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Chapter 27: An Unusual Summons

Nathanial sat on his bed, trying to muster up the courage to put his new suit on. It was two in the afternoon, on Monday, and the funeral was in a little over an hour. His friends were going to be there, along with his brothers, and he tried to make sure they all thought he was going there for the funeral. He wasn't. Mr. Ryhorski, the school counsellor, said it was a ceremony designed to bring closure to those attending, to help them move on. Even where his mother was a very bad chapter of his life, the funeral should help confirm its end to his subconscious. It wasn't for anyone else, he needed it for him. 'Bull', Nathanial thought, 'I'm going for the explicit reason of tracking down the other Hunters, those people who tried to use Lily to get more money for their group and access to me. They threatened my brothers and put everyone I care about in danger.' Liam got him thinking about it, when he said he was considering assassinating them, and extracting information out of them to get at more of the group. 'I'll find out who some are and talk to Sensei about the best way to deal with them, even if it's just the two of us.' He slowly got dressed as he thought back over the weekend.

After the group sex, they had laid on the bed for an hour, just staying close and talking. They had rearranged themselves, the boyfriends cuddled up with their love, with Nick still staying close to Nathanial, and Micah by Liam. Nathanial had Nicholas brush him after he got out of the shower, just the two of them, and even though they didn't say anything, they just enjoyed each others company. Nathanial had given Geoff his gift, he seemed to like the Chinese clothing, and it looked great on him. Liam had good taste. The rest of the afternoon was really fun, if uneventful. Garret called just as tea was ending, telling them he was coming over to pick them up. They needed to get the final fittings for the suits done, and the police were done with the house, so they could go home. Nathanial felt upset about that, but he knew that staying at Geoff's was temporary. Garret took them out for supper after they got the suits, which was nice, and went home. Nathanial had his brothers help clean, but, really, he did most of it. What would've taken several hours barely took a half hour, now that Nathanial could do so much at one time. Garret was genuinely impressed, without Nathanial having to nearly kill his father to do so. Nathanial made his brothers cast the Mind Ward spell and brought out the grimoire. He kept a very close eye on Nick, but while the grimoire seemed... happier, somehow, near Nick, the wards remained strong. He was certain the book didn't manage to affect any of them. Garret was astounded that Nathanial could summon the key out of the cupboard, it was supposed to prevent any sort of magic from affecting it. They practiced their magic, and Nathanial learned a couple of new spells. First, Minor Telepathy; it'd let him talk with any one person he could see, mind to mind. Second, Fire Ward; it was designed to block fire based magic and regular fire, and it could be cast on anyone, or anything, to keep it from burning. The last one was Weaken, which was extremely simple for him, it sent a dark beam that sapped the strength of whomever it hit. The spell said they'd typically recover in a half hour. He was still surprised that the book had been able to hide so much from him for so long. He was even more surprised, and creeped out, that a book could be aware enough to do that. It was like slavery, or something.

He realized he was dawdling, time was ticking away as he stared at his shirt, and, really, Sunday was very quiet. Nothing eventful happened at all. He sighed and finished dressing. He slipped the medallion he took from Lily's corpse into his pocket. He'd somehow kept it nearby ever since he got it. Well, whenever he was dressed. He looked at himself in the mirror, and smiled. He looked good in black, and the suit fit perfectly. He left the room to check on Micah and Nicholas as he tied his tie. Nicholas was pulling on his jacket and buttoning it up, and Micah was fussing with his tie. "Hey Sprite, here." Nathanial knelt in front of his brother and tied it for him, and straightened out his clothes. "There. Looking good." He licked the pup on the muzzle. "Go up to the front room. I'll get Nick and meet you there." Micah ran off. Nathanial walked back to Nicholas' room, he was sitting on his bed staring at his tie. "You okay?"

Nicholas didn't move, and sighed, "Yeah. It just seems so... final."

Nathanial smiled, "That's the point. It's why we have funerals, to say a final goodbye, a ceremony to signify the end of a life. To let us start to move on." He took the tie from Nicholas's paws and put it on him. He gently kissed his brother, "Come on, pup. Micah and Garret are waiting. Micah slept with you, again, last night?"

Nicholas blushed and nodded, "Yeah, he's insatiable. You were checking on us?"

"Of course. Remind him that if you two don't sleep, I won't let him 'sneak' over to your room. I'll get really strict if your grades start to suffer."

Nicholas smiled, "Yes, Dad." Nathanial smiled broadly at that, and hugged him. They met Garret and Micah in the front room, and got into the car. Nathanial got into the front seat, his brothers always seemed to automatically climb into the back.

Nathanial looked at his father as he climbed in, "Garret, will our relatives be there?"

Garret started the car, and pulled it out of the garage, rain began dancing over the windows, "They were informed of the time and place. I don't know who will be there, if anyone. I imagine most of Lily's family will be, they were at the viewing, but on my side... I don't know. They didn't like her at all. She said some pretty nasty things when she found out we were Mages. I told them they didn't have to come, but that you guys would be there, and I'd understand either way."

"I understand, too. I can't say I'd recognise anyone, even if they introduced themselves. I doubt my brothers would, either." Nicholas and Micah shook their heads.

Garret sighed, "No, you probably wouldn't. I'm sorry." Nathanial opened the gate for his father, before he could reach for the remote, "I still find it unbelievable how proficient you've gotten. Sorry, I know, lots of time to practice. Please, can you call a truce? I'm trying, you know. It'll take time, but, please, give me a chance."

Nathanial felt like growling, but managed to stop it, "I am. You're here, aren't you?" The other three flinched. Nathanial sighed, "Sorry, guys. I realize you meant it as a compliment, thanks. And I know, you're trying. I appreciate it, if only for Nicholas and Micah's sake. I've tried to be a dad for them, but I'm still a pup. They need someone older to be there for them. Someone with experience, who can help them through stuff. A real dad. I hope you can finally become one."

"So do I. And, um, Nathanial. At the funeral... it's... going to be hard for you. For all of you. People are probably going to say stuff that's...unkind. Please, try to not send people to Tartarus, or feed them to a monster, or go all 'Vader' on them. And, I don't know how to say this." He growled and ran his paw over his head, "The Society has been on my case, for several reasons, but a different department from that Agent Ella's has called. They noticed some really odd magic while you were at the... McDougal's was it? They've been asking about it and insist that I let them come over to interview the three of you."

Nathanial froze, and spoke, telepathically, to Nicholas *Nick. It's Nathanial. Have you been using Demon magic, again?*

He could tell Nicholas was trying to keep his face calm, *Y-yeah. I'm sorry.*

Nathanial sighed, *That choker, bone, like the throne that Succubus was sitting in, from what you said. You're using it as a focus, or something. I can feel the magic in it, now, when I look for it. They'll find it. Sensei is going to have to check to see if you're tainted, again. Before these Mages come to see you. Us.*

Nathanial felt the terror in Nicholas, *I know. I'm sorry.*

"Hello! Earth to Nathanial! Why are you growling?" Garret was glancing over at him as he drove.

"Sorry, I was thinking." *Why? You promised to not use it because you knew it was dangerous.* "I don't trust this other group. Department."

*I'm afraid she'll come back, I want to be able to fight her.* Nicholas was staring down at his paws in his lap.

Nathanial noticed he was growling again and stopped, *Learn Mage magic, we can fight Demons without becoming one.*

Nicholas yelled, "I'm not you, okay! I can't suddenly rip open holes in the universe, or summon packs of monsters from elsewhere, or animate dead people! Magic is hard for me! All but this!"

"I know, Nicholas. I'll help you as much as I can. I can't use fire magic, but I should still be able to help. Why do you think I check in on you so much? I'm worried, but about this as much as you being taken." *Demon Magic may make it easier for her to get to you. It's corrupting, it weakens the barriers made by the Fey, and it draws other Demons. Please, stop. For you and to keep Micah safe.*

Garret had jumped when Nicholas suddenly shouted, and looked startled and angry, "Don't shout like that while I'm driving! You trying to kill us? What were you guys going on about?"

"We were talking, privately, about some things. It isn't a concern." Nathanial realised his tone was very cold and added, "Sorry about that. It's between Nicholas and me. I'll deal with it."

Garret muttered for a bit, before speaking audibly, "Son. Nathanial, I'm still... I'm responsible for you three, in the eyes of the Society, even if you don't agree. Is Nicholas practicing Demon magic?"

Nathanial kept his voice firm, but tried to make sure it wasn't as icy as last time, "I'll deal with it, Garret. Mages can't use Demon magic, you know that. The subject is closed." Nathanial could see his father seething, but Garret kept quiet. "Why did you pick that church? I'm glad you didn't hire one of those pastors, but still, a church?"

"It was the largest building we could get. I have a lot of acquaintances and associates who'll be here, and Lily had a lot of friends and people she knew. Most of them went to this church. It was probably more her home than our house was. I was willing to make this allowance as a last gesture to the woman I married. Her pastor is going to make some statements, I couldn't refuse that request. I've let them know that none of you are going to speak."

Nathanial felt a spark of irritation flare up, "And what if I had planned on it?"

"No. You're too likely to get angry and say something... undiplomatically. Someone would respond, and you'd get angrier and probably bring the place down around us." Garret looked nervous as he said that, but firm.

Nathanial smiled, "Yeah, I know. I wasn't planning on talking anyway. Could you do me a favour? I'm nervous, scared really, to go into the reception for the same reason. Would you be able to get some snacks for me? Or get someone to do that? Or do you think I'd be able to sneak in and out before I get accosted?"

Garret looked relieved when Nathanial agreed with him, and he actually smiled when Nathanial asked for help, "No, probably not. The sneaking part. You are expected to make a presence at the beginning of the reception, at least. I'll try to keep people back, or the visits short. I've already mentioned it to the pastor and the funeral directors. But people will want to see you, all three of you. Agent Ella and Jay will be there, they promised to watch you, most will see them as law enforcement or lawyers. Hunters and Knights will see them for what they are, and they'll know their presence is not appreciated. If things look potentially difficult, they'll deal with it. Promise me you'll let them handle anything."

"I will. Our friends will be there, too, they'll keep me in line."

Garret frowned, "I've met the fathers. That live together. Are...? Never mind, I haven't met your friends, have I?"

"No. On both counts. Conor and Dirk aren't a couple. Conor is quite happily married to a woman. Faelen's mother died due to complications from child birth, leaving Dirk alone to raise the newborn. Dirk is Conor's bodyguard. Geoff, Faelen, and Liam-sensei will all be there, as will their fathers. Avery, Geoff's mom, may be there as well." *Nick, you probably all ready know, but don't let anyone know that we're gay. It'll cause problems. We can tell them later.* He repeated the warning to Micah.

"Ah, good." Nathanial was certain that Garret was happy that his son wasn't friends with the children of a gay couple. "Sensei? How old is Liam?"

"Fourteen. He's teaching us martial arts, or will be. He's a master. I'm surprised you know the term."

Garret smiled, "I know several languages, Japanese is one of them. You can't deal with international software businesses properly if you can't speak Japanese. What style? I'm really surprised you want to learn, pleasantly surprised. You're getting a little chubby."

Nathanial's voice was intentionally dry and chilly , "I know." He let his voice return to normal, "Kung Fu. That's Chinese, but I called him sensei before I knew he practiced a Chinese martial art. It stuck. I'm also starting up weightlifting, at his insistence."

"I think I'll like him. He's a good influence, even if he is young. Is he a friend of Nick's? From school?"

"Nicholas. No, he's in grade ten. He's a certified genius. He wanted to skip grade ten, but the school board wouldn't let him. As a note, he doesn't let people call him by the first name. He likes Smith-san, or Smith-sensei. He seems most comfortable using Japanese formality."

"Noted. I'll try not to embarrass you." Garret's voice was wry, and he smiled.

Nathanial chuckled, "He'll just firmly and politely put you in your place. Like he did to a couple of our teachers." The conversation fell silent for a bit, as they pulled onto the highway. Nathanial was feeling a little ill, but not nearly as bad as when he sat in the backseat of Mei Lin's car. He pulled the bullet out of his pocket and rolled it around in his fingers as they drove on. Micah was falling asleep in the backseat, Nathanial saw Garret smile as he looked in the rear-view mirror. 'Maybe he has changed, and is sincere about trying to be here for us.'

Nathanial watched as they descended the hill toward the off-ramps that led to the suburbs: Bedford and Lower Sackville. To his left he could see Lily's church, just on the far side of a large graveyard. The church didn't look like a church, other than the large cross on the roof. It had a flat roof, and it was two to three stories tall. The back was roundish, and was probably where the sanctuary was. There was an addition on the front and left hand side (when viewed from the street) that looked like it contained classrooms or offices. It was a blank spot to his magical senses, like the magic nullifying medallions. He wondered if Ella was aware of it. "Da- Garret." His father smiled at Nathanial's slip, "I haven't forgiven you, yet. Garret, the church is warded. Magic won't work in there. I'm worried it may end up being a trap. If trouble starts, I want you to take Micah and run. Nick, go with them, and make sure Micah's safe."

Garret frowned, "Aren't you being a little melodramatic? There'll be two Agents and a whole bunch of innocent civilians. There's no way they'd start something there. Besides, what could you do, if they've blocked magic?"

"Unblock it. I've already broken this enchantment a few times. I can easily get around it. And, yes, they might start something. Like Sensei said Saturday, they've started a firefight with police in the middle of rush hour on Jubilee to get at me. They tried it with a strange pup in the car. They don't care about keeping things quiet when they think they can get me. I don't know why, but it's true. They've attacked me, knowing I'm supposed to be protected by your status as a member of the Society, so they obviously don't care about ticking off the Mages. And we seem to be going into the heart of their local organization. I really didn't think there'd be many left, we've already killed fifteen, or so. I've personally killed six Hunters. Gods." He shivered and clutched his stomach, "I feel sick."

"We're almost there, do you need me to pull over?" Garret sounded genuinely concerned.

They we're just exiting the highway. Nathanial shook his head. He heard the Horse Hunter sob in pain, and heard the gunshot that silenced her. The gun he fired. His stomach heaved, but he kept himself from getting sick. He thought of the bat Geoff had made for him, and the one Geoff had Liam buy. He focused his memory on the night he slept cuddled up with Geoff, with Micah on the other side, the night they had sex the first time. His stomach settled a little, and he sighed in relief. He felt the Things lurking at the edges of his senses. He'd forgotten about them, the creatures from Beyond. He heard bone cracking and felt a soul leave it's body. "No! Please!" He tried to curl up and shivered, focusing on trying to remember anything else. 'Geoff, I need you.'

They were pulling into the parking lot, and Garret pulled into the closest empty space. It was at the bottom of the hill leading up to the large church, there was probably over two hundred empty stalls between them and the building. He stopped the car and ran over to Nathanial's side and opened it up, "Hey, what's wrong?"

'GEOFF!!' Bone snapped again, a woman screamed, a gurgling choke signified a dying breath, a gun fired.

Darkness suddenly flooded the car and he heard Micah scream. He felt a sudden heaviness land on his lap, "What the hells? Nathanial? Where in the bloody...? Hey, pup? What's wrong?" Geoff sounded rather confused, but he wrapped his arms around Nathanial as well as he could, with the seatbelt still in the way. "Hey, I'm here. You're safe. Where'd all this darkness come from? Not that I mind, but it may raise awkward questions. Shh." He gently kissed Nathanial. Nathanial held onto him tightly, but started to relax. He heard heavy breathing in his ears, again, and it wasn't his or Geoff's. Nathanial breathed deeply, the smell of Geoff helped to calm him more, and dismissed the darkness. He didn't know it was possible to summon darkness like that. He wondered if he could do that once he calmed down. The sound of breathing vanished. So did the Things.

"You're here, you came." Nathanial said, stating the obvious. He kissed Geoff, forgetting Garret was not two feet away. "Thank you."

Geoff didn't seem to really notice where he was either, "I'll come to you whenever you need me, pup. I love you. I won't let anything harm you, not while I still draw breath." He gave Nathanial a deep kiss.

"AHEM!" Garret didn't bother making a fake cough or throat clearing noise, "What the fuck is this!? Who is this mutt? And why are you kissing him?"

Nathanial snarled, and turned to Garret, "Shut up. Never talk to my boyfriend like that, got it!? He'll kiss me as much as he likes, wherever he likes. If you have issues with it, take it up with your wife."

Geoff paled, "Whoa, hey, pup. This is your... this is Mr. Marks? Um, hi. Pleased to meet you, sir. Calm down, Nathanial. You know Sensei said you need to try to stay calm. Just breathe. Slow, deep breaths. Um, excuse me, sir. I should probably get off your son." Garret stood and let him out of the car. Geoff extended his hand, "Geoff McDougal, sir. A pleasure to meet you. If unexpected." His phone rang, "Oops, it's Da. He's probably freaking out. Excuse me." He walked off a little.

Nicholas snickered, "Way to go, Nats. So much for not causing problems." He climbed out of the car and stood by it, looking at his father and Nathanial. Micah climbed out and walked around it to stand by Nick. "Well, since we're here, we should probably go in for the pre-funeral meeting. See if any of the relatives bothered to show."

"You know he's a... he's gay?"

Nicholas rolled his eyes, "Yeah, duh. It's not like we've been gone the last eight or so years. I'm bisexual or something, maybe gay, so it's not like I really care who he sticks his dick into, or gets stuck by. It's not something to get so worked up about. Nats is Nats. I'm me. Who gives a damn who we sleep with?"

"I do! I'm your father!" He stopped and swallowed at the glares from his two older sons. "Stop with the fucking guilt trips, already! I said I'm sorry, I was wrong, I should have divorced her long ago and took you with me. Whatever you want me to say, I'll say. I'm still your father. I still care. I'm trying, Hera help me. But what the fuck are you talking about, you're gay? You know how hard this is going to make your lives? Our lives? The Society is as bad as the Republicans, worse than the Conservatives, when it comes to this. If you mutts pay attention to anything beyond getting your asses pounded, you'll know that you have no rights, as far as the bureaucrats are concerned."

Nathanial's voice was dangerously soft, "Then it's a good thing I won't be a Mage. I'm joining the Monks as soon as I'm of age. I'm gay, and, as soon as I graduate, I'm marrying Geoff. You may even get an invitation to our wedding, Garret. This is not a guilt trip, I don't care if you're here or not. I'd like you to be, for my brothers, but if you're going to become a... problem, save us all the expense of another funeral. You haven't been a Dad, you've just been a sperm donor. But, I'm glad you have the decency to feel some guilt. I will honour our truce, if you do." He held out his paw, his voice calm, "I saw the concern you had for me, thanks. I appreciate it." Garret stared at Nathanial's paw like it was a snake ready to strike, but slowly reached out to shake it. Nathanial pulled him into a hug, Garret tensed up immediately and started to push away, "Relax, I'm not coming on to you." Nathanial let him go, smiling evilly, "Though, I always did think you were hot. I've got a boyfriend, now, so you're safe."

Garret tried to smile, but he looked a little ill. Geoff walked over, "Everything, um, at least calm, if not settled? No dead parents? Hey, look on the bright side, love. At least he didn't chuck lightening bolts at you. Da's going to want to talk to you. He's a little pissed. So's Faelen. Mom calmed down fairly quick."

Garret was frowning, "Lightening bolts? Are you Mages, too?"

Nathanial's tone was icy, "He's my boyfriend, that's all you need to know."

Geoff growled, "Nathanial! It's a normal question to ask. Sorry, sir, I can't answer. Please ask Da."

"So you're Spirits. That's even more forbidden than just fa... homosexual relations. Gods. Why the hells did I even get married?"

"I'm glad you did, sir. I love him. My Da and Mom have learned to accept us, I hope you will, too, in time. We'll still be together, even if you don't, so it's really a matter of how much you want to be in your sons' lives."

Garret ran his paw over his face, "Zeus damn me for a fool. I need time. Just, this... Gods. Go. Go inside and I'll meet you at the pre-funeral thing as soon as I park the car. We're supposed to use the doors in back." He walked around the car, and stopped when Geoff called over.

"I know, sir. This is a big change, it does take time. My parents had a hard time at first, too. And they knew I was gay, they were just trying to deny it. This is completely out of the blue for you. Just try not to say something that we'll regret. In turn, we'll try to keep things calm and unobtrusive for you. Right, Nathanial?"

"Eh? Oh, um, right. Sorry for getting mad, Garret. I'm not feeling... well." Nathanial had his paw over his stomach, it was rolling and heaving inside him. His chest hurt, too.

Garret seemed to relax a little, and asked with genuine concern, "What's wrong? You said you were feeling really sick in the car, too? Is it just motion sickness? It doesn't seem like it."

Geoff was watching Nathanial closely, too. Nathanial tried to choose his words with care, "No, it's a reaction..., well, it's stress. I had flashbacks. The people I've..." He shuddered and took a deep breath as he stomach lurched harder. He just shook his head and went to sit on a large rock by the church's sign. He put his head between his knees and inhaled slowly, and held it, before exhaling. Geoff sat beside him and rubbed his back. Nicholas and Micah jumped into the car as Garret started to drive the car around back.

"I'm here, pup. I don't know how I got here, but I'm here. Just relax."

Nathanial shook his head, still locked between his knees, "I called you. I needed you, the nightmares came back while I was still awake. Somehow, I summoned an area of darkness, and summoned you through it. Like I call my dogs. Did you hear me call you, or anything?"

Geoff paused, in thought, His words were slow and drawn out, "No.... Not really." He continued, a little slowly, but closer to his normal cadence, "I felt that you were scared, terrified. You were in danger. I wanted to help you, I saw a darker shadow, and I stepped into it. I caught a glimpse of a bunch of dark rocks and then I was in your car, sitting on your lap. I was just walking into rec-room, and Faelen was walking out of his room. He must have freaked when I vanished. Da sounded terrified on the phone. Terrified and furious."

"I'm sorry. I can't blame him. If Micah or Nicholas vanished like that, I would react the same way." His voice shook as he raised his head, "Ugh. I really feel horrible. Let's get walking, I won't be able to move quickly. Maybe this'll help me feel better. Who's driving?"

"Da."

"Okay." He dialled Dirk's phone number, "Dirk, it's Nathanial. Geoff's with me, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call him here like that, I had a waking nightmare. The same as the first time he had to, um, call me back."

Dirk relayed it to Conor, they were in the car, "Nathanial, Conor and Faelen are pretty upset, but they understand. Don't put him in danger, not that you would, intentionally."

"That's the thing. We are in danger. Wait!" Dirk was about to exclaim and relay that. "Get Conor to pull over." Geoff was staring at him, confused, "I haven't told Geoff, yet. Okay, you're stopped?"

"Yes. What danger? What happened? If you're in trouble, why are you on the phone and sounding so calm?" Dirk plugged the phone into something so it was on a speaker.

Nathanial sighed, "The church we're at, for the funeral, it's warded. A magic nullifying ward. I think it's the local headquarters for the Hunters, maybe the Knights. The Knights would have had to set up the wards for them, if it does belong to the Hunters. I don't know much about this church, but it is supposed to have its own post-secondary education thing attached to it, for missionaries and pastors, or something. It may be a training camp for these guys. Agent Ella and Jay are supposed to be here, too, at some point, so I'm going to call them and warn them. I wanted to give you a heads up. I can break the wards in a few seconds if trouble happens, and I can easily work some of my magic, even if it's up." He peeked through the phone to see how they were reacting. Dirk was stone faced and outwardly calm. Conor looked like he was going to rip the steering wheel from the dash; his knuckles occasionally cracked as he shifted his grip on it, and his teeth were bared in a silent snarl. Faelen's face was also stony, but his ears constantly twitched toward noises outside the car, and his nose quivered like he was testing the air. Avery's fur looked like she got hit with a good dose of static electricity, but otherwise calm. "Um, Conor, sir. If you're really upset, maybe Dirk should drive. And, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pull Geoff over to me."

Conor twitched, "You're watching us right now, aren't you?"

"Yes."

He growled, "I know you didn't mean to. And you're right. Dirk, switch with me." They got out of the car and switched sides, "Nathanial, you are responsible for my son's safety until Faelen is there, you should be keeping an eye out there, not here. I'll see you soon." He hung up.

Nathanial had an incredible feeling of vertigo as his mind snapped back into his head. He staggered and almost fell over before Geoff caught him. His eyes refused to focus, and Geoff's voice just buzzed in his ears. It eventually stopped, "Whoa. I'll have to tell him not to do that."

Geoff held him a bit longer, "What happened?"

"I was looking through the phone when Conor hung up on me. I was snapped back here; it made me really dizzy. I couldn't focus my eyes or hear anything other than a buzz." He looked at his phone to check the time, "We better hurry." He quickly called Liam as he walked and relayed the same information he'd given Dirk. They picked the pace up to a jog, then dropped to a fast walk as Nathanial's stomach protested.