling her. He was worried about more than their safety. He seemed to be uncomfortable about his own secure passage as well. What risks was he taking that he wasn't mentioning? Was it true Moira and Sean couldn't harm him, or was there a vulnerability he had failed to mention?

He smiled at her, then disappeared into thin air in front of her eyes. Melody shivered as she looked at the spot where he had been standing. “How can ye get accustomed to that?"

"Who said I was?” Liz asked.

"Right! Well, then, I should be fetching William and going to himself now. Remember what Benjamin said and dona let anyone in. Likely, Benjamin will re-enter the same as he left and I will wait with Tarrh until the three of you come to us,” she said confidently.

"Is it safe for you to go get William?” Kim asked.

"Aye, Kim. Arian will bring him to me, dona worry,” she assured Kim. “Now, when I go out, lock this door and put the key on the work table, there, so ye willna be tempted to open it for anyone."

Kim locked the door behind Melody and brought the key back to the table, laid it amidst the crystals and magical apparatuses. “I wonder what Ben is so worried about,” she said.

"I know,” Liz agreed. “He seems more concerned than he wants us to believe he is. I suppose it could all be his concern for us in his absence, but it seems like more, somehow."

"So, what's going on between the two of you—or should I keep my big nose out of it? I thought you and John were an item, not you and Benjamin,” Kim said.

Liz smiled, shook her head. “Weird, isn't it? Ben says he is John's past life and that I was Constance in my past life."

"And what do
you
say?” Kim asked.

"The way I feel about him, it makes sense, but it doesn't make sense that he could be John's past life when John doesn't know anything about magic. You'd think John would have some rudimentary knowledge of the subject if he was a
wizard extraordinaire
in a past life, wouldn't you?” Liz mused.

"Well, not necessarily. Maybe he agreed not to remember anything about magic this go round so he could experience a
normal
mortal life,” Kim suggested.

Liz shrugged. “Okay, I would buy that, I guess. But what about the fact he reincarnated at all? I mean, wasn't Ben's spirit in limbo until we freed him by finding out what had happened to him? How can a spirit in limbo reincarnate?"

"Wow, you ask some hard questions, girl!” Kim said. “Maybe he wasn't in limbo at all. Maybe we just assumed that part."

"But he was hanging around the manor, wasn't he?"

"Did you ask
him
all these questions? I mean, wouldn't it be more likely that he could give you a plausible explanation of this?” Kim asked.

"But you have studied all about past lives. I would think you would be able to tell me how these things could happen. I thought he and Constance were both earthbound spirits, but they must not have been, if they both—if
we
both—reincarnated."

"Do you remember anything about being Constance?” Kim questioned.

"It's not like I have had a lot of time right now to think about
that
! He just a little while ago told me about the past life thing. I mean, it makes some sense to me and explains why I feel so drawn to him, but there's still so much I can't understand,” Liz said.

"Yes, I can see that. But, as you have surmised, this probably isn't the ideal time to ponder it much. We have other things to work on here. What I can tell you is that if it
feels
like a rational explanation, it probably is,” Kim offered.

"When you compare John and Benjamin, does it
feel
rational to you?"

"Well, yes, I suppose it does,” Kim said. “It's as likely to be true as any other part of this experience. Think of it ... here you are, drawn into McCann's manor by John, who
coincidentally
shares your love of the occult. John was in love with Missy, who
coincidentally
looked enough like Constance to have been her twin, probably an attraction spurred by some unconscious soul memory of Constance and the way she looked, but he recognized something in you as well and felt compelled to bring you back to the manor to help him solve the mystery he could only begin to unravel in his mind because he had no conscious memories of being Ben. Now we are here with Ben and Ben knows you for who you really are. Yeah, it makes sense to me."

"And I suppose it makes more sense to me than I'm willing to admit. After all, I do feel almost burdened to help solve all this, like it's some duty I have to Ben—
and
to John. Still, I'm at a total loss when it comes to how to handle my emotions about the two of them. This feeling is so different to me. Shouldn't it be more
familiar
?” Liz asked.

"Who knows? There may have been good reason for you not to remember any of it in this life, at least not until you came face to face with the two of them. Maybe because of the way it ended with Constance, you blotted out the entire experience so you would never have to go through that kind of thing again,” Kim suggested.

"Well,” Liz said with a shrug, “Ben is determined for me to know all about it now and face up to it, regardless of how I may have tried to block it. It's more than a little scary to me, I can tell you that."

"Well, you need to remember, love hasn't been exactly your friend this life, either. I can understand being afraid to go through the kind of emotional attachment Constance must have had for Ben, the kind you're starting to feel for John. Yes, I can understand that,” Kim said.

"I suppose,” Liz admitted, “but I thought this was going to be a simple task of putting a few ghosts to rest. Next we find out we have to undo some devilry caused by abused magic, and even that isn't enough. Now we find all these nuances of deeper involvement. How deep does it all go, anyway?"

"Are you sure you
want
to know?” Kim asked.

"Maybe not. Anyway, I wasn't at all ready for everything I've discovered with this case, and we aren't through yet. How much more involved are we going to get with the past, anyway?” Liz asked.

"How much more involved do you
want
to get, lass?” Benjamin asked with a twinkle in his eye as he reappeared behind them.

"Holy shit, Ben!” Liz shouted. “You should warn a girl when you're going to just magically appear behind her."

"Were you not expecting me, lass?” Benjamin asked, his head cocked to the side in amusement.

"Well, yes I was, but I didn't know
when
I was expecting you, did I?” Liz scolded.

"I should think you would be happy to see me instead of being disturbed that I did not give you any warning,” he said.

"We are happy to see you, Ben,” Kim said. “Did you have any trouble getting the hyssop root?"

"Nay, not at all,” he said, holding up a vial full of a powdered substance for their inspection. “Did you have any trouble from our friends, Moira and Sean?"

"No, we didn't hear a peep from them,” Liz said.

"Nary a peep, eh? Makes you wonder what they are up to, does it not?” Benjamin asked.

"It can't be any good, can it? Are you sure they know we're here? I would have expected to have heard from them by now if they knew we were here,” Liz said.

"Perhaps they are doing what you would
least
expect, then, lass,” he suggested.

"What does that mean?” Kim asked.

"It means ‘tis very difficult to second guess one's opponent when that opponent is a gifted sorceress. I know what I would be doing in their position, but I do not know for certain that they will do what I would,” he said.

"And what
would
you be doing in their position?” Liz asked.

"I would be deciding where my stronghold in this house is and fortifying it with magic spells and incantations so no one could enter it. Then I would decide how best to trick my opponents into a false sense of security so I could spring my attack on them before they could attack me,” he said.

"Sounds to me like that would be pretty good thinking,” Liz said.

"Aye, but our friend Moira is not me. She and Sean may be doing something entirely different,” Benjamin said.

"Or not...” Kim said.

"Aye; or not. But we must act on first things first. Take this vial and stir this powder into that concoction we put together earlier, lass,” he said to Liz. “You take this crystal and use it to hone in on Moira's thoughts and see if you can divine what her plans may be,” he told Kim.

"What about you?” Liz asked as she took the vial from Benjamin and followed his directions.

"I shall work a binding spell to give us the time we need to get this antidote into Tarrh and allow it enough time to do its work before they can attack us,” he said simply.

"All right, then,” said Liz. “Here we go."

Tarrh drank the potion Benjamin handed him, made a face as he struggled to swallow the last drop of it. “Nasty taste this has!” he said.

"'Tisna supposed to taste good,” Melody chided.

"Well, then, it succeeded in that much at least,” he said, handing the cup back to Benjamin. “How long before we know something?"

"Difficult to say for certain,” Benjamin said. “Could be within the hour, but we might not be able to tell any difference until tomorrow."

Tarrh stared at the floor, obviously lost in thought. Melody moved closer to him to offer comfort. Liz and Kim looked at each other, but dared not voice any doubts they might have. Benjamin leaned against the wall and watched Tarrh for any sign the potion might be helping. At last, Tarrh spoke. “All of you should get back to the work room. ‘Tis the most heavily protected against the enchantments of Moira and Sean. Where did William and Arian get off to? Take them with you."

"I sent them away from the manor until I signal for them to return. They will be safe where I have sent them,” Melody replied.

"They would have been safe in my work room,” Tarrh said.

"Aye, ‘tis possible, but I couldna take the chance. I didna want Moira diddling with my mind because the boy was here,” she said.

Tarrh nodded darkly. “Yes, that is wisest, of course. You know her well, lass,” he said. “You are that certain, then, that they were able to escape from the manor?"

"Aye, my love, I saw to that. Moira doesna know about the secret passages, as you will remember, but William knows them well,” Melody assured him.

"What is everyone waiting for, then? Did I not tell you all to go to my work room?"

"I willna leave ye, Tarrh. If ye dona feel like going to the other room, then I will take my chances here with ye,” Melody said flatly.