*This is the Twelfth Part of Maggie’s Point of View of the latest scheme from Luna and Maggie.

If you’re trying to keep track, the first part was Newfound Depths by Luna,

The Second was Unusual Depths by Maggie.

The Third was Newfound Desires by Luna.

The Fourth was Unusual Desires by Maggie.

The fifth was Newfound Strength by Luna.

The sixth was Unusual Strength by Maggie.

The seventh was Newfound Determination by Luna.

The eighth was Unusual Determination by Maggie.

The ninth was Newfound Dangers by Luna

The tenth was Unusual Dangers by Maggie

The eleventh was Newfound Realities by Luna

The twelfth was Unusual Realities by Maggie

The thirteenth was Newfound Existence by Luna

The fourteenth was Unusual Existence by Maggie

The Fifteenth was Newfound Enemies by Luna.

The Sixteenth was Unusual Enemies by Maggie

The Seventeenth was Newfound Adversaries by Luna.

The Eighteenth was Unusual Adversaries by Maggie.

The Nineteenth was Newfound Longings by Luna.

The Twentieth was Unusual Longings by Maggie.

The Twenty-first was Newfound Hope by Luna.

The Twenty-Second was Unusual Hope by Maggie.

The Twenty-Third was Newfound Passages by Luna.

Now comes Unusual Passages from this corner…notice a trend?

For anyone that is trying to catch up late in the game, all of the chapters can be found in the files section in the folder “Newfound and Unusual Series.”

My chapters can also be found on my website under “fiction” then “Unusual Series.” There is a bunch of background role-play stories that explain a lot of the past posted there too though I am still constantly updating it. The site is at: www.oocities.org/margaret_mary69 Oh there is a link to Luna’s sections from the Unusual Series as well as a link to her homepage from my Fiction page.

Disclaimer: Laurell K. Hamilton and the Berkley Publishing Group do not authorize this author. All characters that you recognize belong to Laurell K. Hamilton except for the ones created by the people in this group. This is solely for entertainment purposes.

Rating: PG-13 to be safe for some language

Thanks: To Luna for being an awesome beta, and great friend! *hugs* Also thanks to anyone out there that takes the time to read my humble efforts. I appreciate it!

I hope you’re all enjoying reading this as much as we are writing it.

Hugs!
Maggie

Unusual Passages

Raven led me up to the spare bedroom where Luna’s adventure had started. We spent the next few hours clearing the space. Raven had already cleared out the previous energy from my last attempt but we wanted to make sure we were starting with a clean slate. At least that’s what Raven told me. Frankly I was more than a little convinced she just wanted to give me something to keep my mind busy until it was time to start the ritual. So, we went through the motions of making sure there was nothing out of place, both on the physical and metaphysical level.

After scrubbing the floor, we carefully began to redraw the circle. We left one quadrant unfinished. I would complete the circle when I began the spell. We carefully placed the candles around the circle and stood back to survey our work. It looked like everything was in place. Now all I had left to do was figure out where Luna was, complete the spell to open the portal and bring her home. It was a piece of cake, right?

So why sitting in the front room with the others eating dinner was I feeling like something was wrong in a major league way? I looked from the expectant faces of this rag tag group, which I’d come to think of as a family, over to my mentor. Raven smiled as she stood and motioned me to follow her. She led me back to my office, one of the rooms we had put extra effort into making soundproof when we designed our home. It was a necessity for someone such as myself who was in a position of trust, especially given the hearing abilities of the rest of the residents of Haven.

Raven looked from the clock on my desk to me then back again. She didn’t say a word.

”What? I know it’s after 10pm. Is there a point?” I asked, afraid I knew where this was leading all too well.

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on my desk. “You know you don’t have to wait for some midnight clock to chime to create the portal. We aren’t invoking some ageless demon to do our bidding, just trying to bring one crazy cat home. It’s time to put your training and gifts to good use.”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t feel right. Something is still not in place for it to work. Maybe tonight isn’t the night.”

“You said yourself time was running out. Tonight is as good of a night as ever. The reason it doesn’t feel right is because you are closing yourself off from your instincts, running from your talents yet again!” It was the closest to angry I had heard the woman in all the time we had spent together the past several days.

A big part of me wanted to cower and say she was right. I just wasn’t strong enough to do this but I knew that wasn’t going to solve anything. Furthermore I wouldn’t agree to her assessment when I didn’t think it *was* right. “No, I’m listening to my instincts like you told me to. They are telling me something is not set yet. Something feels wrong and I know it’s not just my fear of failure whether you believe me or not!”

She gave me an odd look before nodding. “Fine. Do you what you have to do. You know what’s at stake. If it’s alright, I’m going to stay in here to meditate for a bit.”

I nodded before leaving the room, shutting the door behind me. I headed out toward the front room but took a detour into the kitchen. It was quieter in here since everyone was out front. A small safety light near the phone provided the only illumination, leaving most of the room in shadows. Voices from the other room could be heard quietly talking but I tuned them out, along with the hum of the refrigerator. I grabbed a glass of water and sat down at the breakfast nook. I had to figure out what was wrong before it was too late.

Taking a sip of water, I sat the glass down on the counter then tried to go through all the preparations to see what was wrong. We had cleaned the space, drawn the circle. Raven had gone over the spell with me at least two dozen times. What was I missing? I couldn’t think of any logical reason for delaying the spell. Maybe my friend was right and I was stalling. I shook my head at that last thought. No, she told me to trust my gut feelings and I did. I smiled as I realized I was trying to find a rational explanation for what I felt rather then letting my instincts guide me to the answer.

Slowly, I began to lower the mental shields that had become so much a part of my daily existence that I hadn’t even noticed them. I needed to be aware of everything surrounding me, no matter what plane it was on. It was the horrible mix of input that it always was at first, too many thoughts flying around to sort out. It was much like listening to a radio that had not been tuned to a specific station, with multiple signals and lots of static. Thankfully I had gotten better at learning how to fine-tune the adjustments.

I slowly began to sort through the input. There was a myriad of conflicting thoughts. At first I thought it was voices from the other side trying to get my attention. As I focused in, I realized this wasn’t the case. I was the Gate and I had not let them in. These thoughts were stronger than that. I gasped as I realized what the problem was.

I walked over to the entryway that led into the living room. Aries was standing near the bay windows looking out into the night. Noah was standing nearby him but looked up at me expectantly when I entered. I nodded and pointed at Aries. He tapped the other man’s arm and pointed at me. Both of them headed toward me. I moved back for them to enter the kitchen and closed the door behind us. I knew that it wouldn’t keep the others from listening in if they tried, but I hoped they’d respect the fact I had wanted privacy.

I walked over to sit on one of the kitchen stools then looked at the pair. Biting my lip, I wasn’t sure how to explain my predicament without hurting anyone’s feelings. Sighing, I realized there was no way out except straight ahead. “I need some help.”

Noah moved toward me, smiling. “That’s why we’re all here Doll, to help you.” Aries was nodding in agreement.

I held up a hand to stop him from saying anything else. “I know and I really appreciate that fact. The truth is though that everyone being here is not helping.” They both looked at me oddly, as if they were either confused or didn’t want to hear what I had to say. “The honest truth is Noah that there are too many conflicting energies in this house right now. Everyone’s thoughts and doubts are mudding the waters around here. It’s making it hard for me to breathe, much less focus on getting a clear lock on Luna.”

Aries gave me a hard look. “You want us all to leave.”

I stood and walked over to him, putting a hand on his chest as I gazed up at him. “No, I don’t WANT you to leave. I need you to get everyone out of the house just for tonight so I can focus on bringing Luna home. It’s really the best way to help me or I wouldn’t ask.”

Noah moved close, pulling me into a hug from behind. “I don’t like the idea of you being here completely alone. What if something goes wrong and you need help? What if something else besides Luna makes it’s way through the Portal?”

I could feel his unease and thanks to our link quickly knew he was worried about the evil presence I had told him I felt near Luna before. I squeezed his arm before moving out of his embrace. I turned so both men could see me. I addressed the silent giant before me first. “Okay how about a compromise. Aries if you will be in charge of getting the rest of the kids out of the house for the night, I will give you my cell phone to keep until you come back in the morning. If I get Luna home or if I need more help, you’ll just be a phone call away. You guys don’t have to leave the area completely. Just go down toward the city and find an all night diner to hang out in maybe.”

Noah was still tense beside me as I focused my gaze on him. I held up a hand to stop him from objecting before I finished what I had to say. “Your thoughts are never far from mine whether you’re in the house or not thanks to the link so I don’t see any purpose in sending you away. You could stay here to stand guard with Raven while I do the spell. I want her nearby in case I need to change the plan at the last minute. Anyway, she’s good at shielding her thoughts from me.”

I shifted my gaze one from man to the other. “So, will you both help me?”

Aries looked from Noah to me. Finally the giant answered. “Being sent away to help doesn’t make sense to me but I’ll do it if it will bring Luna home faster.”

I smiled and moved over to give him a hug. “Thanks Aries. The minute I have Luna home, I’ll call you.”

From the safety of Aries embrace I looked over at my ex-lover expectantly. “How about it Superman?”

He sighed before pulling me out of Aries arms and placing a kiss on my forehead. “I don’t like the idea of sending help away any better than he does. But having dealt with the confusion of just having Luna and your thoughts in my mind, I know being able to hear everyone else’s thoughts too must be a hundred times worse.” He nodded at Aries and told the bigger man. “Come on. I’ll help you convince the others that a change of scenery might be good for the evening.”

The pair headed out into the living room while I made my way back to the office to tell Raven what I had discovered. She seemed pleased that I had worked my way through the apparent problem but not too surprised. She agreed it would be best for her and Noah to be close but not present for the ritual. She mentioned there might be a spell she and Noah could do from downstairs to help insure the area stayed clear for my Portal attempt. I wasn’t so sure Noah would be helpful to Raven but she assured me that Noah’s link to Luna and myself would help her with the spell.

So, I went off to tell Noah that Raven wanted to talk to him back in my office. When I got to the front room, most of the kids had already headed outside. I gave Tara who was apparently a straggler a hug as I told her, “I will bring her home. Don’t worry.”

She nodded and headed out the door. I walked over to Noah and Aries. Noah was giving the other man my cell phone and showing him the basics of how it worked. I smiled, trying to lighten the moment, “Gee, nobody ever explained to me how that damned thing worked. I had to find out the hard way with several unintended phone calls.”

Noah laughed, “Well it’s always good to see the oh so smart Doctor have to fumble around once in a while.”

I punched him in the arm before giving Aries another hug. “Thanks for taking care of the gang tonight Aries. I’ll be talking to you real soon.”

Noah and I walked the man out and watched the crew leave. As the last car headlights moved out of sight we went back inside. I pointed down the hallway and told Noah. “Raven said she might need your help with something tonight. You should go talk to her.” He looked from me to the stairs that led up to the spare bedroom so I assured him. “Don’t worry. I won’t start the Portal spell without talking to you both first. I’m just going to go out on the back deck to get some fresh air and clear my head before I start.”

”Okay, just don’t stay outside too long and take a jacket. It’s a bit chilly.” He warned me. I smiled at his mother hen behavior and nodded as I watched him head down the hall. I’d learned a long time ago that it was useless to tell him to stop it. So, I just let it go. As I heard the office door open then close, I headed out to the kitchen and the backyard deck beyond.

Closing the patio door I went over to lean on the railing that surrounded the edges of the deck. It was a beautiful night. The crisp air tasted so fresh and alive as I drew a deep breath in. Looking up, the sky was dotted with a myriad of twinkling stars. The moon, still in a waning state, hadn’t come over the horizon yet but that was a good thing. I didn’t want a full moon, not tonight when I was trying to bring my sister home. We had enough unknowns to worry about as it was.

That thought brought a slight chill to me and I rubbed my arms to stave off the cold. I heard a soft chuckle behind me and turned to find the last person I expected to see. “It appears you should have heeded Noah’s warning.” Asher admonished me as he moved from his spot leaning against the house to come near, offering me his cloak.

I looked from the cloak to him, making no move to take it. “Just how long have you been out here listening?”

The vampire managed to look wounded at my accusation before pushing the cloak at me again. “Take it before you get cold. It won’t bite.” I looked up at that remark so he quickly added, “Neither will I. Mon Dieu, I haven’t been here that long. I was simply waiting for the opportunity to speak to you without your many… protectors.”

As I took the cloak from him I caught him glancing back at the patio door. He turned back to me but had allowed his hair to come down, concealing part of his face. If I wasn’t mistaken, he was nervous which I was fairly sure meant he either was scared of me or needed something. Perhaps it was both. Whatever he felt, he was damned good at hiding it, better than Jean Claude even. Wrapping the cloak around me, I smiled as I raised an eyebrow at him. “Protectors? They are my friends. I’m not so sure I need protectors as much as I used to. At least, I’m fairly certain that is what Jean Claude would say.”

He gave me a curious look before he nodded. “Oui. I do believe he would. I trust you have been doing well since your brief stay with us.”

I leaned back against the deck railing, the smile leaving my face. “You mean my kidnapping? Perhaps not the wisest subject to bring up, all things considered.” I shook my head at the politics of politeness that JC and his crew followed no matter how devious their motives. Two could play at that game. I put on my best fake smile. “Or perhaps this is a follow up inquiry to ask what I thought of Jean Claude’s hospitality. Let’s see. The bed was comfortable. The food was passably good. However I found it very difficult to find a concierge willing to call me a cab and escort me out. You might want to mention that to the staff.”

He smiled at my joke. “I will be sure to mention it to the staff. I’m certain that your comfort and happiness was their first priority.” He shook his head then, his hair moving across his face before he flipped it back over his shoulder to stare at me. I thought I could probably handle staring back at this point but wasn’t quite ready to test the theory. “Mon Dieu, how have we come to this? It wasn’t so very long ago that a sweet young timid blonde showed up at the lair, looking for someone to teach her were medicine and allow her to do preternatural research. She wanted nothing more than to help those in need. I was only too happy to help arrange a business deal with Jean Claude for her. She was a bit afraid of us but her curiosity allowed her to step across our threshold never the less. What happened to that girl?”

“That girl is still here.” At his disbelieving look, I added, “Perhaps a bit less timid.” I sighed. “I still want to help those in need. I’m just not so sure that Jean Claude represents the right side of that coin anymore.” I did stare back at him then as I could feel tears pooling in my eyes. “So much has changed Asher. There was so much more involved in Jean Claude’s interest in my talents than he ever told me. How do I ever trust any of you again?”

He closed the remaining distance between us then. The blonde haired vamp reached out to cup my cheek. I could feel him wiping tears away from my eyes. He was staring back at me but there was no guile in his gaze. His eyes showed the simple concern of a friend and it almost broke my heart. “Margaret. I know this has been very difficult for you. I understand your anger that Jean Claude didn’t tell you what he knew of your psychic abilities when you first met. But honestly, if he had, what would you have done?”

Before I could reply he continued. “You would have run as you always have. You would have kept running until you had no place left to go. What then? At least here, with us, there were those who understood your gifts and didn’t hold them against you. Those of us who would care for you and protect you while allowing you time to grow. I know Jean Claude has made many mistakes where you are concerned. He tends to be rash and to overreact to any perceived lack of control. He has never meant you harm though. I would not have brought you into the corporation if he had, tout petit.”

He leaned down to kiss my forehead before taking a step back granting me some room to breathe. “So where do we go from here? Do you want a way to completely sever all ties to us, to leave St Louis? I’m not sure Jean Claude would agree to that, but I need to know where we stand.”

Gazing at the vampire, no at the man who stood before me I wasn’t sure how to respond. I was still nervous around him because of his nature but part of me wondered if that was fair. Some people feared me because my abilities too. Raven had told me to listen to my instincts. Right now they were telling me that Asher was being truthful and I would be crazy to slap the hand of friendship he was offering me. That didn’t make me any less nervous though, I thought as my heart raced. If anything it made me more so as I realized I cared what he thought of my reaction.

I looked up to see Asher had taken another step back. I reached out and grabbed his hand before he could move further. “Please don’t go.” I sighed as I led him over to the patio table and chairs. I sat down and encouraged him to do the same. Instead of moving to a chair, he knelt before me as if he needed to maintain the contact almost as much as I did. There is comfort in touch that transcends species I supposed.

Reaching out, I ran my hand along his one smooth cheek, smiling at him. If it was a bit forced, we were both pretending not to notice. “No Asher. I don’t want to sever all ties. I have a lot of friends here, people I love and care about. I would like to take a trip to Ireland to visit a certain Druid soon but that’s another matter. I enjoy being to help people, but like I said, I’m not so sure I can trust Jean Claude anymore.” I felt him stiffen at that so I quickly added. “Asher I know you’ve explained his behavior from your point of view, but not his motives, not completely.”

He nodded. “Only Jean Claude really knows what Jean Claude ever intends completely.”

“Exactly. I want to be able to continue to help my friends but I don’t want to constantly be worrying about what Jean Claude has up his sleeve anytime he asks me for something. What would be really be helpful would be to have someone that Jean Claude and I could both trust to act as intermediary between us when… unusual requests come up.” I was grinning again as I looked at him but this time it was quite sincere.

“What are you suggesting?” His hair was back in his face, his look a bit perplexed.

I realized I was nibbling at my lip again. I had a nervous habit of doing that. I wasn’t quite sure how to frame my request or what his reaction would be. Hell I wasn’t positive what Elijah and Luna’s reaction would be but I didn’t have time to ask them. I had to trust my own instincts on this one and hope they respected that.

Taking a deep breath, I plunged ahead before I could change my mind. “You mentioned yourself that you are the one that negotiated my initial employment with Jean Claude. I was thinking we could use that fact to ask him to let you ask as his official representative where I’m concerned. I would still technically be working for him, but you would be the one that kept track of what projects I was exploring for the corporation and would okay any changes I need to make in my work schedule if conditions warrant.”

He just stared at me for a minute. I wasn’t sure but I think I had managed to surprise him. He stood and began to pace. He turned to me once then shook his head and continued pacing. My best guess was that he was trying to figure out if it would work, but then again, he could have just been figuring out the best way to tell me no. Considering our past, he could have been deciding which mental health facility to call as I had obviously lost my mind. I knew that would have been my first suggestion given my request.

He finally turned to face me as he leaned against the deck railing. His face was blank, betraying none of his thoughts so I waited for him to reply. “Jean Claude would want something in return for backing away from direct contact. He will not tolerate appearing to give up any measure of control.”

“But he will still have control. I will still work for him, be one of his people. The only change is that you will manage my duties on a more direct level. I trust you more to be honest with me about any plans Jean Claude might make that involve me or my abilities.” I knew my voice had an almost begging quality to it but I wanted him to know how serious I was about forging a real friendship with him.

He gave me a slight smile as he moved closer and brushed the hair away from my face. “Your trust warms my heart but I don’t know if Jean Claude will agree to this change without some concession on your part. I believe he is concerned about what sort of plans you are making without him, especially now that you have your own fortress so far away from town.”

There was something in his voice I couldn’t quite identify as he looked away from me. I followed his gaze to the back door of Haven. Staring back at him, he had allowed his hair to fall once again into his face. It appeared he was always looking for a way to hide when he was unsure. Then it clicked, what I had heard in his voice and couldn’t identify before. If I wasn’t mistaken, it was worry tinged with more than a slight edge of envy.

I was so not sure that Luna and Lija would like my next move but I was fighting for our lives and freedom here. I felt a bit guilty for making such a big decision without them but a voice in the back of my head reminded me that they had brought Luna’s little army into our home without consulting me so it was justifiable quid pro quo to my lover and my sister. Hopefully they would agree though. I hated to upset either one of them and missed them both desperately.

I stood then and grabbed Asher’s hand, leading him toward the back door. I opened it and stepped inside then turned to face him. “Okay, I have one more concession I’m willing to make to help make this deal work. First off, this offer is ONLY open to you, not to Jean Claude, not to any one else in his employ. If he ever sends anyone to break into my home again all bets are off. I need to feel safe here Asher.” He nodded, apparently waiting to hear what I had to offer. “Okay, here it is. As long as all the terms I’ve outlined already are met, if JC will let you act as my supervisor as it were, I am willing to grant you access to Haven. You would be welcome to come and go as you please. My only request is the same one I make to any guests. Not to bring any one I would consider dangerous to me or unfriendly into my home without discussing it with me, Lija or failing that, Luna first.”

He gave me an odd look, as if he was unsure how to respond. I thought maybe he was unsure so I continued my case. “It would be a concession to Jean Claude(,) Asher. He could tell everyone that due to the recent problems, he’s asserted his authority by requiring that someone he trusts be allowed to monitor the activities at Haven. We can just tell everyone that you were the only person we could agree on to do it. You are the only one I would make this offer for truthfully. This way, I don’t have to worry about Jean Claude trying to break in to find out what I’m up to, and Jean Claude won’t be as worried because you can assure him nothing is going on here that he needs to be concerned about. Not that this is a selling point for JC, but it would also give you someplace you could get away to have time to yourself when Jean Claude and Anita get to be too much. It’s a big house and nobody is overly nosey. I’m sure you’d be comfortable when you visited.”

He laughed and moved over the threshold to hug me. “Hush. You do have a tendency to babble. You had me convinced when you said I would be welcome. I was just waiting for you to realize what you said and change your mind.”

I laughed with him. He was right, I did babble when I was nervous and I think I needed the release of laughter before the rising tension of his visit and the spell I knew I needed to do soon overwhelmed me. I reached up to brush his hair back from the scarred side of his face and gently kissed his scarred cheek before moving to kiss the smooth one. “I’m not going to change my mind Asher. Do you think Jean Claude will agree to my terms?”

He stared at me a minute then nodded. “Oui. I do believe giving me access to your home will be seen as enough progress to him for a deal to be negotiated.”

He moved back onto the deck a moment before Noah came crashing in the kitchen door. “What the hell is going on!”

I glared at Noah before turning back to smile at Asher and taking his hand to pull him back into the doorway. “Asher stopped by to chat. He’s going to help me negotiate a cease fire with Jean Claude.”

I turned to look at Noah. He looked shocked. His gaze went from my face to Asher’s and back again.

I heard Asher quietly tell him, “No I did not roll her. Her mind, as confounding as it may be to the rest of us, remains her own.”

Realizing he was joking, I turned to Asher and stuck my tongue out at him before turning back to Noah. “Hey Superman. I’ve got my shields down. You can see what I’m thinking for yourself if you dare.”

I could feel him reach out to tentative brush my mind and I knew before he gasped that he had seen the deal I made and why.

He shook his head. “You’ll have to explain that one to me later. Raven said to remind you that time is running short.”

Looking over at the clock on the kitchen counter I saw that it was fast approaching midnight, so much for not waiting until the witching hour. I nodded before turning back to Asher. “I’m sorry Asher. I do have previous plans I need to see to this evening. Would you let me know how the talk goes with Jean Claude?”

He lifted my hand up to his lips to kiss then smiled. “Oui. I have other… plans to see to as well. I will be in touch. I wish you both well in your… plans.”

With that he was gone and I was left in the kitchen with a not too pleased leopard. Before he could argue, I raised a hand. “Noah, you said yourself that time is running short. I know what I’m doing and why. Spare me the lectures for one night.”

Raven’s voice came from the kitchen door. “She’s right. I’ve got things set up for Noah and myself downstairs. We are going to lose the night if we don’t hurry. Are you ready to contact Luna, Maggie Mae?”

I nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be. If I can find a way to trust a vampire enough to make a deal with him, reaching across dimensions to pull my sister back should be no problem, right?”

Noah reached over and pulled me into a tight hug before kissing my forward. “You’re going to do fine Doll. Look how much you’ve accomplished already.”

Raven had come near while we were hugging. She reached out to squeeze my hand after she shut the still open patio door. “He’s right for once.” She winked at me. “You can do this. You head upstairs and get started. We’ll do the same down here. Leave your shields down until you are ready to invoke the portal. I think Noah will be able to connect to you well enough to know when our protection is most needed.”

I nodded my thanks and reluctantly let go of the pair. I headed up the stairs a bit slowly at first but faster as I got closer to the room. I could do this, hell I had to. I entered the room and picked up Luna’s Teddy sitting in the corner waiting for me. There was enough light from the windows that I didn’t need to turn on any lights. I picked up the charcoal and finished drawing the last quadrant.

I picked up my aids, the golden pot of incense along with my mechanical candle lighter. Thank heavens for modern conveniences or we would have been here all night waiting for me to light the first match. I needed to invoke a sacred circle of power as I had in my first attempt to contact Luna. Once that was done, I would locate her and set up the portal I hoped. Starting in the Eastern quadrant, I lit the candles invoking each corner as I went clockwise. When I light the Northern quadrant candle the static charge that had been building reached a crescendo but I was ready this time. Stepping inside the circle, I focused my will on giving power to the shields protecting the circle. The light that bathed me was warm and soothing.

I turned to find Cara, my long time spirit guide and friend standing before me. “Well begun. I see you have been training your gifts. The others will be pleased with this turn of events.”

I looked at her curiously. She was always good at creating more questions than she answered. “Others?”

She shook head as her soft laughter filled the air. “Those are not the ones you seek tonight, are they?”

I sighed, realizing I wouldn’t be getting any answers. She was right at any rate. The mysterious others were not the reason I was sitting in a Circle of Power seeking doorways to other dimensions. “No, I need to find my sister.”

She walked over to me then. “Then you had best begin. I won’t be far away if you have need but trust your instincts.” She kissed my cheek and dissolved into mist.

Gee where had I heard that before? Shaking my head, I sat down in the circle and hugged Teddy close. Slowly I lowered my shields to Noah and Luna, being careful to keep any stray spirits outside the circle. My first link went to Noah. He was in the den with Raven. I could smell the popcorn left over from the previous day’s movie marathon. Raven was chanting. I didn’t know what else was going on because he had his eyes closed. I felt him reach out, asking if I had found Luna and it set me back on track. He was an aide not the goal.

I set my metaphysical reach further. I couldn’t feel any answering tug on the link to the bond with Luna but I knew she was far away. Perhaps if I tried to move closer I would be able to find her. I tried to visualize a dark version of Los Angeles. It was a bit fuzzy at first, but slowly it got clear enough that I could smell the smog filled air. Why did anyone live in this cesspool?

Once I had a lock on that, I tried to remember what the Law offices of Wolfram and Hart looked like from the episodes of Angel that Luna had gotten me to watch. I soon found myself in a maze of quiet hallways that smelled faintly of sulfur and things best left undisturbed. Where would Luna be? She had said she was staying in one of the suites. Those would be near the top of the building right? I found the nearest elevator and got in. I pushed the button for the top floor. Nothing happened. I just sat there. Damn it. Did you have to have some security key to get up there?

I got out of the elevator and looked for the nearest stairwell. I hated stairs. Luna better be aware of how very much I loved her to be doing this. I did notice that they didn’t seem to bother me as much as usual. Maybe Noah’s training had a good use after all. After what seemed like a hundred flights but might only have been thirty, I reached the top of the stairwell. Rejoicing I reached to push the door open, only to find it was locked from the other side.

Screaming my frustration, I banged on the door as I slowly fell to sit on the top step of the landing. I sat there and tried to figure out what to do next. I had come across how many dimensions to get here only to be stopped by a locked door. I didn’t think… I could feel my face flaming red as I realized my mistake. I had come across the dimensions by visualizing where I wanted to be. I shook my head that my eagerness to find my sister had allowed me to lose focus. I had fallen back on my dependence of natural laws rather than trusting my metaphysical talents. I shook my head at the time I had wasted climbing the stairs.

Closing my eyes, I concentrated on what I thought the hallway looked like on the other side of the door. There was a quick moment of disorientation before I found myself on the other side. Smiling I dusted off my pants and headed down the hallway. Luna was close. I could sense it. I started to reach out to her again, hoping she would reach back.

Touching a hand to the first door I reached, I quickly drew back. She wasn’t in there and I didn’t want to meet whoever or whatever was on the other side. I continued further down the hallway. If I hadn’t been scared that something else might come searching I would have started screaming her name. I was almost desperate enough to do it anyway. Instead I keep tugging on our mental link, hoping for a tug back.

Reaching the end of one hallway and turning down another, she was so close I could smell her rose scent. I reached the door I was sure she was behind but it was locked of course. I briefly entertained the thought of using the same trick again to enter the room and find her but thought I better make sure it was safe first. I tentatively opened my shields more to any creatures in the room in front of me. I quickly realized there was a reason Luna wasn’t responding to my calls. She wasn’t alone and was more than a little distracted. I wasn’t sure if her company was friend or foe but I did know I was running out of time. Fixing her location firmly in my mind, I retreated back to my own dimension where I was still sitting in my Circle of Power.

I stood, picking up the final elements I needed for the portal spell. I added the herbs Raven had prepared to the second incense burner we had set up in the center of the circle. I firmly focused my internal gaze on the room I knew Luna was in on the other side as I began to chant the spell that would open the Portal between our two worlds. I took the ceremonial dagger from the center of the circle and dipped it a beaker of 70% ethyl alcohol I had brought up before waving it over the flame. I watched as the flame jumped to the dagger, burning away the alcohol while allowing the water to evaporate, cooling the blade as it dispersed. I may have believed in magic but I was still going to use sterile technique when it came to my own safety.

After waiting a minute to make sure the blade was cooled, I put my left hand out and sliced my palm with the dagger. As the blood began to drip into the burning herbs I completed the end of the spell. “With the Gate’s blood I will the door open. By my will only will be it be closed.”

The light became even more intense in the center of the circle. There was a loud static snap as a cold wind suddenly came sweeping across my face. Looking up there was now an area the size of a doorway in the center of the circle. It had a surreal almost looking glass feel to it but I knew it was the doorway I had been searching for. I gazed into it, barely able to make out a shape moving toward me. I whispered my most fervent prayer, “Luna please come home. We need you here.”

A sonic boom momentarily deafened me as a shadow came crashing toward the opening followed by a blinding light. I was knocked off my feet unsure what was happening to me. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t hear, couldn’t see and could barely think. Slowly I realized I had my eyes closed. As I opened my eyes to look around I noticed I was still safely inside the circle though flat on the floor. Turning my head toward the center, I could see the Portal was still open. I couldn’t breath though. It felt like there was something heavy on my chest.

Slowly turning my head to face my attacker, I couldn’t believe the sight in front of me. I reached up a hand to touch her long dark hair. “Luna?” I managed to croak out as my eyes filled with tears.

My hearing was slowly coming back as she scooted over and sat up, pulling me with her. I wasn’t sure if she was laughing, crying or both. I think it was the latter and I’m pretty sure she wasn’t the only one. She was burying her nose in the crook of my neck, apparently pulling in my scent. She was running her hands over my head and arms, whether to make sure I was real or to make sure I was okay, I wasn’t sure. She nuzzled my cheek before kissing my forehead then my nose for good measure before I could finally make out what she was saying. “You brought me home. I’m really truly home. I’ve missed you so much Kitten.”

It finally sank in that my spell had worked and reached out to hug her back. “Yeah I’ve missed you too Looney Tunes and I’m never letting you go on another adventure without me!” I held on tight, desperate to never let her go.

We sat there laughing for I don’t know how long before we both calmed down enough to sense movement in the room. So closely connected from the recent spell and the bonding of our reunion, we turned our heads in unison to see whom our visitors might be.