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Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Eight days till the Global Unveiling of Bluetannia: The banner headline on the bottom of the TV screen read: ‘MAGICAL CREATURES’ RAMPANT IN LONDON.’ Above the spectacular statement they showed first Chabe, and then Kahrter being brought in against their will along with the other human and supernatural people from the Guardian and Y Crug to police stations in London in ropes and chains.

Amanda looked on from Brigid’s office inside the Guardian’s temporary headquarters in Tottenham. She felt deeply for each one of his friends who was taken that day, despairing over a future that now suddenly seemed in darkness. Brigid sat behind her desk looking over some financial documents, trying to get on with normal business.

“This is it,” she said dejectedly. “The whole country knows about us. There’s no way we can continue doing this anymore.”

“They know about a single incident that popped up on television, Amanda,” said Brigid, looking up from the papers. “All they see are a headline and a group of people being taken to the police station. Whether or not the public believes that the supernatural are among them is still up in the air.”

Amanda nodded, standing up. “But the groundwork for the worst case scenario has been laid down, Cap’n. It’s only a matter of time before they target us next. Especially with Chabe’s fingerprints running through Scotland Yard.”

Brigid sighed, leaning back in her chair. “What do you propose we should do?”

Ms. Duncan walked in circles around the stiff carpeting for a few moments, pondering to himself. She stopped and smiled incredulously. “We can break Chabe and Kahrter out of wherever they are.”

Brigid stood up and walked around the edge of the desk. “Chabe and Kahrter are both seven-feet tall and almost six hundred pounds combined,” she replied. “I am certain they can take care of themselves!”

“What about the others?” Amanda protested. “Can they take care of themselves, or are they just expendable?”

Brigid growled, turning toward Amanda. “When it comes to the safety of this planet, Ms. Duncan, there is very little that is not worth sacrificing.”

“Even Jar’Ed?” The goddess stormed toward Amanda after her comment. She reared her fist back. Just as she was about to strike Ms. Duncan, Brigid dropped her arm down to her side and sighed.

“In a perfect world, I would do everything in my power to free Kahrter, Chabe and everyone else captured,” she stated. “But there are other tasks right now that hold higher precedence like keeping the newspaper going and—”

“Stopping Lugh, I know.” Amanda sat down and sighed. She turned her head back at the TV as it returned to the news from a commercial for The X Factor. “I—I just hope they turn out okay.”

“They will be fine, friend,” said Brigid reassuringly, patting her co-worker on the shoulder as she walked around her desk. “You just have to have faith it will work out as it should.”

Amanda nodded solemnly. “How are we going to stop Lugh without them, Cap’n?” she asked. “The unveiling’s in a little over a week, and we don’t really have a plan to stop them.”

“I already have the pieces of one in motion.” Brigid calmly pulled her chair back and sat down.

Amanda furrowed her brow at the statement. A split second later, Ghede descended from the ceiling behind her. She took physical form and silently snuck up behind him until finally: “Boo!”

Amanda jumped a few inches forward. Ghede chuckled merrily, as did Brigid. Amanda turned toward Ghede. She sighed. “You have to stop doing that, Ghed,” the young woman said. “It’s not funny.”

“I’ll stop only when it ceases being funny, mon homme.” Ghede patted Amanda on the shoulder once. She then moved to stand by Brigid’s side.

“You know of the public relations tour the government is putting together in preparation to the unveiling?” Brigid asked.

“Oh yeah, the Road to a New Tomorrow,” Amanda nodded. “I really hope that isn’t the name they choose for it. It reminds me too much of the second Bush administration.”

Ghede snickered. Brigid elaborated. “Ghede will be dispatched secretly amongst the press corps. She’ll report everything that is going on each day till they arrive at Gerry Arthur.”

Amanda scratched her head. “So we’re basically playing phone tag?”

“It’s a way to keep us in the loop,” Ghede interjected. “Something that can help give you two a steady stream of information as I go along.”

“Okay. What happens when you get there,” Amanda asked her. “Hope like hell we can stop Lugh in time?”

“Yes, pretty much,” said Brigid matter-of-factly. Grabbing some papers off the desk, she made her way out of the office. Her calmness and confidence wasn’t shared by Amanda as she followed her out of the room.

Ms. Duncan said nervously, “So the three of us will be going up against two demi-gods who have a power source that could destroy all of existence?”

“That is a potential scenario.” Brigid stopped a few steps from the door and turned back toward him. “It is also possible, gods forbid, that it will be just you and me against them. We must be prepared for anything.”

“Including our deaths?” Amanda asked with a lump in his throat.

“Comes with the territory,” said Ghede, walking up to join the two of them.

Brigid silently nodded, opening the door. The power cut out in her office a few seconds later as she stepped out. She let out a frustrated growl. “That is the third time since we arrived.”

“Do you want me to pay EDF a quick visit before I go, Cap’n?” Ghede asked with a playful grin.

“I appreciate the offer Ghede. I am not sure it would be effective though,” said Brigid as the overhead lamp fluttered in and out. “This act has Charon and Lugh written all over it.”

Brigid made her way across the new Bullpen with Amanda and Ghede following behind. The Bullpen was much smaller and less furnished than its King Cross predecessor. The power fluctuation seemed to have ended in the area, and the reporters diligently working on their computers resumed their prior work.

Ghede grabbed hold of Amanda’s arm as Brigid made her way toward one of the reporter’s desks. “There’s one thing I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Amanda half-turned. “Of course, Ghed,” she said through a glance at Brigid. “What is it?”

Ghede let go of the woman's arm. “A few weeks ago, I noticed something in your brain. I kept silent, thinking you would share it when the time is right. I see now though that I have to expedite things a bit.”

“What are you talking about?” Amanda asked. “Why the hell were you scanning my brain?”

Ghede studied her calmly. “You know what he and Charon are going to do with the Bluetannia.”

“I—I have to go!” Amanda quickly started to walk away.

She took only five steps before Ghede effortlessly pulled him back toward her. “Tell me what you saw, Amanda,” she said exasperatedly, letting go of his arm. “You’re going to have to tell Brigid eventually.”

“You mean that I dreamt all of London was obliterated in a blue ball?!”

The two of them were silent, staring at each other. Ghede grabbed Amanda by the arm and dragged her into her office. “That is a big fucking thing to keep hidden, mon homme,” she roared, shoving Amanda roughly. “What in the name of Ezili were you thinking?”

Amanda sighed and looked away from her. “I was scared shitless. I’m human…at least half of me is,” she said. “Are you telling me gods don’t get scared and do reckless things sometimes?”

A small collection of storm clouds appeared above Ms. Duncan's head. The rain trickles and thunder cracks grew in frequency and intensity as she started to move toward the door.

“Promise me you will do one thing,” Ghede said as the rain fell, pulling her leather chair back.

Amanda stopped and turned around. Her hair and dress clothes became more soaked with each passing second. “What?”

“Tell Brigid immediately,” she said, sitting down. “That information is too valuable to keep hidden from her.”

***

The thunder roared above, drowning out the four televisions in the Bullpen. Brigid stood near one of the cubicles talking to a reporter. Amanda took a deep breath to calm herself. The dark clouds above her faded. She walked up to the gaelic goddess, briefly hearing a conversation centering around an Arts story.

“Umm, Brigid,” Amanda said timidly. She didn’t respond. “B—Brigid?” The young woman said again in a louder tone of voice.

Brigid stopped her conversation and glanced over at Amanda. “Yes?”

“Can we talk in private?”

She looked perplexed by the question. “I was under the impression we had already talked in private earlier.”

“Yes, I know,” The nerves fired in Amanda’s stomach, fumbling around her train of thought. “But there was something else I wanted to say.”

Brigid sighed, signaling the co-worker to return to work. “Anything you want to say to me you can say right here.”

“Okay then,” she took a deep breath “I—I wanted to...apologize for my behavior in there. It wasn’t right of me to go off on your like that.”

Brigid chuckled. “Well, thank you Amanda,” she said, heading back to her office. “If that is all, I should get back to—”

“No, there’s more,” she interjected, stopping Brigid in her tracks. “I know something more about Lugh’s plan.”

Her face grew stone faced. “What do you know?”

“Well, do you remember my first training session?” Amanda said nervously. Brigid nodded and fixed her subordinate with a stare. “After I got home from work that night,” she added. “I…I had a weird dream.”

“What was this dream about?”

“I dreamt that you and I were battling a blue ball of energy moving to the center of London.” Amanda’s nerves fluxed in and out. “In the middle of the battle, I…”

Brigid waited to hear the end of his statement. “What happened?” she inquired. Amanda hemmed and hawed, which only served to agitate her. “Amanda, what in the name of Hades happened?!”

“The entire city was obliterated,” she blurted out. “Everyone died.”

“The Athghiniúna…of course!” said Brigid incredulously.

“What is—”

She angrily yanked Amanda by the arm back to her office before she could finish her thought. Brigid then slammed the door. “Why the hell did you keep something like this from me?!”

“Because I was scared shitless,” said Amanda defensively. “Also, part of me didn’t want to believe this was actually true. That it was somehow all Jar’Ed’s doing.”

Brigid started toward her desk. “He can only create what was already inside that person’s mind,” she said. “Sculpting a dreamscape out of whole cloth takes someone with more power than even he has.”

Amanda paused for a few moments. “So, that was all me?”

“I believe so.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “But how is that—?”

“Your powers are starting to reach their full peak, young Páistí, just as I told you they would,” Brigid interjected. “The only thing holding you back at this point is your own emotional state.”

Amanda considered the weight of her revelation. “Before I got pulled in here, Brigid,” she said finally, “There was another thing I wanted to ask you- what is the Athghiniúna?”

Brigid sat. “I will tell you later,” she said, turning on her computer. “Right now, we have a planet to save.”

Ms. Duncan looked on as her goddess boss started typing. “What will we do about Kahrter and Chabe?” Amanda asked.

Brigid looked up from the computer monitor. “I have no idea. But like I said before, they are more than capable of taking care of themselves till I can come up with one.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 24