Chapter 6
Nick couldn’t help the feelings of jealousy rising up in his gut as he watched Ren make a show of slowly fixing everything in the shop… one item at a time. Ren had asked them not to sweep up any of the glass and debris until he reconstructed everything he could.
Nick sighed wondering if Ren was repairing only one thing at a time on purpose… purpose being so he could hang around longer.
“I thought you were supposed to be PIT’s power house?” Nick whispered sarcastically so Gypsy wouldn’t overhear. Ren would be able to hear him perfectly and that was what mattered.
“I can be completely human one minute and surging with power the next,” Ren informed him. “It just depends on who is lurking around.”
Nick narrowed his eyes, feeling like that lurking remark had been directed at him then gritted his teeth when Ren confirmed the insult.
“It’s not my fault I’m surrounded by weaklings right now.”
Nick perked up when he heard the distinctive sound of something cracking and laughed when the mirrored shelf Ren was in the process of fixing crashed back to the floor. When Ren turned his gaze over toward Nick, the cougar couldn’t help it and shrugged his shoulders… not even bothering with an attempt to look apologetic.
Gypsy shook her head, seeing the antics of the two men behind her in the small mirror hanging on the wall next to her. She was keeping busy near the cash register, polishing the some of the weaponry that had gained black streaks from all the power surges that had erupted in the room earlier. When the huge background mirror collapsed, instinct had her sliding from the barstool in an attempt to help.
“Are you okay?” Gypsy asked in concern.
Ren looked down at his hands, a deep frown creasing his brow. Taking his sun glasses off, he rubbed a hand across his eyes where a headache was starting to throb. It felt like every demon that was within his succubus range had just scattered out of the area. Not that he wasn’t happy with the feeling of being completely human, but the question still stood… why had the demons taken off like that?
“Not losing your touch are you?” Nick half joked, making Ren turn his head to look at him.
“Hold on,” Nick hissed and instantly blocked Gypsy from coming around the corner of the front desk. Both of them stayed perfectly still as a deep crimson color bled across the silver of Ren’s eyes.
Ren could feel a massive power approaching… there was no rush and it closed in on him with the pace of one on a Sunday stroll. At least now he understood what the weaker demons were afraid of.
“Stay back,” Ren growled palming his temple hard as he tried to strive off the huge migraine he was getting from all of the inner voices that had suddenly decided to start echoing inside his mind.
He blocked out everything trying to understand what the haunted sounding voices were saying but he was still having difficulty. He felt the overload of power just as he realized it wasn’t human voices he was hearing… they were demons… so many demons. Feeling like they were right behind him, he quickly swung around and saw a man standing in the doorway of the shop.
Ren staggered back from the amount of power emanating from the man… it was like nothing he had ever felt before. The darkness surrounding this man was nearly enough to be all consuming. The rage coming from the being hit Ren full force and he felt like it was eating him alive from the inside out.
His eyes widened as the darkness built within him and Ren realized it was too much for him to hold back. Suddenly, everything he’d spent the morning repairing for Gypsy shattered in the wake of the power surge. Ren took a deep angry breath and, in two long strides, placed himself in the path of the other man feeling the need to fight.
“Who the hell are you?” Ren demanded.
Hyakuhei stood in the doorway of the small shop looking around with a disinterested air. The human woman was of no interest to him so he passed her over. His gaze landed on the dark haired man with her and sensed the feline roots imbedded deep in the man’s psyche. When he finally looked at the man that had spoken, he smirked at the irony.
“A succubus,” Hyakuhei said softly, “very interesting indeed.”
Closing the distance between him and the succubus, he reached out and touched the other man’s forehead. The succubus crumbled to the floor and Hyakuhei took a moment to merely stare down at him before lifting his gaze to the item that had lured him here.
“Ren!” Gypsy called when Ren dropped to the floor without as much as a twitch. She gazed imploringly at the man on the other side of the counter. “Why did you do that?”
“He wasn’t enjoying the rush,” Hyakuhei answered cryptically and held his hand out once more.
Nick moved quickly, getting Gypsy the hell out of the way just in time to miss the front counter splitting right down the middle. With a wave of the dark man’s hands, the counter pieces moved away from one another and hit the opposite walls of the shop.
Gypsy’s knees went weak and she leaned back into Nick's strength. As the man moved forward, she noticed his reflection in the mirror and gasped seeing black wings. Jerking her gaze back to him, she frowned not seeing the wings.
Nick gripped Gypsy, keeping her close to him as he glanced over at Ren feeling bad for making fun of him just a few moments ago. The bad thing was… if this guy could down Ren faster than Samuel did, then this guy was seriously bad news.
Hyakuhei’s lips hinted at a gentle smile as he reached out a hand to touch the painting hanging on the wall. His eyes softened along with the smile, staring at the beautiful woman he’d painted all those centuries ago. Gently, he lifted the painting from the wall and turned it over. He ran his fingers over the text he had written… the legend of his brother’s betrayal.
The writing lit up with a blue florescent glow and the ancient symbols began to move, swirling around a central base. The symbols merged together and a soft round light formed in the center as though a light hole had appeared. Out of the beautiful light, a sliver of crystal began to emerge. The crystal shard retained the symbols deep inside… now housing the same information it had once been.
Hyakuhei caught the talisman as it fell from the portrait, catching it gently in the palm of his hand.
Gypsy couldn’t help tilting her head to the side as the action reminded her strongly of the statue painted on the other side. How could someone be so gentle and seem so violent all in the same breath?
The talisman’s glow started to fade until Hyakuhei whispered to it… causing it to ignite once more. Slowly, the crystal began to sink into the flesh of his hand. He took a deep breath and closed his hand into a light fist until it was completely absorbed.
With the same care he had initially taken it down with, he turned the portrait back around so he could gaze on it once more. He gently traced the features of the statue’s face one last time before turning away and leaving it leaning against the wall. Without a sound or threatening word to the man and woman watching him, he left the shop.
“I’m beginning to think that going to New York was a very bad idea.” Gypsy muttered then slipped out of Nick's arms and started across the room toward Ren, who was still unconscious on the floor.
She stopped short when a hand took hold of her arm and she glanced over her shoulder at Nick.
“I don’t think that’s the best idea at the moment,” Nick pointed out. He silently wondered if Ren constantly losing fights was making Gypsy’s infatuation for the succubus grow. “Remember what happened last time a demon got the best of him?”
Gypsy looked down at the floor then over at Ren. She didn’t think that would happen again but she understood why Nick was so nervous. “He’s still breathing… right?”
“Yeah, and I hear his heart beating strong and steady,” Nick answered with a frown as he let go of her arm.
With a sigh, Gypsy took a step back and looked around the shop again. “I can’t win for losing,” she said in frustration. “I’ll bet Grandpa is looking down on all of this right now and laughing his butt off.”
Ren chose that moment to regain consciousness and took a quick intake of breath through his teeth, making a hissing sound as he did so. His eyes opened and he looked over at Nick and Gypsy to make sure they were still alive. He saw their simultaneous sigh of relief and figured they were remembering what had happened after Samuel’s attack.
“Damn it,” Ren grouched and tried to sit up. He could still hear the voices but they were distant now and fading. Giving up for the moment, he eased his head back down on the floor and took another deep breath.
“You’d think with a Time Walker for a best friend, I’d get some kind of warning,” he complained.
Gypsy approached his side and kneeled down feeling Nick shadow her movements. “Are you hurt?”
Ren shook his head, “No, not really… just frustrated. That wasn’t a whole lot of fun. As a matter of fact it sucked.”
“What was he?” Nick asked.
Ren shook his head. The only thing that came anywhere close to a description was the power he’d felt from Kyou and the other guardians at the castle and that was only when they were together. A frown appeared on his face and he dug in his pocket for his cell phone.
Not even bothering with dialing the number, Ren mentally told it to call Storm and to put him on speaker phone.
Storm answered thinking it was too soon for this call, “Are you done with The Witch’s Brew already?”
Ren turned his head to look at the destruction around him and sighed again. “It would go faster if I didn’t keep destroying it,” he supplied.
“What did you do that for?” Storm’s voice was suddenly in the room.
Gypsy released a little ‘eep’ at Storm’s abrupt appearance and Ren glared at the phone, shutting it off.
Nick saw the expression on Ren’s face and knew he’d feel the same way but couldn’t help the grin that spread across his lips.
“Give me a minute,” Ren answered and sat upright. Storm offered him a hand but Ren shook his head, “It might be better to let me stay down here for a few more minutes. By the way… what the hell just happened?”
“For once I’m clueless,” Storm frowned knowing this wasn’t supposed to happen.
Gypsy stood up and walked over to the painting. No damage had been done to the front so she pulled it away from the wall to look at the back.
“It’s gone.” She whispered setting the painting back against the wall, “The legend that was written in Samarian on the back of the portrait is completely gone.”
Storm looked at the painting, remembering it from the day before and caught a hint as to why he was clueless. “Can you fill me in on what happened?”
Gypsy quickly told Storm what happened from her point of view and carefully described the man as a tall, darkly handsome demon though she did add in the fact that she’d thought she’d seen black wings in one of the mirrors.
Storm coked an eyebrow wondering what the mirror of souls was doing in a small shop in LA.
“He reminded me of what a black winged angel would look like,” Gypsy sized him up like she had all the other gorgeous guys she’d run into within the last twenty-four hours.
Nick stood behind her, frowning down at the back of her head. The first thing he needed to do was get her some glasses so she would stop thinking demons were cute.
“That was no angel,” Ren voiced his opinion loud and clear.
Storm smirked before turning to look at Ren, “Unfortunately… he wasn’t a demon either.”
“Could have fooled me,” Ren grumbled and decided he was finally stable enough to sit up without the boneless feeling plaguing him. “I could hear demons… a lot of them. If he’s not a demon, then why was there so many in my head? What is he?”
“A guardian,” Storm frowned then looked back at the painting. “I wish I could have read the legend that you said was on the back of this painting.”
“A guardian? Like the ones on the third floor?” Ren asked in disbelief.
“Not quite, this one is more powerful and doesn’t play well with the others,” Storm shook his head. “If my hunch is right, and it usually is, his name is Hyakuhei… and he is off limits to all PIT members.”
“Someone should go tell Hyakuhei that PIT members are off limits to him then. That much power could have killed me,” Ren ranted, finally finding his feet, though he kept a hold of the front desk… or at least the half of the desk that was closest to him.
“Why do you think I didn’t invite him to the castle,” Storm lied. Actually, he hadn't even known Hyakuhei was around and he’d never invited the guardian brothers to the castle in the first place… they’d just kind of showed up.
“Hyakuhei,” Gypsy’s eyes widened and she turned back to the portrait and kneeled down… pointing at the name near the bottom. “That man is the one that painted this?”
“So it would seem,” Storm mused wondering if he should stay out of it or tell one of the guardians that their uncle was roaming free in this world. This was kind of out of his jurisdiction so to say since the guardians were multidimensional creatures… they were beyond the meddling of a Time Walker. Then again… never underestimate the meddling of a Time Walker.
Storm smirked inwardly at his own joke and tried to ignore the inner voice telling him to stay out of it.
Gypsy put her finger to her lips then tapped them as something dawned on her. She’d taken pictures of the painting before she’d left the auction with it.
“Do you know how to read Samarian?” she lifted inquisitive eyes to Storm and smiled knowing she could at least get one good thing out of all of this… her own overactive curiosity satisfied. “Because I took pictures of that legend and would happily trade them for a copy of the translation.”
“If he doesn’t… then the PIT database can translate it,” Ren offered as he joined them near the painting. “And I can use the computer you have down stairs.”
Gypsy frowned and pinned him with an accusing gaze, “How did you know that I have a laptop in my bedroom?” She thought back to when she’d first gotten home and thought someone had broken in, and then remembered she’d moved the laptop from the living room to her bedroom after she’d woken up.
“Because your laptop has been talking to me off and on since I got here,” Ren smirked already knowing every private detail that was on her hard drive.
“Give the pictures to Ren,” Storm nodded deciding if he didn’t translate it then he wouldn’t be overstepping any boundaries. Of course, that wouldn’t stop him from reading the legend once Ren was finished with it. He figured since he had undeniable proof this legend came straight from Hyakuhei himself and seemed to belong to this timeline… then it had to be the most accurate.
“Lead the way to your bedroom,” Ren said with a flirtatious smile.
Gypsy felt her heart flutter in surprise and turned around only to come face to chest with Nick. Slowly raising her eyes, she swallowed at the heated look Nick was giving her. That look alone was enough to make her knees feel weak. Was Nick jealous of Ren spending time here?
At that moment, the bell over the door chimed, startling everyone. They all looked up at the small brass item wondering how in the hell it had survived the onslaught of destruction.
Storm gave the new arrival a smile and nodded at him, “Tasuki, what brings you by The Witch’s Brew?”
Tasuki stared at the wreckage around him and wondered for a moment if the shop was even open for business. “I was told that I could get some of this from here,” Tasuki said and held out the empty spritzer bottle for everyone to see. “Let me guess… demon trouble?” he hadn’t been able to resist.
“What gave it away?” Gypsy asked drawing Tasuki’s attention to her.
“Oh, I’d say the counter cut in half, glass everywhere… the two top dogs of PIT looking for all the world like they belong here… that.”
Gypsy couldn’t help but smirk at the man Storm had offhandedly introduced as Tasuki. She’d never met him before, but if Storm knew him then Tasuki was probably all right… or at least safe. With a quick nod, she sidestepped Nick and headed toward the back of the store where she kept the spritzer in plentiful supply. Luckily, the back room hadn’t been damaged in the demon raids and she was able to find it easily.
Nick glared at Ren, secretly hoping that the next demon that knocked him down would make him stay down. “We can bring the laptop up here,” Nick corrected the perverted jerk. He growled softly when Ren simply cocked an arrogant eyebrow.
“How many bottles do you need?” Gypsy called from the storage room.
Tasuki shrugged, “As many as you can spare.”
Gypsy decided to bring out the whole box and moved to the closest half of the front counter.
Closing the distance between them, Tasuki’s gaze froze on the painting that was leaning up against the wall behind her. He felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. He struggled for breath as his body began to tremble on the inside.
Moving past her, Tasuki reached out with one hand and gripped the top of the painting before quietly melting to his knees in front of it. The sensation of being punched faded to a feeling of pure serenity.
Kyoko… looking like she’d just stepped out of his dreams. Jade had been right… they weren’t dreams at all and this was his proof. The statue that Kyoko had touched that night was innocently sitting right there… as if daring Kyoko to reach out and touch its hands again.
Taking a closer look at the statue, he tilted his head slightly. Kyoko had only been ten years old and he hadn't noticed the resemblance then but now he could see it. Kyoko and the statue… how had the artist of the statue known what Kyoko would look like when she got older.
Gypsy backed away when Tasuki fell to his knees in front of the portrait. “Ohm, that’s not a good sign.”
Nick frowned pulling his glare away from Ren when he smelled Gypsy’s fear. He silently stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
Gypsy couldn’t resist taking a breath of relief and backed up into Nick’s chest. She quickly decided if things got any weirder she’d probably try crawling into Nick’s pocket.
“What’s wrong?” Nick whispered, eyeing Tasuki’s odd behavior.
Gypsy nodded her head toward Tasuki, “Look at how he is acting. Do we have another demon problem?”
Nick frowned as Tasuki reached out and touched the face of the girl in the portrait… the exact same way Hyakuhei had done moments before. Glancing toward Storm, he saw the Time Walker suddenly vanish only to reappear kneeling at Tasuki’s side.
“That’s Mrs. Tully’s grandson and as far as I know, he’s completely human,” Nick whispered close enough to Gypsy’s ear so he wouldn’t be overheard.
“Do you know her?” Storm asked gently, seeing the strange amethyst light shining in Tasuki’s eyes. When Tasuki turned his head to look at him, the amethyst light faded but the longing in his expression was still there.
“I’ve been dreaming about her for years,” Tasuki said honestly but kept the details to himself.
Storm knew Tasuki was an extended part of PIT… a very recent recruit and a surprising one at that. He’d never given a thought to associating him with the guardians but, as he watched Tasuki turn back to look at the girl, the amethyst hue came back into his eyes.
He rubbed his chin realizing that Tasuki was somehow mixed up with the guardians and he hadn't even known it. If he’d followed his gut instinct and brought one of the guardians here to see the painting, Tasuki might not have had the chance to find it. That alone was proof that he needed to stay out of their timeline as much as possible.
He placed a hand on Tasuki’s shoulder. “The painting does possess a hauntingly beautiful quality… doesn’t it?”
“It’s a sign that I will find her again,” Tasuki announced feeling hope swell in his chest. Standing up, he swung around looking for Gypsy and spotted her standing with Nick. He abruptly pointed to the painting, “Where did you get this painting?”
“A New York auction,” Gypsy supplied already feeling sorry for him. “But there’s no way you could know the girl. That portrait was carbon dated to be one thousand years old… to the year.”
Tasuki shook his head feeling anger swell up inside him. “That doesn’t make sense. How could she… they’re wrong!” His eyes widened realizing he’d said that a bit harshly and Storm’s hand was suddenly on his shoulder. He glanced at the Time Walker then back at the shop owner.
Reining in his emotions, Tasuki said as calmly as he could, “I have to have it. Name your price.”
Gypsy’s heart was still flying and she knew she would never regret the decision she was about to make. “Take it… it’s yours.”
Storm didn’t move a muscle. He’d meant to teleport Tasuki from the shop just long enough to calm him down… and his power had refused to work. He quickly removed his hand and tested the theory.
Ren didn’t even flinch when Storm suddenly appeared right beside him. Instead, he just turned his head and gave his best friend a curious look.
“I meant to tell you that Samuel will no longer be a problem. He will not be coming back here looking for the Fallen Blade.” Storm shrugged as if that was why he’d teleported in the first place.
Ren glanced at Nick only to find the man now smiling at him and it really wasn’t a friendly smile.
“What did you do?” Ren asked Storm. “Drop him in a volcano somewhere?”
“I didn’t have to,” Storm responded seeing the rivalry between Nick and Ren. “Michael and his brothers did the honors.”
“We need to tell Guy,” Ren said at last. He’d wanted to be the one to kill Samuel for more than just the attack on Gypsy… Carley had been one of the few people he could be around without his power going haywire. She wasn’t exactly a friend but she had been dedicated to PIT which made her a teammate.
“Would you like to spread the good news?” Storm asked. “I could send him this way to give you a boost of power. Plus, since Guy’s gift is magic, he will probably know if there is anything else here within the shop that could be a demon magnet.”
“Good idea,” Ren nodded. “But if the Scooby Gang was out late last night at the graveyards, then give Guy a couple more hours of sleep before sending him.” He glanced toward Gypsy wondering how much longer she’d last before the adrenaline rush completely left her and lack of sleep hit.
Storm watched his best friend and the way he seemed taken with the lovely shop owner then turned his gaze on the jealous jaguar and had to suppress his smile. He’d tell them how this little love triangle would play out but… what fun would that be?
