Twenty-four

In the dream, Bas stepped through a doorway into a house Eli didn't know. It looked like a mansion or a villa of some kind, nothing in sight was cheap or dirty. The witch was clearly familiar with it. He touched the walls and looked pained. 

“Where are we?” 

“This is where I grew up.” He stiffened and stared. 

Eli could see the shapes of things moving inside a doorway but nothing was clear. “Bas?”

“Step behind me and look.”

He did and it made his eyes want to cross. He could see what Bas could see, and Bas could see what Genevieve saw but it was like looking out through layers of glass and he had the feeling of being hazy or maybe drugged. There was no sound. Across from her was a man who didn’t look right at all.

“Bas?” Eli whispered nervously.

“He has a dangerous gift.”

Genevieve made a gesture like flicking water at him. The man recoiled and something that had been around him but indefinable dissipated.

Bas breathed a laugh. “Pretzel salt and bottled water.”

“Can she put him to sleep or-”

“No. There are two and she needs their names to do that. She can deal with one but the other would come to his aid and things would get worse.”

The witch closed his eyes and for a moment Eli felt an agonizing ache as if half of himself was standing a few feet away and straining to reach the other part. 

“He summoned our father, Eli, to gain insight on how to break my sister.” The man’s hands and lips moved as if he were casting a spell. “I can offer her some support, I can make her safer so that he can’t push her the way I once did. She’s learned how to prevent it but I could never defend myself against our father. We…”

“Standing together we are strong. We are as we are meant to be,” Genevieve’s voice washed over them both.

“I’m here, Sibbi. Reach out and I will always be here.” Bas lifted his hand and breathed a laugh, “Yes. Draw on me. Remi and I will be drawing straws to see who gets to kill him, you don’t need to worry, Sibbi.”

Eli watched their communion in silence until the man turned a golden-eyed grin on him.

“The Supplanter is the one who’ll kill him, Eli. He and Ruby both have to come with us when we learn where they are.”

He felt a relieved grin break over his own face. “If I have to carry him on my back, he’s coming with us.”

Bas guided him back into the familiar dream house after a few moments. “Grace will be falling asleep soon. Sibbi is doing her best to look after her and Grace is trying to take care of my sister. She’s a sweet woman.”

“I need her safe, Bas.” He took a breath, “I felt… I felt some of what you feel. It was like half of me was standing a few feet away and…” 

The witch put a hand on his shoulder with a smile, “I was born to look after my sister. We are inseparable. I don’t do the chores because I enjoy them, I do them because I need to meet her needs. My purpose is to see her fed, sheltered, and contented. The Bathim’s purpose is her safety.”

“The pack can give her all of that.” Eli placed his hand on the man’s other shoulder. “She’s strange and a little creepy but she’s one of us. So are you.”

Smiling, Bas pulled back, “Focus on Grace.”

Eli closed his eyes and like before, he remembered what it had felt like to see her, to touch her, his heart ached to be close to her. When he opened his eyes she was there looking at him tearfully. This time when he stepped forward to embrace her she didn’t vanish.

“Grace. Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not. I… I’m confused…”

“Let me help with that.” Bas reached out and traced a strange mark on her face she shivered.

“How is this-”

“Some questions will have to wait.” Bas smiled ruefully. “Sibbi is trying to look after you and she says you’re trying to look after her.”

“Yes. They didn’t let her eat enough before she was drugged again. Fitz said he’ll let her eat more next time she wakes.”

“She needs to eat, but she wants salt. Salt and water. She needs them to be able to clear things.”

“He said he didn’t want to give her plain water anymore, that she can purify things with it. I didn’t understand.”

“She uses the salt as a focus. If she has salt water she can keep you both safer.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Any kind of salt?”

“Any kind of salt. She used the pretzel salt earlier. And if she gives you a stone, keep it.”

“Ok,” she gave Eli a baffled look.

“Do you know where you are?”

“No. We stopped at a closed rest area and Genevieve scared the cop away before Fitz could do anything. He could tell things weren’t right. I’ve been… he said I’ve been muddled. I can’t read anything. The signs are like in a dream. The letters are just shapes.”

“The rest area was closed?”

“The toilets couldn’t even be flushed.”

“We can’t keep you much longer, they’ll notice.” Bas touched her face again. “You won’t remember this clearly, but you’ll remember enough when you need to. Try to stay safe, both of you.”

“I’ll do what I can. She… she says it’ll end in death.”

“Everything always does.” Bas grinned. “No one gets out of life alive.”

Grace gave him an annoyed look and then she faded out.

“Is that true?”

“Yes. The Sibyl speaks the truth; it is perception that varies.” The witch gave him a toothy grin and Eli shook his head with a grin feeling hopeful. 

He woke and turned his head to see the man opening his eyes. “You’re a good wolf, Bas.”

The witch laughed and stood from the Sibyl’s seat. “We inherited the shadow of the wolf from our mother. This pack was always intended to be our home. Sibbi believes that with every fiber of her being. Our return was intended to right a wrong, the scales fell into balance. Keeping them that way is always the hard part.”

“Let’s go speak to the Alphas.” He glanced at the Bathim slowly rising. “They’re still moving, but they took them to a closed rest area and they left scent behind.”

“More importantly, the one who tried to harm you has a dangerous gift.”

Red eyes turned toward Bas.

“He summoned my father and Sibbi dispelled him. I don’t know what protections you’ve been given by other Sibyls but Sibbi needs you to be safe and I think I have something that may help you reflect any attempts to shatter you. I’ll show you the stones she keeps for the protection of the pack and offer any help you might want.” 

Bas gave Eli a pointed look, “The stones need to be given out and worn at all times, especially by those who may be going after my sister and Grace.”

“Let’s go get them and inform the Alphas.”

“Stones she keeps for protection of the pack.” The words were repeated but Eli suspected they were a question.

“I’ll show you. My sister has a fondness for stones and she uses crystals the way I would use spells. She charges them with intent. Labradorite, fluorite, fire agate is what I would suggest for you and for those who’ll be going after them. It will send negative energy and intent back to the one trying to harm you.”

The Bathim seemed to be in a hurry to leave and Eli grinned going with them.