by TexasAries

CHAPTER 12: THE PROPHECY

It was quite sometime before the seven men once again gathered around the large table to discuss what to do next. The Crow had vanished, leaving everyone else - including Chris - with questions.

Josiah sat down across from Chris and said, "I bet you have some questions you would like answered?" Then looking at the rest of the men, except for Vin and Ezra, he added, "Probably you as well." He settled back and told them all, "You’d better get comfortable and let me tell you why Chris is back and the story of the Crow."

The men settled down with Vin and Ezra sitting near Chris, offering their support for what was coming. Josiah took a deep breath and got started. "Chris, there is no other way to tell you. Simply put, you are dead but you are also alive. Bullets won’t kill you, but enough of them will slow you down till you recover. The only way for you to be destroyed is by killing your Spirit Crow."

Chris was puzzled and asked, "What a Spirit Crow?" Then from the rafters there came a flutter of wings and a Crow settled on the table in front of Chris. In the Crow’s eyes Chris saw an intensity and intelligence that looked right into his soul and a bond open up between Chris and his guide. The bird hopped to Chris’ right shoulder and settle there, watching the other men in the room as though daring them to say anything.

Josiah simply smiled at Chris and said, "I’d say that answers your question." Chris simply nodded his head in reply.

Josiah looked around the table at all six men and saw what Ezra had seen. His little boy was the Warlock, Chris the Crow, Vin was the Shaman, Buck the Lover, JD the Child, Nathan the Healer and he made the Sage. The Seven figures of legend had come together to fight another battle against the forces of evil. Deciding that the other four men had the right to know what was going on he continued, "Chris, the Crow is a very powerful persona and there are only a few currently present in the world. They can be man, woman or child, anyone who cannot rest until their wrong has been righted. In your case, that would be finding your wife’s and your murderers. Once you have completed your mission you can return to the land of the dead, to be with your wife in the afterlife."

Josiah watched as pain flashed in his son’s eyes. He had seen the bond that wove between Ezra, Vin and Chris and knew what would happen when Chris returned to the spirit world.

He would lose his son to death.

As a father he wanted to raise a face of rage to the heavens asking why bring his son back into his life only to lose him so soon. But the part of him that was a sage realized why, for with Vin and Ezra’s presence the Crow could be protected and helped in fighting the evil that had taken over the city.

"You won’t need to eat or sleep from this point onwards, and then there is the Crow. The Crow will emerge when you are angry or when you are feeling protective. You will be able to see through the eyes of your crow and can experience emotions and visions from objects in both forms. For example, if you hold a murder weapon you would see the murder and the victim as if you were there. You can share those visions with anyone that you need to." Then Josiah leaned over and grabbed Chris' hand in a crushing grip. "You must NEVER, EVER kill anyone with your powers, for if you do a Snake will be born and they are just like you except on the side of evil."

Chris looked at Josiah and asked, "What do you mean, with my powers?"

With grave eyes Josiah replied, "You are able to transfer all the pain and suffering contain in the object to the person responsible. Enough pain and suffering will kill the person receiving it, and that is how a Snake is born. If you kill them by any mortal means then they won't come back."

JD had listened to everything with wonder for it sounded like something straight out of a comic book, super heroes and villains included, but the reference to Snakes confused him. So he blurted out, "Excuse me, but that is the second time you have mentioned Snakes. What are these Snakes?"

Before Josiah could answer Vin spoke up. "JD, Snakes are the exact opposite of Crows. They were people who enjoyed pain and suffering, they are evil incarnate. The only way to destroy a Snake is by killing its spirit guide, a snake." Vin then placed his hand on Chris' shoulder to regain his attention. "Chris you have to be careful, for a Snake carries a knife that can destroy you - but it can also be used to kill a Snake. If you can get your hands on one of those knives it will help you."

"Vin, how do you know this?" inquired Buck, for he had seen how both Ezra and Vin seemed to have had some prior knowledge of what and who Chris was. The way they hadn’t reacted when Chris transformed into that thing was foremost in his mind.

Vin looked at the other three men and decided that they needed to know everything. Figuring a demonstration would help in the long run he took a deep breath and centered himself, then started drawing in power from Nature and allowed his true self to be exposed. As the other men watched a breeze seemed to lift Vin's hair, his skin started to glow gold and the scent of pines and earth filled the room. Then he opened his eyes and four of the men gasped, for instead of blue eyes he now had the golden eyes of a Wolf.

Vin glanced over at Ezra and saw that the warlock had also exposed his power, his eyes still green but now having slitted pupils like a cat's and his skin glowing a deep bronze color. Tentacles of their power reached out for each other only to be met by the silver ribbons coming from Chris.

Chris sat back and looked at the two men who were exposing their magic and power to him. Something within him recognized the spirits within these two men and they called to him on some deep and binding level.

Brother to Brother.

Lover to Lover.

The only other time he had every experienced this feel of knowing someone so deeply was with Sarah. Now with these men it was as though he had know them in different times and places, as though they were brothers who had guarded each other and forged between them bonds of love, friendship and acceptance during their long battle against the dark. And with Vin and Ezra there was an even deeper feeling, a connection that ran soul to soul and heart to heart. He loved Sarah and would probably love her in other lifetimes as well, but she was not always there…and these two men were. How he knew this he could not say for sure, but just as he knew that the sun would come up tomorrow he knew that Vin and Ezra would always be there for him.

What was wrong with him?

Why was he thinking of these two men that he’d only met the night before in the same way he though of Sarah? He’d never though of men in that way before he died, was this part of what he had become? Had death opened his eyes or was there something else that drew him to these two men in that way? Sarah's words again came back to haunt him:

"There are two who are part of your heart and soul; let them in, for then each of you will be made whole."

Could she mean these two or someone else?

No, the best think to do would be not even to think of these two men in that manner. Besides, he reasoned, it was obvious the two of them were already a couple, so why would they even want him?

Someone who was dead.

Someone who had a wife waiting for him on the other side.

The best thing he could do for these two men would be to quickly find the murders, complete his mission and return to Sarah. They were only offering friendship and sympathy for what he had gone through, nothing else. He was just reading everything wrong…but that didn't stop his body from responding to the power that was pouring off the two men and mixing with his own.

Nathan, Buck and JD simply stared at the spectacle before them, just caught up in the wonder of what they were seeing. When the tendrils of power made their way towards them they weren’t scared but only curious, and once contact was made they were caught up in the knowledge that they had always been together and always would be.

Josiah felt the circle of power increase as each of the men opened themselves to the others and he used it to put protection wards in place, preventing anyone from using their powers against them. Once the wards were in place he joined in the power meld himself, completing the circle. And once again the seven of them stood together against the forces of darkness.

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The evil that lived in the city felt the building of a circle of power and tried to latch onto it, but she was met by wards far more powerful than anything she had come up against in one hundred years of undead life and it shook her to her core.

Fear finally touched her. She could not tell who or what was the source, but it was time to call in her own circle of darkness and complete her mission to destroy every person of the light she could find.

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"WOW!" was the only response heard from JD.

"I agree with the kid. WHAT the HELL was that?" seconded Buck.

"That, gentlemen, was a circle of power," replied Ezra. "It is raised when people of power come together to form a circle. The seven of us are now part of the same circle and we will be able to find each other no matter what and will be able to tell when one of us is in danger."

JD was puzzled. "What power, we’re not like you three … um four?"

Vin smiled at the young cop and answered him, "No, each of you have a power. Both you, Buck, and in a sense Nathan are Spirit Warriors with the ability to fight and protect people from the supernatural. You will know and feel when a person of evil comes anywhere near you and can take appropriate action. Buck, your spirit guide is a Stag, also known as the Lover. As with any stag you will protect your herd from danger, as well as…"

Vin shifted a little in embarrassment. "What?" demanded Buck.

Turning bright red Vin replied, "helping with reproduction. Your theory about your animal magnetism is … um … true."

"WHAT!!!" came from JD, Nathan and Chris.

Buck looked around the circle of men and smiled smugly at them all. "I told you so, but ohhhh no you didn’t believe in old Buck. Now you heard it from someone else."

"What’s mine Vin, Ezra?" asked JD eagerly.

"Mr. Dunne your sign is the Whale and you are also know in other prophesies as the Kid …" But before Ezra could finish, JD interrupted.

"A KID! Damn!" JD started to pull back from the table to sulk as the laughter from his friends started, but Ezra grabbed JD’s arm and prevent him from leaving.

Josiah, Vin or Ezra weren’t laughing and looked completely serious as Ezra continued, "No, JD, it’s not what you think. Your gifts are very powerful, for you have the power of hope, innocence and faith at your fingertips. You are the light by which truths are revealed and nothing can hide from your light. You give us the sight and spirit to fight. Think of yourself as a lighthouse on a stormy night, guiding ships - us - safely to shore. Without that lighthouse we would be smashed upon the rocks in the darkness."

Vin turned to his partner, Nathan and told him, "Nathan, you are the Turtle and Healer. You are able to heal the mind, spirit and body if need be; I could see that you had always had that gift from the first time I laid eyes on you. You are the reason I and others have survived life threatening wounds, and that is why you are able to talk down suicides and calm down those who are mad. You really do help them, my friend."

No one spoke as three men who had never thought of themselves as anything but ordinary now had to come to terms with the idea that they were much more than that. Nathan was the first to break the silence. "Vin, what about you, Ezra and Josiah? What are your powers?"

The three men in question looked at each other to see who wished to go first. Josiah was the first to nod and then he turned to the other men. "I am the Owl or the Sage. My power comes through prayers and the knowledge that I have gained over the last hundred years."

"Hundred years!"

"How old is he anyways?"

"He doesn’t look more than forty!"

Josiah raised his hand for silence, "I celebrated my hundred and thirtieth birthday in June. Those of us who have gained and tapped our power – by the way, this includes all of us – will age only one year for every ten years. Now we can die just like everyone else by accident, disease or murder, but until those events occur we can live a very, very long time."

Vin cleared his throat before he started. "My sign is the Wolf and I am also know as the Shaman in my prophecies, which means my powers come from nature. I can assume the shape of the wolf or werewolf if need be. It also means I can harness the forces of nature to affect my environment."

Ezra continued after Vin. "My sign is the Cougar and I’m a Warlock. My power is very rare and there is only one like me born every three hundred years or so. Everything, living and non-living, has a spirit and through those spirits I am able to move and change things. I’m also able to talk to the dead."

The two magi and the shaman waited as the others came to terms with what they had told them, then Ezra nodded to Vin to continue. "Guys, there is one more thing you should know. All of us are part of a prophecy in which we have to battle the forces of darkness. The reason Chris and Sarah were killed was due to the fact that through the birth of their children they could have changed the course of the battle between light and dark. They were killed by mortals who were following a creature of darkness orders."

Josiah told them, "There is a great evil in our city, a General in the army of darkness with a goal to turn our city so that only darkness survives. We must stop it, for hundreds or even thousands will die if we refuse our destiny and we will be the first to fall if we run."

CHAPTER 13: A NEW IDENTITY

After an hour of answering questions the men settled down to discuss battle plans and how they could hide Chris’ return from dead.

Ezra was deep in though when an idea was formed. He leaned over to Chris and asked him, "Chris, are your parents still alive?"

Chris was puzzled by Ezra’s question and it was reflected in his voice as he answered, "No, they’ve been dead for about ten years or more. Why?"

"Were you adopted? Do you have any siblings?" questioned Ezra.

Still puzzled Chris answered, "Yes, I was adopted and no, I don’t have any brothers or sisters. Why, Ezra?"

Ezra’s smile of satisfaction had Vin grinning as well, for he knew that Ezra had a plan. "Chris, do you know what your birth mother’s last name was?"

The light came on for Chris and he grinned in the same manner as Ezra and Vin. "Yes, Larabee."

Ezra’s grin became devilish as he looked at Chris. "Well, Mr. Larabee, I’m sorry that you came all the way from …"

"Syracuse, New York," supplied Chris.

"Syracuse, New York, only to find that your twin had died last year," finished Ezra. All the men at the table grinned as the plan came together.

Ezra had retrieved his laptop from his room and by using the resources of the CIA he was able to create a new identity for Christian Draven…and thus Christopher Larabee was born.

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It was almost four in the morning when the men broke up the meeting, and it was decided that Nathan and Vin would try to get some of the evidence from the murder site to Chris. JD offered to get access to the police mug shots database so that Chris could look for the men that broken into the apartment and murdered he and Sarah.

Vin and Ezra were the first to say goodnight and they pulled Chris away to speak to him for a moment while the other four men cleaned up the leftover food and papers.

Ezra placed the leather duster in Chris’ hands and held out the pants as he told him, "Chris, you need to wear these garments for they will conceal your presence from those who wish you harm and they will mend magically from any holes or tears that you might incur during our investigation."

Chris smiled as he put on the duster and felt the cool smoothness of the leather as it caressed his skin. He didn’t notice the appreciative and lustful glances of the two lovers as they watched how the leather duster molded itself to Chris’ lanky frame. It made his shoulders look wider, his waist narrower, and it gave him a sexy, menacing appearance that would have people falling all over themselves to get Chris into bed. "Thank you, Ezra." He eyed the pants a little uncertainly and asked, "But do I have wear the pants with the duster all the time?"

Ezra’s first response was HELL YES. Just imaging those beautiful long legs and that perfect behind molded in tight leather, walking … snapping himself out of his fantasy, Ezra smiled at Chris. "No. The duster will be sufficient." The image of Chris in nothing but the leather pants blasted through his brain, and before he could stop himself Ezra had told Chris, "But you should wear the pants at night. It will help you to fit in."

Vin looked at his mate and felt the desire flash down their shared link, and he smiled. Then looking at the tight leather pants on his green-eyed temptation and the ones held out to the other beloved, a picture formed in his brain; both his mates in nothing but the leather pants, swaying to seductive music. In his mind’s eye Vin saw Ezra being held in place against Chris’ firm chest and Chris’ hands caressing the golden skin, and the stark contrast of Chris’ silver skin brushing against Ezra’s made Vin catch his breath. The silver hoops piercing Ezra’s nipples caught his eye as Chris’ hands gently played with them, which resulted in Ezra’s head arching back into Chris’ shoulder. Green eyes almost black with desire looked out of hooded eyes and soft moans came from Ezra’s lips as their hips rolled and swayed together with the beat of the music, enticing him with both eyes and body to join them.

Vin snapped out of his daydream only to grab his green-eye mate’s arm to drag him off and let him know just how much he’d really appreciated Ezra’s earlier performance. Catching the heated glance and the desire rolling down their bond Ezra turned away, but was stopped by Chris’ hand on his arm. Chris looked down into the beautiful green eyes of the man who had helped him out, not asking anything in return, and told him, "Thank you." Then looking at Vin who had both supported him and given Chris his friendship he said, "Thank you both. I wish I had met you before all of this. I … thank you for being my friends."

Both men reached out and gently clasped Chris’ shoulder and smiled warmly at their heart mate. Vin offered a crooked grin and with eyes filled with regret said, "Glad to be here for you, Cowboy. I just wish that I could have stopped them so that you never had to go through what you did."

"Chris, if you need anything or if you just want to talk, come and see us. Night or day." Then Ezra grinned and added, "Though I should warn you that I am NOT a morning person."

"Thanks, Ezra. I might take you up on that offer. Well, I’d better let you both get to bed."

"Goodnight Chris."

"’Nite, Cowboy."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * * * * * * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ezra led Vin to his room, where as soon as the door was closed Ezra found his back against it with Vin lovingly devouring his mouth. There was a furiousness to the kiss but he could also feel the love it contained, it was almost like a man who had been without water coming across an oasis and slowly, reverently drinking the cool waters.

Vin sighed as he pulled away from his soul mate to looking down in the flushed face and sparkling eyes. Gently he started to unbutton Ezra’s shirt, and for every button he undid he placed a kiss on Ezra’s chest or stomach until the shirt was open. Looking at the sculpted golden chest he spotted the little items that had tempted him all night, the silver nipple rings in the cinnamon nubs of flesh that hardened as he looked at them. Vin let temptation rule and he lowered his head to taste.

Ezra gasped, arching his head against the door and his chest into Vin at the first touch of Vin’s talented mouth. Vin gently suckled and tugged at the pierced nipple, enjoying the tangy metallic taste of the silver and the sweet muskiness of Ezra. Encouraged by the breathless moan that was coming from his warlock he switched to the other nipple to visit upon it the same tenderness.

Once Vin was satisfied that both hardened nubs were fully sampled he pulled back to look at Ezra and was caught by the boundless love and desire in Ezra’s green gaze. Ezra gently stroked his lover’s face, memorizing the texture and planes of eyes, nose, cheeks and lips with wonder. "Do you know how wonderful you are? How safe and loved I feel just being in the same room as you? Look into my eyes, Vin, and you will see what you mean to me. When you search your heart and soul you will find me there waiting for you. I will sacrifice everything I am for you, for us, for there is nothing I want more. I will fight for YOU, lie for YOU, die for YOU, for YOU are my life."

Vin looked at the man who’d given him his heart and soul in exchange for his. This man was his mate and the one he had waited all his life to find. Gently he cupped Ezra’s cheek and told him, "There is nothing like your love, for without YOU there is no light, no laughter, no love. There is no one who could give me love like you can. Ezra … Ezra everything I do, I do it for you. Take everything I am, take my life. I will freely give it all up for you are everything to me. I will walk the wild for YOU, I will kill for YOU Ezra." Then he gently kissed this man whom he would be forever connected with.

Pulling back Vin placed Ezra’s hand on his chest and led him towards the bed, never breaking their loving gaze. Feeling the mattress against the back of his knees he said, "Ezra, make love to me …"

Ezra couldn’t let him continue and put his fingertips against Vin’s soft lips. In a voice filled with passion and love he whispered, "No Vin, I need you to take me. Claim me for you own."

Vin gently clasped the silencing hand and kissed each fingertip before releasing them, then placed his hand over Ezra’s heart. "Love, you’ve had a bad shock tonight, reliving what happened before. I don’t want to push you when you’re not ready."

Smiling gently at this loving man Ezra shook his head. "No Vin, those animals make have taken my body, but they never touched me. You touch me, Vin, and when you fill me with your seed you will finally cleanse me of them. I only want to feel you, I want to be yours. Please."

Vin looked into Ezra’s eyes and saw that he truly wanted this, and he kissed this man who had overcome pain, terror and humiliation to dare to give Vin everything that he was. Vin silently promised himself that he would take it slow and gentle. If it took hours then so be it, but he would not risk scaring or hurting the other half of his soul. Turning Ezra around so that the backs of his knees were against the mattress Vin lifted Ezra’s right wrist. Unbuttoning the first little button he gently licked and then kissed Ezra’s wrist before repeating it on the matching button at his left wrist.

Slowly Vin caressed Ezra’s skin as he lowered the silk shirt from his lover’s shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Kneeling in front of Ezra, never breaking their gaze, he opened the button to the leather pants and ran his hands down the leather-clad legs, feeling the heat from the body below the second skin. He directed Ezra to sit and then removed his boots and socks to kiss the top of each foot before placing it reverently on the floor. Grasping Ezra’s hips, Vin pulled him up to remove the last layer that covered his gift from the gods.

Once the pants were removed Vin rested back on his heels just to look at the beauty of the man before him. Ezra was small boned, petite even, but he was still a vibrant, virile man and there was nothing feminine about him. Vin slowly stood, running his hands up Ezra’s legs to his hips and then up the sides of his body to cup the back of his head before he devoured the sweet mouth.

Sweeping Ezra up into his arms he lay his love down in the center of the bed and stepped back. Vin spotted the candles beside Ezra’s bed and, focusing a small finger of power, he ignited them. With a sweep of his hand the lights were shut off so that the candles and the moonlight filtering through the curtains were the only light. Vin then slowly began to undress to allow Ezra to truly see him.

Ezra watched as the man who was about to claim him body and soul undressed. It was like watching a work of art being unveiled, for Vin’s clothes obscured the beauty of the bronzed, muscular body that was beneath them. Soon the last bit of clothing was gone and Ezra looked up at the man who stood before him. Vin was like some ancient forest god; lean, fierce, beautiful and wild, everything that a creature of the forest should be, and like the wolf that was his guide Vin had come to claim his mate.

Walking forward, Vin climbed onto the bed to straddled the southern warlock, allowing Ezra to touch and explore his body.

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Chris watched as the two men left to go up to Ezra’s room and wished for something, he didn’t really know what.

Turning back he saw that Buck had walked Josiah and Nathan to the door of the club to let them out. JD had taken the garbage out to the back door and was going up to bed. As he passed Chris he asked, "Are you going up, Chris?"

Chris wasn’t the least bit tired and Josiah had mentioned that he didn’t need to sleep, so Chris told JD, "No. You go on up, I’ll finish up down here."

Trying to suppress a yawn JD replied, "All right, Chris. ‘Night."

"’Night, JD."

Buck was the next to go up and he clasped Chris’s shoulder. "Going to bed, Stud?"

Shaking his head at his oldest friend. Chris told him, "In a little while. Go on, tomorrow will be a long day."

Chris sat down at the bottom of the stairs once he was alone, just trying to absorb all the information he’d been given tonight and the fact that the others were here to help him. It must have been about thirty minutes later when something called tor him. It was like a siren’s call, not giving him a choice, pulling him up the stairs to stop at Ezra’s door. He couldn’t turn away as he heard the sighs and moans of pleasure that seemed to wrap around him, refusing to let him break free. Placing his hand on the door his imagination slowly opened to allow him to see what was happening in the room.

The light from the moon and candles cast a soft white glow over the two men as they were making love. Ezra was lying under Vin, his legs wrapped around his lover’s hips, holding him in place. They were beautiful and seemed to fit perfectly together. A sudden urge to touch to taste these two men overcame him, and he knew he could break down the door to do exactly that. But he couldn’t. Closing his eyes, he leaned against the door.

Something must have triggered it, but to Chris it was like he was suddenly in the room with the two men. Able to caress the silk of their hair, touch the sweat-soaked skin and taste its salty tang. Then his perspective changed and it was like he was looking out of Vin’s eyes, gazing down at the flushed face, parted swollen lips and hooded, passion-filled green eyes of the man below him. But at the same time Chris was looking out of Ezra’s eyes up at Vin, those beautiful blue eyes filled with love for him, hearing the loving words and gentle touches as Vin prepared him for their joining. He was both of them and yet neither.

Chris gasped and slid to the floor as he felt Vin push past Ezra opening to enter him, it felt as if Vin was entering him. Then came Vin’s sensations as Ezra’s heat and tightness surrounded him and again to Chris it was like Ezra’s internal muscles were squeezing him. It was the most erotic experience he’d ever been party to, the dual sensations of being made love to and actually doing the loving arousing him beyond anything he’d ever experience in his life. Every nerve, every inch of Chris’ skin sizzled with pleasure and desire as somehow the men in the room touched him.

Vin and Ezra felt Chris open the link to join with them and registered his presence in the back of their minds, but they were too lost in pleasure to real think about it. Instead the dream, the fantasy, the hope that they would be in bed together someday drove Ezra and Vin to grasp Chris’ tentative thoughts and pull him further into the link. To have every touch and taste amplified three times pulled them into a whirlwind of passion and love. Chris was the first to climax, pulling the other two along with him. Vin howled and Ezra snarled as their joint climax hit. They quickly spiraled down into the darkness of unconsciousness with Vin collapsing on top of Ezra.

Dragging himself to his feet, Chris was overcome with guilt as he realized what had happened. How he’d abused the trust and friendship of the two men in the room by invading a very private moment between them. Not only that, but he’d cheated on Sarah, the same Sarah who was waiting for him to return from the land of the living. How could he do that to her? How could he do that to these two men? Disgusted with himself, Chris went up the stairs to his and Sarah’s apartment vowing never to let that happen again…but the experience was forever burned into his mind and heart.

The End