The Elder Summons Excerpt

Chapter One

Lucius Wilder was royally kicking my ass.

I couldn't believe the power and strength that was packed into his small, frail-looking frame. Though he professed being rusty, he handled a sword with practiced ease, and it took every ounce of strength and concentration I had to keep him from laying his blade to my skin. I knew he wouldn't cut me, at least not seriously, but the whole purpose of training was to keep him from getting one in on me.

The sad part was, though I did my very best, I knew he was holding back. 

I'd never been so exhausted. Every muscle in my body, including muscles I hadn't even known existed, were aching and burning. I was soaked to the core from the cool April rain, but I knew I'd be just as dripping wet, purely from sweating, even if there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Lucius surprised me by kicking the sword from my hand and then punching me solidly across the jaw. Just before I went down I was sure I saw a look of surprise on his face. He'd probably expected me to duck, or block the blow, but I hadn't seen it coming.

"Lucius!"

My Other, Mark Wilson, came to my defense at once, and I could feel his anger as though it was my own. He pointed his sword directly at Lucius as his electric blue eyes flashed.

"You've gone too far!"

"That was an accident. Remember, Mark, I'm trying to toughen her up," Lucius said in his defense. At least, I noticed, he was mildly winded.

"You don't hit my woman, ever," Mark said through clenched teeth. 

I was half amused and half annoyed. I was amused at Mark's territorial comment and annoyed that he interfered like I couldn't handle myself. I was doing well, I thought, and didn't need him to hold my hand or play the white knight coming to my rescue.

"Would you rather he coddled her now so she can die in battle later? Not all of the fighting we Shepherds do is spiritual. Sometimes we have to fight with our fists," Eris said. Lucius was her Other, and Mark's aggressive attitude had her dander up.

She'd been sparring with Mark and looked as exhausted as I felt. Mark had gone after her with quite a bit of gusto after she'd knocked him on his butt when training started. I knew she struggled to hold him off as hard as I struggled to deal with Lucius, and that had everything to do with the fact that our enemy, Cain, had infused Mark with the life energy of thousands of Hellbound creatures called Unredeemables last winter in an effort to make Mark an invincible host. 

Fortunately we'd thwarted his attempt to possess Mark. Cain's actions had left Mark stronger than any new Soul Shepherd should be. 

"Want me to make it tough on you, too? I've been going easy on you so far," Mark said to Eris.

Her eyes flashed. "I can handle you well enough, boy."

If Mark had been taking it easy on Eris then he had more power than any of us had previously thought. We Shepherds got stronger as we aged, rather than weaker, and Eris was over five hundred years old. She was powerful, the age of the youngest Elders of the Shepherd world, and Mark shouldn't have been a match for her by any means.

"Okay, everyone. Let's calm down."

George Holt approached us from where he'd been sparring against Bobby and Leigh, two of my and Mark's best friends. They were also our Guardians. They were responsible for protecting us from attack while we Witnessed Specters. Specters were the souls of people who'd been murdered and were now stuck in a half-life between the living world and the other side. As Shepherds it was our duty to Witness the truth of what had happened to them and then send them on to the afterlife where they'd either find peace or punishment. George was Bobby and Leigh's mentor. He was also the boyfriend of my mentor, Carsan Turner.

George put away his practice dagger and approached us. "We've been practicing since early this morning. We're all tired and hungry so why don't we just call it a day?"

"Fine by me," I agreed. I wanted a long hot soak in a bathtub and then something greasy and fattening to eat.

"I think I can actually smell the testosterone rolling off Mark," Leigh said in a low voice meant only for me to hear. She had a black eye from Bobby during training the day before. As of this morning at breakfast he was still apologizing for hitting her.

"You feel okay?" Bobby asked her. 

Leigh rolled her eyes. "Bobby, I swear, if you apologize one more time I'm going punch you in the eye."

"I wish you would. I'd feel a lot better," he replied sincerely. Leigh kissed him on the cheek, and they preceded Mark and me into the house, continuing to assure him she was fine and to quit beating himself up over it.

"We've still got to finish moving Carsan's things into the boarding house," Mark reminded me. 

I sighed at the reminder. I'd completely forgotten. "Can we do it tomorrow after training? Leigh and I have plans to go into town."

Mark shrugged and stopped at the door to my room. He leaned against the wall and touched my cheek. It was tender enough for me to flinch. 

"I'll be completely healed up by tomorrow morning."

He nodded. "Put some ice on it anyway and drink some medicinal Milk."

"Mark, it was an accident during training. Instead of being pissed at Lucius, blame me for not blocking or ducking. I'm a big girl. I can take it."

"Seeing Lucius hit you pissed me off. I couldn't help it."

Shaking my head, I gave him a quick kiss and then opened the door to my room.

"Hey, be careful out there. Call if you get in distress."

I cocked a brow at him. "If I get in distress you'll be there before I can blink three times."

"Want me to scrub your back?" he asked with a hopeful note in his voice.

"Oh no, Mark. No more hanky-panky until after the wedding."

He groaned and threw his head back. "Come on, Maya! It's been three months since we last plexed. We don't even really kiss."

"I know how long it's been, believe me. We only have to hold out another couple of weeks. Just think how great it'll be on our wedding night."

"You're not helping by telling me to fantasize about our wedding night."

I closed the door in his pouting face, shutting out his puppy dog eyes, before I gave in. He knew I had a hard time resisting that pitiful look.

*****

After a long, hot soak in the tub I got out and found Leigh sitting on my bed. She toweled off her hair and flipped through a magazine. There was a small tin of salve on the desk.

"I brought that for your eye. It'll take the swelling right down, but it won't do anything about the bruising." 

The salve smelled like my mother's favorite face cream and smelling it brought an ache of homesickness into my heart. I rubbed some of the salve over my swollen eye. It soaked into my skin at once, and was like applying ice -- cool and soothing away the constant throb -- and right before my eyes the swollen flesh around my eye deflated until there was only an ugly red blotch that was slowly turning purple. 

"You've got to see this," Leigh said, tapping the magazine. 

I threw on my clothes before going to look at what she'd found. It was the skimpiest negligee I'd ever seen. Not that I'd seen a lot in my lifetime. Such things had always flustered me. I felt my face warm with embarrassment, and Leigh giggled.

"You act like a ten year old a virgin," she said.

I gulped audibly and her eyes widened with surprise.

"You and Mark haven't had sex?"

"No, we haven't," I said quickly, pulling socks onto my feet and wishing I'd lied and said we had. I knew Leigh. She'd either shut up, or she'd tease me about it for the rest of the day. 

"Oh, Maya, that's so sweet!" she crooned.

"Shut up."

"You're only eighteen, Maya. It's okay to be a virgin at eighteen. If you were thirty I'd wonder but--"

"Leigh!"

"As far as I know Mark is a virgin. too. Oh, it's going to be so wonderful when you two finally make love. Well, it'll be wonderful for him."

Leigh looked wistful as I turned to her. "What do you mean 'for him?'"

"It hurts us girls the first time," she said with a note of regret. 

"Okay, change of subject."

"I've got experience, Maya-- "

"Leigh, I've already had the big talk with Mom, I've had sex education at school, and I've read up about it. I don't need to talk about it with you. I know what to expect."

Leigh shook her head. "You're so Victorian about sex."

"I am not. I'm very progressive. Now shut up."

She laughed and jumped off my bed. "I'm going to get my jacket and purse. I'll meet you out front. I'm driving today!"

I was fine with her driving. I was more worried about Carsan or one of the older Shepherds trying to stop us from going out. By the time I'd covered the increasingly darkening bruise on my cheek with makeup and met Leigh at the kitchen door, most of the older Shepherds were in the dining room. Carsan chopped carrots while Eris peeled potatoes. 

"Where do you two think you're going?" was the first thing Carsan said.

"Town. I have some shopping to do for Mark's wedding gift."

I spoke in such a way that brooked no argument. I wasn't going to let them talk me out of going shopping. I wanted my wedding night to be perfect, and I wanted it to be perfect for Mark, too. Besides that, I was sick to death of being locked up in the boarding house.

"Be home before dark," Carsan said.

"We're not babies," Leigh groused. "I've got my dagger and--"

"And it won't do you a bit of good against Cain," Eris interrupted. She pointed her knife at us. "Home by dark. Don't make me come out after you." 

"Fine."

"That gives us a few hours," Leigh said, taking the keys to her new car. It was a black Dodge Charger, and I was unabashedly jealous. 

"You can afford your own car now," Leigh said, watching me eye her new ride.

"I know but..."

We climbed in and I fastened my seatbelt. Leigh put her hand over mine.

"You know, but you're scared you won't live long enough to enjoy it."

"What are you, psychic?"

She grinned and started the car. "So I've been told. Look, Maya, you and Mark are going to come through this."

"Is that what your psychic powers tell you?"

She shook her head. "No. That's what I'm saying because, as the Shepherd's say, there's power in your words. I'll speak good things and good things will happen. When this is all over you guys will stand strong. Bobby and I will be right with you."

Looking into Leigh's blue eyes it was easy to believe we all had a happy ending in store. It wasn't until she looked away that I began to doubt again.

Regardless of what would happen in the distant future, Mark and I had now. We had each other and we were going to get married. That was what mattered to me most. 

"Turn on the radio," I said.

"What do you want to hear?"

I shrugged. "Something upbeat."

We started down the street that would take us past my parents' house. They'd sold it since they planned to live on Genesis. I looked into the darkened windows where five angry Specters had once lived. They were gone now. So were my parents. As we drove past, just as I was about to look away, I thought I saw a ghostly white face in the window of my parents' old bedroom, but when I looked back it was gone.