After the Calling

<<The Lie: Part VI

Warnings: Profanity. Controlled Nudity (BOOBIES! … I am a child.). Adult Themes. Some discontinuity in the set. Pic heavy.

There is one part where I’m gonna need you to just use your imagination. You’ll know it when you see it. Just pretend that you can see what I’m telling you to see.

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Aeryn peered out of the car window as they pulled up into the driveway of the large, heavily forested home. Chauncey’s expression hadn’t so much as twitched from his angry frown the entire ride up, but Aeryn was surprised they had even made it. It had taken Mickey an entire day to convince him, not only to come along, but to return the spark plugs to the car engine.

Chauncey put the car in park and motioned them out.

He walked around and stood in front of them, face still contorted crossly. “This is not a friendly visit,” he began lecturing. “We’re in, we’re out, we’re gone. Whatever they say or do, it’s no reason for us to stay for longer than we have to. And Aeryn.” He looked at her. “It’s very important that you be fully aware of your aura when you go in there. Keep it as shielded as possible… for you own safety,” he added grimly before spinning on his heel.

Aeryn nodded nervously, taken aback by Chauncey’s sudden domineering attitude, but Mickey was unimpressed.

“Chauncey. Chauncey!” She rushed to grab his hand before he stalked off. “They are still your parents.”

“That means nothing.”

“They’re no danger to us.”

“You don’t know them like I know them,” he responded, shaking her off.

She frowned at him. “I’ve known them for long enough.”

“If you did, then you’d know we shouldn’t be here. Aeryn especially.”

“Why me especially?” Aeryn asked.

Chauncey looked over at her with low eyes, clearly studying her aura. “There are aspects about you that are… appealing to people like them.” He looked away and started walking towards the house. “Just keep your aura in check.”

Aeryn stared after him, internally freaking out over his cryptic answer. Somehow she felt that being appealing wasn’t a good thing.

Mickey shook her head, motioning for Aeryn to follow. “I swear he’s overreacting. We’ll be fine, and he’ll get over it.”

They followed Chauncey around the back of the house where a tall, blond man was reading a book by a moonlit pool. As they approached he looked up and laid his book across his legs, which were propped comfortably on a metal patio table. With a smile, he glanced over each of them. Aeryn thought that his eyes had lingered on her for a bit longer than necessary but it could have been in her head.

“Why, mine eyes doth deceive me. I thought I sensed malice,” the blond said, standing up. He could have been Chauncey’s brother. He wasn’t as big as Chauncey, or even as handsome, but he was definitely the template from which Chauncey was built. “Has the fruit of my loins that has so spurned me in the past come to pay a visit?” He motioned toward Aeryn and Mickey. “And bearing gifts?”

“Don’t fuck around, Jax,” Chauncey said quietly, although the tone was threatening.

“Don’t be crass, Chauncey. There are ladies present.” the man smirked. “And you know there is never any fuck around these parts. Except for everyday.” He raised his eyebrows. “Good God, boy, what are you growing on your head?”

Chauncey flinched in annoyance and motioned for Mickey and Aeryn to walk around. “We’re not here to see you,” he said.

“That’s no matter, for you clearly see me anyway, and I…” he moved quickly to block the doorway, “… very clearly see you.” He winked at Mickey. “Welcome Mickey. Did you miss me?”

“Not really,” Mickey said, stopping short, and taking a hold on Aeryn’s elbow.

“Well, I missed you,” he said. He diverted his gaze to Aeryn. “And although I haven’t met your friend, I’m almost positive that I’ll be missing her… if she leaves.” The was disconcerting edge to his voice that made Aeryn take a small step back, but Mickey’s grip on her arm kept her from going too far.

“She’ll definitely be leaving,” Chauncey said, shoving Jax violently out of the way. He stuck a finger in Jax’s face. “No games,” he said.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it,” Jax said with a smile, giving no resistance as Chauncey pinned him to the wall. Aeryn got the impression that such a feat was not as easy as Jax allowed it to appear.

Mickey pulled Aeryn towards the door. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

They had barely made into foyer, when a redheaded figure appeared in front of them and draped herself over the half-wall.

“Chauncey, my frozen ocean,” the woman said with a reverent tone. “The rains told me you’d come.”

“Whatever,” Chauncey replied.

“You need a haircut, love,” the woman said simply, and turned her attention to Mickey. “Hello Mickey, sweetness of honey. You’re visit warms me in ways you couldn’t know… unless you want to. I’d be glad to show you.”

Mickey smiled. “You wish, Chloe.”

The woman ignored the retort and turned then to look at Aeryn. “And you…” she began, but her voice faded off. She stared at Aeryn with an oddly frightening look in her eyes. Although she couldn’t sense anything, Aeryn felt like this woman was peering straight through the weak auroric barrier she had placed around her psyche.

Aeryn felt bare, completely exposed, and almost terrified. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt someone creeping up behind her. She spun to see Jax staring down at her, his hands taking a firm grip on her arms.

“Care to dance?” he asked.

But she wasn’t near him long enough to answer before Chauncey yanked her behind him and step up threateningly.

“Hi, hello, how are we doing here, good to hear it.” Mickey slid between. “Okay, listen. And this goes for you too, Chloe,” she called. “This isn’t a frathouse, there is no need for the hazing. You don’t have to initiate her, or whatever the shit you two are doing. She’s with us, and that’s the end of it. Stop trying to freak her out.”

“We’re just introducing ourselves,” Chloe replied innocently.

“No, you’re just being fucktarded,” Chauncey growled, although his malevolence was aimed entirely at Jax.

Chloe blinked, looking over a Chauncey with a thoughtful expression. “Jax,” she said airily.

“Yes, beautiful?” he answered, stepping back from Mickey and Chauncey.

“I think your son is upset with me.”

Jax gasped in feigned surprise. “That is an amazing coincidence because I believe that your son is upset with me.”

“How could this have happened?”

“No idea, love.”

“Inexplicable.”

“Completely.”

“Okay,” Mickey interrupted them. “So we actually can’t be here all night.”

“But why not?” Chloe pouted. “You can at least stay for a glass of wine.”

“Oh yes, that’s a lovely idea,” Jax said without interrupting the staring match that had started between himself and Chauncey. “You’ll have to excuse us, however. You see, we only keep red.”

“We appreciate the offer. Really, we do, but maybe some other time.” Mickey replied. She appeared to be putting a significant amount of effort into keeping Chauncey from leaping at Jax, who was grinning condescendingly. “Chloe, what we really need is a reading.”

The redheaded woman clasped her hands and giggled like a school girl, her fangs gleaming prominently. “I’d love nothing more… actually there are a few things that I’d love more, but I’ll settle for a reading. Please, do come in.”

“Thank you,” Mickey said, relieved. She gripped Chauncey’s shoulders and coaxed him around, pushing him in Chloe’s direction. “Come on, Aeryn,” she said, waving her over from where she had pressed herself against the wall and walked with her into the main room.

“Aeryn.” Jax repeated her name.

Both Aeryn and Chauncey turned at the sound of her name out of Jax’s mouth, but Mickey kept a firm grip on his shoulder, and immediately pulled Aeryn along with them. “Ignore him,” she said firmly.

“Yes, ignore me,” Jax mocked.

As they walked into the greater room, Chloe approached a shirtless man who was lying, almost bonelessly, on the couch. Aeryn could sense something odd about his aura, which was non-psychic. It was slight, not having nearly as much energy as it was supposed to, but at the same time it seemed to be moving a mile a minute. Expanding, contracting, clenching, and releasing. Doing much more than a feeble aura should have been able to do. It was unlike anything Aeryn had sensed before.

“Kyle, my brilliance, I don’t mean to interrupt you, but why don’t you go relax in one of the bedrooms. My son has come to visit. Isn’t that exciting?” she cooed.

The man seemed barely aware of his surroundings so it was unlikely that he’d find Chauncey’s visit at all exciting, but he stood obediently, and shuffled by.

As he passed them, Chauncey reached behind him and put and arm around Mickey. It seemed almost protective, but as Aeryn watched Mickey stare anxiously over Chauncey’s shoulder, she realized that Chauncey was not protecting Mickey from the man. He was preventing her from touching him. From healing him.

“Leave him be,” he told her lowly. “You’ll only be giving him more for them to take.”

Mickey moved as though letting the man pass her was painful. “But he’s – ”

“Leave him be, Mickey,” Chauncey repeated firmly. “It’s what he wants. Or he wouldn’t be here.”

“I assure you, he’s hardly abused,” Chloe piped in. “It’s just so hard to resist when they ask for it. But if you want me to leave him to his own, I will.”

“Please? At least for a few days. ” Mickey said, tearing her attention away from Chloe’s hobbling pet. She bit her lip before adding, “You have others.”

“I do,” the redhead replied as if she had just remembered. “But everyone has their favorites.”

Jax had posted himself against the stairwell balustrade and paid the man not one speck of attention when he shuffled past. “I’d like to know why you wouldn’t request a reading from me,” he pouted.

“Because my way is better, dear,” Chloe answered.

“If that is the true reasoning, then I am offended.”

Chloe laughed. “Then be offended.”

He sucked his teeth. “No. It is impossible to compare aeromancy and hydromancy in an objective sen – ,” Jax stopped short as a nude woman appeared from the neighboring room.

Aeryn stared in shock as the woman sidled past Jax, running her wrist under his nose, completely ignoring the other people in the room. She let her arm hover below his face for a moment before making her way up the stairs and down the corridor, Jax’s eyes following meticulously. His lost attention took a moment to return.

“I’m truly sorry,” he said, distractedly. “I was completely unprepared for that. I’ll rejoin you in a moment.” And with that he was off after the nudist.

Chloe sat down beside a low table in the center of the room and rolled her eyes, amused. “He has the attention span of a goat.”

Chauncey scowled. “Disgusting.”

“Please Chauncey,” Chloe scolded lightly. “Not all of us are so lucky to have Mickey.”

The comment clearly flared Chauncey, but Mickey threw and arm around his waist and patted his side reassuringly. Aeryn was surprised to see that the small act calmed him. Tensions had noticeably decreased the minute Jax left the room.

Chauncey sighed. “Can you just… hurry up? This place makes me itch.”

“Chauncey, Chauncey, moon to my tides, judgment will give you nothing but wrinkles.” Chloe circled her palm above a bowl of water that was sitting expectedly on the table’s edge. “Be patient. I’m not a magician.” She gazed quietly into the water for a long time before saying. “What exactly are you looking for?”

“We don’t know. Ryan and Dresden were attacked, and now we’re all in hiding. It’s the reason why Aeryn and I are with Chauncey now,” Mickey explained. “I don’t know much about the people who attacked. We think they were looking for Jericho Sr., but it could have been any of us.”

“Mmmm,” Chloe hummed, still water gazing. “I’ll be needing a volunteer. I can be more precise if I have someone to read.”

“Me,” Chauncey volunteered immediately.

Chloe waved him away. “Darling, you weren’t anywhere near the event in question. There’s nothing I’d see from you that I can’t already see now. Not to mention that your waters are murky with spite and bitterness. It simply won’t do.”

“Then me,” Mickey stepped forward. She moved to roll up her sleeve to place her hand in the bowl of water but Chloe stopped her.

“You would be lovely, Mickey, light of a thousand burning stars, but why not… Aeryn, was it?”

Aeryn nodded stiltedly.

Chloe smiled and caressed the rim of the bowl. “I can sense that you hold something a bit more valuable in all of this.”

“No.” Chauncey answered immediately.

“That’s not up to you, love.”

“She’s right Chauncey.” Mickey nodded in reluctant agreement and turned to Aeryn. “Only if you want to. I’m sure she can get the same info off of me that she can from you.”

“Nonsense,” Chloe scoffed. “Mickey you know better than that. Everyone is nuanced, and so are their readings. You and Aeryn each hold drastically different perspectives.”

Mickey sighed and frowned. “Aeryn, it’s really up to you.”

Chloe was looking at Aeryn with a pleasant expectation that simultaneously calmed her and churned her stomach, but she nodded. “What do I do?” she asked.

“Come,” Chloe motioned. “Sit, and place your hand in the water, palm up.”

Aeryn knelt down by the table, watching Chloe warily.

“Relax,” Chloe said quietly, peering at Aeryn with pale deep eyes that she had shared with her son.

Aeryn took a deep breath and tried to relax as best she could.

Chloe reached in the water and gripped Aeryn’s hand with both of hers. “I’m going to be needing a bit of your blood, sweetheart.”

“What?!” Aeryn exclaimed, but before she could pull her hand away, Chloe’s nail had pinched through her index finger, and a stream of red ribboned its way into the bowl.

“What the fuck, Chloe!” Chauncey exclaimed, moving towards the low table.

Chloe put up an arm to shield Aeryn before she could be pulled to her feet. “It’s for the water,” she said shortly.

“Bullshit,” Chauncey spat.

Chloe shook her head. “I find that it helps my sight. I would have done the same thing to you or Mickey, and if this was truely malicious, I would have let Mickey sit when she offered. Healers have the most sweet-smelling blood.”

Aeryn sat backed shocked. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or scandalized by Chloe’s comment.

Chauncey had chosen to be scandalized. “We’re leaving,” he huffed angrily.

“Calm yourself, Chauncey,” Jax said, reappearing suddenly, looking brighter in every way. “It was only a drop. Hardly enough to warrant a mass exodus.” His movements were a bit languid as he leaned against the half-wall and peered at them.

Chauncey let go of a string of vulgarities under his breath.

Jax ignored the anxiety in the room. “I think she’ll live. You’ll live, won’t you Aeryn?”

Aeryn looked up at him, and back at the uncomfortable looking Mickey standing next to the steaming Chauncey. Despite her apprehensions, she still wanted to know what Chloe would see. “I’m okay,” Aeryn told them.

The room was tensely quiet for a minute before Chauncey waved Chloe on. “Hurry this shit up.”

Aeryn realized that Chloe had been clutching her hand in the bowl as if to keep it from escaping. However, now she relaxed her grip and brought her attention back to the table.

“Now Aeryn, understand, I’m not a cognitive. I’m a clairvoyant. I can’t tell you what will happen or what has happened, my vision is confined to the present tense. Even with that said, whatever I see can easily be taken out of context.”

“Okay,” Aeryn said, nodding.

Chloe then released her hand and let her remove it from the bowl. Pulling the bowl to herself, Chloe then leaned over and stared into it. Her eyes darted back and forth as if follow the ripples in the bowl. To Aeryn’s surprise the water had begun to spontaneously swirl.

Aeryn watched as Chloe’s aura began to ripple itself, forming patterns very similar to the water in the bowl. Aeryn was so engrossed in Chloe’s churning aura that she barely realized that she was channeling the vision.

She toppled over when Hadrian’s face, surrounded by white, filled her mental sight. His eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping. But before she could react, Hadrian’s image blurred and was replaced by that of a man that she felt she knew, but couldn’t place. He also appeared to be sleeping. Again, his image blurred out to the face of a woman that Aeryn did not recognize. It continued like this for a few more face before Roux’s sleeping face came into view. Her image floated in Aeryn’s mind for a long moment before her eyes suddenly shot open, the blue of her irises piercing Aeryn to the core.

Aeryn’s eyes flew open, and she realized that Chloe was staring at her with keen interest. She looked around the room and realized that everyone was staring at her.

“A channeler,” Jax said with quiet curiosity. “Uncommon.”

“Aeryn, angel from paradise, what did you see?” Chloe asked, mirroring Jax’s curiosity.

Aeryn lowered her eyes, a little embarrassed. “Didn’t you see it also?”

“Yes,” Chloe answered. “But I think that you may have found far more significance in my sight than I did.”

Aeryn looked back at Mickey and Chauncey, both of whom looked restless, but kept quiet.

“I uhm… I saw my brother,” Aeryn said in their direction. It was easier to speak towards them than to Chloe, whose eyes seemed capable of burning a hole through her face. “And Roux. It was… I don’t know what to make of seeing them.”

Mickey perked up. “Where were they?”

Aeryn shook her head. “I don’t know. Hadrian… he was… he was sleeping… I think. But he was surrounded by whiteness. And there were others… people I didn’t know.”

“What about Roux?”

“She was different,” Aeryn explained. “Her eyes were open. It was so bizarre.”

“Arden was one of the people in the vision,” Chloe interjected. “Eyes closed, surrounded by white. Very interesting.”

“Arden?” Mickey said, her head sinking. “What does he have to do with anything? Especially Aeryn’s brother?”

“Nothing good,” Chauncey said. “But that’s not important. That vision didn’t help us at all. We’re at square one.”

“You don’t know that, Chauncey,” Jax said pensively. “It was cryptic, yes, but not completely useless. It clearly holds importance to Aeryn.”

“Did you recognize anyone else?” Chloe asked her.

She shook her head. “One man. I feel like I’ve seen him before, but I can’t… I just can’t place him.”

Chloe stood up. “No worries. The water is always speaking to me. I’m sure I’ll be able to learn more of all of this.” She walked around the table and reached down to help Aeryn up.

Aeryn hesitated for only a second before taking her hand and letting Chloe pull her to her feet. But as she moved to draw her hand back, Chloe’s grip tightened, and in a flash brought Aeryn’s hand to her lips. Aeryn watched with a mix of horror and surprise and Chloe isolated her pinpricked index finger and stuck it in her mouth. Aeryn felt her suck a small drop of blood from her injured digit. Her grip was so strong that even if Aeryn had the state of mind to pull away, she knew she wouldn’t be able to.

The room had barely been given time to react before Chloe pulled Aeryn’s finger from her mouth and swung her in Chauncey’s direction.

Aeryn stumbled backward into Chauncey and Mickey, who had been falling over each other to get to her.

“Are you okay?” Mickey asked her, grabbing her arm.

Aeryn nodded. She was freaked out, very ready to leave, but she was okay.

Chauncey stepped in front of her and shook his head disbelievingly at Chloe. “What is wrong with you? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Chloe smiled guiltily and gripped his hand. “I know, love, I know. I’m sorry, but I had to. I couldn’t help it. Can’t you sense her aura? I know you do.”

“Of course he senses it,” Jax said, jumping the balustrade. “He’s just perfected the art of denial.”

Chauncey pulled his hand from his mother’s grip and spun on his heel. “I can’t believe we actually came here.”

“Oh, don’t leave. We’ll behave from this moment on,” Chloe said. She reached out to Jax as he approached her. “Won’t we, Jax? Raven to my dove, make them stay.”

But he was hardly interested in good behavior. “What did she taste like?” he asked, his hands finding her waist. His voice was impassioned and edgy, as if the answer was more important than anything else going on at the moment.

“Glorious,” she answered, running the back of her hand lightly over his cheek.

The three of them had almost made it to the door, when Jax suddenly called Aeryn’s name, causing them all to turn and look.

“Aeryn,” he said again. “There are many ways to know this world. I think you’ve been privy to the wrong end of it. I can help you right that.”

Aeryn stared back at him, completely confused by his words. There was something in Jax’s eyes that held her, a grip more tangible than if he had grabbed her by the arm. She would not have been able to break his gaze if Chauncey had not stepped in front of her.

“She doesn’t want to be privy to anything you have to offer, Jax,” said Chauncey, malice lining his voice.

“Don’t be naughty, love,” Chloe cooed to the blond man, putting a hand on his chest. “We want them to visit again don’t we?”

Jax broke his stare and answered quietly. “Of course we do.”

“Thank you for your help, Chloe,” Mickey added politely.

“I am but a bud and you are my sunlight,” Chloe answered.

Mickey nodded. “Okay, yeah, great. Bye.”

Aeryn took one more look at Chauncey’s parents, still feeling the remnants of Jax’s stare, before turning and allowing herself to be guided out of the house.

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The minute the trio exited their house, Chloe spun to face her husband. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said to him.

He looked down coyly. “You don’t.”

“I have a very good idea. And it’s not very nice. Stop it.” She tugged on his shirt to pull him closer to her. “I’m just a tempted as you are, but I also want to see my son again. Your son. Don’t you think he hates us enough?”

“He doesn’t hate us. He hates me. He tolerates you.”

She almost grinned, but she wasn’t going to dilute her argument with a smile. “Leave them be Jax. Promise me you’ll leave that woman alone.”

“I promise,” he said and threw an arm around her, easing her into his chest.

She returned his embrace and sighed heavily into his neck. “Now promise me that you’ll keep that promise.”

Jax didn’t respond, choosing instead to kiss her temple.

Chloe closed her eyes and let him hug her, listening to his slow, steady heartbeat. She knew this would not end well.

The Lie: Part VII (B)>>

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WRITER’S SPAZ:

He wasn’t as big as Chauncey, or even as handsome, but he was definitely the template from which Chauncey was built.

I wanted to put a smiley face behind that SO BAD.

The Lie: Part VII (B)>>