William's Muse

Apparitions Series

Book 1- Saints and Sinners

TITLE: Apparitions Series, Book One: Saints & Sinners AUTHOR: Bree RATING: PG-13 (A little sensual, but nothing R-ish) SPOILERS: BtVS and ANGEL (all seasons) SUMMARY: My own universe about how certain vampires were sired, as well as my own home-woven tales of Vampires, Watchers and Slayers, oh my! DISTRIBUTION: If you want to archive this series, please ask first and you must include all future parts as well. DISCLAIMER: All BtVS characters were created by Joss Whedon and his minions. The rights to all of these characters and plots are the property of the WB, FOX and many other rich & powerful people. Blah, blah, blah. AUTHOR’S NOTE 1: Róisín is a Gaelic name meaning little rose and is pronounced rosh + een. DEDICATION: For Nikolas, my precious 11-month-old. Feel better pet.

December 7, 1838 -- Dublin, Ireland "William, you are being entirely detestable! I insist that you tell me right this moment who your mystery friend is and where you and Daniel are meeting him!" Kathryn whined as she followed her step-brother down the staircase. She nearly tripped over her long skirts in her haste to follow him. "Katie, you are a complete bother sometimes!" William retorted with a wink as he took his coat from their butler, Max. "I am not!" she said in a childlike tone as she stopped a few steps from the landing. With a firm frown set upon her face, Kathryn put her hands on her hips in utter defiance. "You willll regret the day you ever mocked me, William Parrish!" William chuckled as he pulled on his overcoat, then slid his riding gloves over his hands. "I'm sure I will, pet. But you are still not coming with me, and I am not telling you a bloody thing about who I'm meeting or where I'm going," he retorted, giving his step-sister a quick kiss on her cheek before he disappeared outside. "You owe me, William!" she yelled after him as he mounted his horse, which the stable hand was holding for him. "Good night, Kathryn!" he said, then rode off into the dark night for parts unknown. Frustrated, Kathryn slammed the door shut, thankful her parents were away and had not witnessed her tantrum. Otherwise, her father would have punished her severely. "Blast!" Kathryn fumed, then rang for the maid as she entered the library. An elderly woman rushed into the library, wiping her hands on her apron. "Yes, Miss Kathryn?" "Tea, please, Ethel. And don't dilly-dally. I am not in a patient mood this evening!" Kathryn ordered her maid, then turned her back away from the door as Ethel left. She seated herself on a chaise lounge, and opened her diary. She'd been forced to hide it in her room, for if her father had found what she had written, it would be the belt for her for certain. He was so particular about everything she did. Kathryn was certain that if she did not find a husband soon, she would just have to run away from home on her own. William would try to stop her no doubt, but she could not take much more of her father's drunken abuse. He'd killed her mother by it, and she refused to end up the same way. The last time he hit her, Kathryn found herself ready and surprisingly physically able to give him a taste of his own lashing, but William held her back after her first punch, afraid it would make things worse. "William," she said with a snort. "I'll teach him not to run off without me again. It's not fair!" she huffed, fumbling through her diary to find where she had left off. He often included her in his mischievous excursions, more concerned about leaving her behind and alone with her father than he was at what punishment he would receive if found partaking in anything her father or step-mother, or society for that matter, considered immoral. William was constantly getting into trouble for one thing or another. Many times he would take the blame and punishment for something Kathryn herself had done just to keep her father's hands off of her. Because of his determination not to let his step-father abuse her, Kathryn became quite reliant upon William as her protector. The step-siblings were quite fond of each other, although neither would ever openly admit to their feelings. Their unusual family relationship kept any involvement from occurring, albeit the thought had crossed the minds of both from time to time. They had even gone so far as to share an extremely intimate moment just a week prior, sparked by an innocent kiss from William when he helped her up to her room after she had taken a tumble off her horse during a riding accident. Kathryn felt her cheeks warm as the memories of that afternoon flooded her mind. It was the first time they had given in to their individual desires, mostly because their respective parents were away from the estate on holiday in London, and no one was present at the time to interrupt or find them. When he brought her to her room, William left her in the care of her nurse, Mariann, who helped Kathryn change from her riding habit into a silk chemise. She wrapped Kathryn's ankle, then helped her into bed to rest for the evening. After ensuring her charge was well taken care of for the evening, Mariann left Kathryn to rest. William knocked softly on her bedroom door a few moments later, opened it a bit, then poked his head in. "How is the injured one?" he asked as he entered her room, locking the door behind him. "Doing quite well, thank you. Although, you could feel *some* remorse for my current condition," Kathryn replied, annoyed at his apparent lack of guilt. William crossed the room to her bed, then climbed upon it as he often did during their late night talks, lying on his side to face her. Kathryn pushed herself up a little then watched as he pulled a flower from his vest pocket and held it out to her. "Forgive me, pet?" Kathryn eyed him angrily, then took the flower from him, raising it to her nose to smell it's fragrance. "Flattery will get you nowhere, William. You should know better." William hung his head in mock shame. "Alas, fair maiden. You are correct. If not flattery through the showering of flower petals, then perhaps an act of contrition through a kiss would allow milady to absolve this mere peasant of his transgression?" he said with a twinkle in his eyes. Kathryn stifled a chuckle as she watched William 'apologize' for causing her to fall off her horse. His flair for comedy never ceased to amaze her, and she wondered how he had managed to keep his wit through the trials he'd been forced to face in the mere 20 years of his life. "Very well, one kiss it is and all will be forgiven. But do not attempt to trick me, for I detect you to be a rogue in disguise." William sat up, placed a hand across his chest then looked at her with fake offense. "What? Me? A scoundrel? Milady, I must insist that *I* be given one kiss from her highness for her own misconception." "My misconception? Quite the pretentious one, aren't you, Mr. Parrish? All right then. One kiss each for our individual errors. Anything else will be grounds for the rack. Agreed?" William smirked, then nodded. "Agreed." As he placed both hands on the coverlets and began making his way toward her one hand at a time, Kathryn's heart began to race, and her breathing turned into panting. She had never been kissed, and although she had dreamt of this very moment, of being kissed by William, Kathryn never thought it would actually come to pass. William was leaning over her sooner than she had expected, and suddenly their innocent teasing had turned into a moment of erotic tension. William sensed her nervousness, and gave her a reassuring smile. "Just relax, Kathryn. It's only a kiss." Unable to find her voice, Kathryn simply nodded in understanding, and tried unsuccessfully to calm herself. 'It's only a kiss, it's only a kiss....' she repeated to herself as William hovered over her, gradually leaning down until he was close enough to capture her lips with his own. The sudden warmth of his lips upon hers sent chills through her body, and as his velvety tongue entered her mouth, she felt an intense heat build up in her lower body. She suddenly had the urge to pull him hard against her, frantic to feel his length against her aching body. Soft kisses quickly turned passionate as Kathryn and William both pushed all thoughts about the potential immorality of their actions into the backs of their minds, and fell into a strong embrace of fiery lust. Within moments, his strong hands moved from her flushed cheeks, which he had been holding gently as he kissed her, to her shoulders. From her shoulders he moved swiftly to her breasts, kneading their fullness, eliciting a moan from Kathryn. He brushed his fingertips over her nipples, constantly aware of his own arousal as he felt her nipples harden under his ministrations. He hesitated briefly, waiting to gauge her reaction, all the while plundering her mouth with his own. When she did not resist him as he continued to fondle her, he moved his hands away from her breasts to her shoulders. He smiled a little when he heard her whimper as his hands left her breasts, then felt her arch toward him as he began pushing the silk chemise down off of her shoulders. He pushed the silky fabric further and further, until it was stopped unexpectedly when the top of the chemise caught on the crest of her bosom. Surprisingly, this sudden restraint pulled him out of his reverie and back to reality. Attempting to regain her breath, Kathryn uttered a semi-audible whimper as he pulled away. William scrambled away, trying to regain his composure. "Bloody hell. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that." "Done what? Kissed me?" He shook his head. "No, yes, I mean…This is wrong. We shouldn’t be doing any of this, Kathryn." Flustered and slightly wounded at his sudden withdrawal, Kathryn glared at him. "Wrong? By whose standards, Will? My father’s? Your mother’s? By the Church? We’ve no blood ties – why can’t we?" "You’re my bleedin’ sister, Katie!" "Step-sister by marriage only!" she hurled back at him, fighting back tears that threatened to sting her cheeks. William, as flustered and confused as Kathryn obviously was, stood up from the bed and began to pace the room. "This isn’t allowed; we both know that." "Then why did you kiss me? Why did you…," she stopped herself from going any further, unsure whether she wanted to hear his reasoning. "Because I wanted to, dammit! I bloody wanted to kiss you! Have for the longest, damnable time! But now, it just, I — I shouldn’t have forced myself on you, Katie." "I didn’t turn you away, William. I wanted it to happen as desperately as you did. I would not have made you stop." William stopped pacing and sat down next to her on the bed. "As much as I want this to happen, Kathryn. We both know it cannot." She was incensed. He’d been with other women, the whores down at the taverns he patronized with his friend Daniel. They both had, for she’d overheard them mentioning their conquests. "You won’t have *me*, but you’ll jump into bed with one of those harlots at O’Dweyer’s in a bloomin’ second if they flash you a cheap shot." "That’s not fair, Katie, and you know it." "None of this is fair," she whispered, then turned away from him as the tears she had desperately tried to make go away won their battle and fell onto her cheeks. "I think you should go," she said, hoping he wouldn’t. Hoping he would stay, that he would say she was right and give in to the temptation they’d both battled with for years. But he didn’t. He waited a few seconds before getting up and walking to the door. He paused, his hand on the doorknob. Without turning, he hung his head and spoke softly. "Kathryn, please do not confuse my retreat with a lack of desire for you. That will never change, no matter what." He abruptly crossed the room back over to her, once again pulling her into his arms despite her attempts to fight him. He pulled her into a strong embrace, then showered her face with kisses, pulling away just as she relaxed. He looked at her with his deep blue gaze, hoping she would see his true desire, then bent down and kissed her once more. Tearing himself away from their impassioned kiss, he planted a small kiss on her nose, then released her and walked out of the room. They had not spoken the following day, attempting to avoid one another in order to regain some sense of normality. A few days later they were forced to speak when they literally ran into each other as he entered the house as Kathryn was leaving. The slight comedic act had lessened their tension, and somehow managed to revert them back to their previous dispositions. The kiss they shared was still fresh in each of their minds, but they were committed to not allowing this one indiscretion ruin their relationship. So this evening when William decided to go into town without her, she was angered, more jealous than anything. He was going to meet Daniel and a new friend for one of their all-night gambling sessions. It never ceased to amaze her how he actually seemed to keep out of debt. Occasionally, he ran into trouble with his gambling, but over all, he was quite skillful with cards. So when she heard the heavy footsteps at the door to the library, Kathryn presumed it to be William returning after an unfortunate night of loss at the card tables to apologize for not taking her along. "Decided to take me up on my offer after all, did you?" she asked, her back to the door. "If you'd be so kind as to explain the wager to me, milady, I might be obliged to indulge me self." Upon hearing the stranger's voice with it's heavy brogue, Kathryn whirled out of the lounge, causing her journal to crash into the tray holding the cup and teapot Ethel brought earlier. "Oh dear!" Kathryn exclaimed, then knelt down to clean up the mess. In her excitement, she had failed to see who her visitor was. The visitor knelt down in front of her, assisting with the clean up. "Permit me to help. It is the least I can do for startlin’ you," he said politely. Kathryn looked up, finding herself completely spellbound by the deep brown eyes and handsome features of the man before her. He was the most stunning man she had ever seen. "Are you all right?" he asked her. "My…um…I…yes..yes…, I'm sorry," Kathryn looked away, afraid he would see her blushing. He caught a glimpse of her before she looked away and smiled. "I am sorry I startled you." Kathryn smiled innocently. "I was so absorbed in my reading that I didn't hear the door." "Your butler invited me in," he smiled, picking up her diary. "A journal? I keep one me self." Kathryn quickly took the book from his grasp, setting on the chair out of his reach, afraid he might see something she had written. "Indeed? I’ve kept one for years," she replied then promptly cut her finger on a sharp edge of the shattered teapot. "Ouch," she said, flinching. The visitor maintained his human guise as the scent of her blood filled the air. Before she could wipe the blood away, he reached out and took her hand. "Allow me," he said with a smirk. Kathryn hesitated, ready to pull her hand out of his grasp. Her body immediately began tingling at the touch of his hand on her flesh. She relaxed and waited for him to cleanse and wrap her injury. Only he didn't cleanse nor wrap her finger to stop the bleeding. Instead, he brought her finger to his lips and began to lightly suck the blood away. Kathryn's face flushed even deeper than it already was at the sensation this action caused her to experience. She knew her eyes had to be wide with excitement so she looked away from his deep gaze, relishing in the intimacy of his actions. The visitor forced himself to remove her finger from his lips, himself becoming lost in the taste, the power of her blood. He suddenly realized that only once prior to this night had he tasted blood so powerful. The night in which he had tortured, then later killed his first Slayer and her Watcher. He smiled in his triumph over beating the Watcher’s Council to their next mark. He had indeed found the next Slayer, and would take her before she could be called. The strength and power that coursed in what little blood he had tasted told him that her powers would soon be at full strength. This meant he must act quickly before the Council’s next Watcher arrived for her calling. "Forgive my forwardness, milady," he apologized, releasing her hand. "It is an old wives' tale. According to me grandmother, this will help your injury to heal more quickly, or so I've heard," he added with a grin that brought a smile to Kathryn's blushing face. She stood, gathering the remnants of her step-mother's porcelain tea set in her skirt. "You've no need to apologize. My name is Kathryn Kelley," she introduced herself, extending a free hand. The visitor took her hand and brought it to his lips, bowing. "Angelus O'Keeffe, at your service, Lady Kelley." "You are too kind, Mr. O'Keeffe," she curtsied then removed her hand once more from his firm grip. "Tell me, what brings you here at such an hour?" "My horse threw a shoe while I was on m’way into town." "We have an excellent horseman. He should be able to re-shoe your horse in no time," she offered, turning away to set the broken fragments back onto the table. She was anxious to turn her back to him so she could collect her wits and breathe at a normal rate again. It amazed her how his presence had completely flustered her, yet at the same time unnerved her as well. Every fiber of her being was tingling, yet something deep down was warning her about the stranger. These were sensations she had not felt when William had kissed or touched her. These were something else, distinctively sensual, but almost frightening. Deciding that her reservations came only because he was a stranger, and nothing else, Kathryn stifled a chuckle. 'What else could there be?' she thought to herself. "Ready to be rid of me so soon, milady?" Kathryn turned, smiling. "Not at all, Mr. O’Keeffe. I just took for granted you would be anxious to be on your way to town. Forgive me if I seemed rude." Angelus smiled, taking a few steps closer toward her. "No offense taken. Would you care to escort me to the stables to check on my horse? It is a clear evening, and I noticed a path into a garden upon my arrival." "A walk would be lovely," she smiled then took his offered arm. ***

“Eamon! A pint each for me friends,” Angelus said to the bartender as he
entered the tavern. William and Daniel were seated at the bar, each nursing a
pint, sulking over their losses. For Daniel, it was the loss of his week’s
earnings, something that unfortunately for the young man was not new. He would
have some explaining to do, especially to his fiancé, Róisín. They were to be
married in a few weeks, and his lack of work added to his gambling debts were
not settling well with her, nor her parents.

For William, his loss was much more valuable – Kathryn. He knew he would never
be able to have her in any sense of the word. A loss that was driving him mad.
So mad that he was ready to take his anger out on anything and anyone. So he
decided a pint or two would do for now.

Angelus grinned, then took the refreshed cups and passed them out to his new
friends. “William, don’t tell me you got impatient and started without me?”

Daniel took the cup and downed it immediately, placing the pewter mug down on
the wooden counter with a loud thud. “Aye, he did. And he nearly lost it all
to me.”

William laughed, “Nearly it was, Daniel, but it was your loss in the end again,
mate!” he took a drink of the ale, then cocked his head at Angelus. “You never
told us why you were late, Angelus. Catch an unsuspectin’ maiden on your way
into town?”

Angelus smirked at the younger man, wondering just what William would say if he
knew where Angelus had actually been. And even more so, what he had been
doing. “Aye,” he replied with a hearty laugh. “And a ripe, young lass she
was.”

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The same evening, in London, an elderly man was kneeling on a prayer bench in a
small chapel when a young man walked up and sat down next to him. The two men
did not look at each other, but continued their feign prayers.

“Is there word from Dublin?” asked the older gentleman.

“Unfortunately, no. It appears that there has been a delay.”

The old man sighed, a frown creasing his already wrinkled forehead. “Delayed,”
he stated, not questioned.

The young Searcher was frustrated. He was doing the best he could under the
difficult situation. Getting the new Watcher to Dublin without him being
followed had caused more worries than he had ever imagined. That and an
exuberant amount of money. He hesitated briefly before responding. “He should
arrive within the next few days.”

The older man gave the young Searcher a stern look. “This is getting out of
hand, Alex. We cannot allow The Brethren to interfere again. Unlike the last
time, we must take excessive precautions with this next Slayer to ensure her
calling is initiated. Too many Watchers and Slayers within the last few years
have been lost. This annihilation must be thwarted, and the Master and his
followers brought to justice.”

“I understand, Jonas. Please believe me when I tell you that every precaution
has been made to ensure both the Watcher’s and the new Slayer’s safety.”

“You’ll forgive my doubting, Alex. But unfortunately, the Brethren is much
stronger than we’d both like to admit. We cannot fail this time. Once you
have received word from Dublin, I want her brought back to London immediately.
I do not care if he has to use excessive force to bring her here. Just make
sure they both arrive before Christmas. We’ve received word that Nest and the
Order are planning to leave Ireland when the new year arrives. She must be
trained and ready to face them once they land in Europe. It’s the only way to
prevent an entire massacre. Have I made myself clear, Alex?”

The Searcher nodded, his heart heavy. The fate of the world had somehow
shifted to his shoulders. If he failed to reach the Watcher, if the Watcher
failed to call the new Slayer, it quite possibly could change the fate of the
world forever.

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By the time William returned home, he had shared more than a few pints with
Daniel and Angelus. They had initiated in lengthy conversations about women,
participated in a few rounds of cards, much to Daniel’s chagrin, as his losses
continued to mount, especially the debts that he owed to their new friend. And
then they had engaged in a few rounds of song with the other patrons, who
themselves were equally as drunk.

When William left O’Dweyer’s, Daniel was contemplating one last visit with
Deirdre, one of the establishment’s more illustrious whores. Angelus had
offered to share her with Daniel, as he not surprisingly did not have enough
money to cover her fee, and Daniel accepted the offer without hesitation. As
William left the pub, Daniel was making his way upstairs with Deirdre, and
Angelus was beginning yet another round of cards with a few locals that were
stupid enough to risk their week’s wages on the new stranger’s apparent talent
for the game.

William decided to check in on Kathryn to see if she was still upset with him
for abandoning her for the night. He slowly made his way up the wooden
staircase, occasionally tripping in his drunken state, cursing himself all the
way for allowing her to get to him. He flung open her door as he reached her
room, ready to accept whatever scolding she had prepared.

“All right, then, Katie. Give me your best tongue-lashing, I’m ready for
whatever you have – “ he stopped when he realized that she was not in her room.
A quick scan told him she had not even been to bed, for the bedcovers had not
been turned down for the evening. He immediately sobered with worry, sensing
something was wrong.

He turned on his heels and ran down the hall to his room, pushing the heavy oak
door open with one hand, “Kathryn!” he yelled out, looking around his room as
well. Within seconds he was bounding down the stairs, headed for the library,
hoping he’d find her there asleep on the chaise lounge. He nearly tripped over
their butler, Max, as he left the dining hall and headed for the kitchen.

“Sir, I’m sorry,” Max uttered, trying to pull away from William’s strong hold
on his shoulders. “We tried to contact you, but we had no idea where to find
you, Master Will.”

“Where is she?” he asked, his eyes glazed over with a mixture of drunkenness
and fear. “Where the bloody hell is she?” No sooner had he yelled the words
than he noticed the dark stains on the carpet leading to the terrace. He
stumbled to his knees, nearly bringing Max down with him. “This is blood,” he
said as he wiped his hand across the carpet. “Why is there blood on the floor?
Why?”

“I’m terribly sorry, sir, but Miss Kathryn…” once again he is cut off by
William.

“No,” he said quietly, then scrambled to his feet, slowly following the trail
of blood that led to the terrace entrance off the back of the manor.
“Kathryn?” he continued calling her name as he walked from the terrace onto the
path leading into the immense rose garden. “Kathryn!” he called out, again
receiving no response as he forged his way through the garden.

As he neared the end of the stone path, he called out her name once more, then
stopped, shocked at the sight before him. “No . . . “

***

In all his life William had never witnessed anything like the scene before him.
Fighting back the urge to heave, he literally had to swallow the bile that
filled his throat. He'd seen blood before in numerous drunken brawls, most of
which he had initiated. He'd even been forced to stab a man once who had
accused him of cheating at cards, which he had done, then pulled a knife on
William. The man unfortunately wound up on the wrong side of the blade after a
scuffle, and all who witnessed the argument agreed it was self-defense.

But William had a dark side to him that even he could not explain or understand
its origin. On occasion it would consume him, and quite often he had freely
given in to the rage. But this? He could not fathom anything human creating
the grotesque picture that now lay before him.

Blood was everywhere -- scattered across the bench that she would sit upon when
escaping to the garden to evade the horrors her father offered within the
manor. Crimson droplets splattered across white flowers of some sort he now
could not identify, which she had meticulously nurtured into beautiful
blossoms. A scarlet stain pooling around her motionless body, winding its way
toward him through the cracks in the stones that formed a pathway through the
garden. He swallowed hard, then slowly walked toward her lifeless form.

"We only found her a short while ago," Max said quietly as he stepped over some
spots of blood scattered across the stone path. He stopped behind William,
watching as he knelt beside Kathryn.

"Is she dead?" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm, oblivious to the blood he
was kneeling in.

Max hesitated, thinking to himself, 'How could she not be?' He cleared his
throat, looking away for a moment. "I don't know, sir."

William whipped his head around toward the butler, his blue eyes glazed over
with anger. "What do you mean you don't know?" he seethed, his voice filled
with fury. “Haven’t you checked?”

"Sir, we only just found her. I assumed she was dead because of the, the --
well to be blunt, sir, with all of the blood, how could she possibly be alive?"

He turned away from the butler and back to Kathryn. His breath caught in his
throat, and he choked back a sob. 'Because I want her to be,' William thought
to himself. 'Because I need her to be alive, dammit.'

She was lying face-down upon the stones, her face hidden by a layer of thick,
red curls. One arm was outstretched away from her, the other hidden underneath
her still form. Her clothing in all its many layers of bodices, skirts and
petticoats was ripped, nearly shredded in many places. William prayed a silent
prayer that she had not been raped by whatever madman had done this atrocity.

Slowly, William placed his hand upon her shoulder and pulled her toward him.
Kathryn’s arms fell doll-like to her sides as he pulled her into his lap,
cradling her. He inhaled sharply, then turned away. He closed his eyes,
hoping to hold back the hot tears that filled his eyes. “Damn it. I knew I
shouldn’t have left tonight. God, Kathryn. Oh God, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,”
he wept, no longer able to fight his anger and guilt.

Her face was nearly unrecognizable due to a multitude of bruises and abrasions;
a long laceration framed the right side of her face. Reddish-blue marks around
her throat told him she had apparently been choked. Looking her over, he was
stunned not to find any injuries to explain the blood. He quickly checked her
wrist for a pulse, then sighed.

“She’s not dead, you imbecile! She’s alive, barely, but alive. I don’t care
what bloody hour it is, go get Dr. Cavanaugh. NOW!!!” he ordered Max, who
hastily ran out of the garden toward the house.

“Hold on, Katie,” he begged her as he smoothed out her rumpled dress. “Just
hold on, pet. I swear to you I’ll kill the bastard that did this to you if
it’s the last thing I do.”

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Grinning wickedly at his defeated and highly in-debt opponents, Angelus
finished his last round of cards as a stranger entered the tavern. The young
man carried several bags, more than just an average traveler in the area might
carry. It was clear the man was planning on staying in for a length of time.
His clothes were dusty from his travel, and he was weary. Extremely weary, in
fact, not only due to his journey, but the energy he had expended striving to
arrive in Dublin safely. Or more to the point, arrive in Dublin alive.

The young traveler set his bags down near the door, then turned around to scan
the pub for any ‘familiar’ faces. ‘Facades would be more accurate,’ Thomas
Churchill muttered to himself. Noticing a small group of patrons huddled
around a table, he relaxed a bit when he saw that they were playing a friendly
game of cards.

Eamon nodded to Thomas as he approached the bar. “What can I get for ye?”

“Ah, yes, a tankard of ale, please,” he replied, then reached into his coat.
Finding what he was searching for, Thomas pulled out a slip of paper. He
unfolded it, then read the information once more as Eamon returned with his
ale.

Thomas looked up and nodded his appreciation. “Would you be familiar with the
Kelley family from Dublin, sir?”

“ ‘ave business there, do ya?” Eamon inquired?

“Yes, actually, I do. Might you be able to provide directions to their
estate?”

“Lookin’ for the Kelleys, are ye?”

A voice directly behind Thomas caused him to jump and spill his drink on
himself and all over the bar. “Yes, indeed. Do you know the family?” he
asked, then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began to clean his coat.

“Aye, and I can take ye there if ye like.”

“That would be most generous of you, yes. Mr.?”

“O’Keeffe,” Angelus said, holding out his hand in greeting.

“Mr. O’Keeffe. Thomas Harris,” the young man greeted Angelus.

“Well, then, Thomas Harris,” Angelus said as he walked to the door and picked
up a few of the bags Thomas brought into the tavern. “Let’s get ye to your
destination, shall we? I imagine ye’ve had a long journey then?”

Thomas paid Eamon, then joined Angelus at the door and retrieved the remaining
bags. He laughed a sigh of relief, anxious to make one final stop on his
journey. “You have no idea, Mr. O’Keeffe.”

Angelus snickered as they each strapped the bags to their respective horses.
“Oh, but you’d be surprised, Thomas, to know just how much I would understand.”

Thomas smiled in reply as he climbed onto his horse. “Well then, I suppose you
will just have to tell me your story.”

“Ah, Thomas,” Angelus replied as he turned around from his horse to face
Thomas. “Why don’t I just show ya instead!”

“Dear God…….”

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William waited impatiently in the hall outside Kathryn’s room as the physician
completed his examination. Tired of sitting, he began to pace again. “What
the bloody hell is taking so damn long!?” Almost as a response, the door
opened and William nearly tackled the physician as he closed the door behind
him.

“Well?”

“She will recover,” the aged physician replied as William uttered his thanks to
the Trinity. “But she is still unconscious, William, so you will have to wait
to find out what happened. She received quite a beating, so it will take a
while for her to recover.”

“Was she…… “ he stuttered, unable to say the word.

“Raped?” the doctor asked.

William nodded.

“No.”

A sigh of relief escaped him and he shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you for
coming,” he offered as he led the older man down the stairs to the door.

“I delivered Kathryn, William. I’ve watched her grow into a beautiful young
woman,” he smiled, then patted William’s shoulder. “She’ll be all right.
She’s young, and very strong. Much like her mother was at her age. She’ll be
fine.”

“Thank you again,” William said as the physician left. He closed the door,
then leaned back against it, closing his eyes.

A scream split the quiet, startling him. He tore up the stairs and headed for
Kathryn’s room. He flung the door open to find Kathryn huddled up in her bed
against the wall. Reaching the bed, he pulled her to him, holding her tightly
against her forceful protests.

“Kathryn! Calm yourself, pet. It’s me. It’s Will,” he said, his voice
slightly stern, hoping to calm her down. He held her more tightly against him,
but it was only when he began to gently rock back and forth that she ceased her
flailing and settled down against him.

“What was it, pet? Another dream? Hhm?” he spoke soothingly. This wasn’t the
first time he’d found her screaming in her sleep. Nightmares, which he
presumed were caused by her abusive childhood experiences, or God forbid any
recent experiences.

“He was here,” she whispered.

“Who, Katie? Who was here? The man that hurt you?”

“No. Someone worse. Something more evil, more -- he wanted me, Will.”

“The man in your dreams?”

“Yes,” she said and began to cry. “He was in my room. I saw him.”

William was unsure how to respond. It was obvious she was delusional, and not
thinking clearly, but he didn’t want to scare her more than she already was at
that point. “Kathryn, you were attacked earlier and took a bad blow to your
head. Do you remember anything about what happened or who attacked you?”

Kathryn tried to focus, to remember what had happened, how she had injured
herself. But her memories of the night's events were too muddled, and her head
ached when she tried to think clearly. All she saw was red whenever she closed
her eyes. Red everywhere she turned, covering her room, her friends, her
family. “No. I cannot. But he was here, Will,” she cried, turning to him.
“He wants me…he, he wants you.”

“Pet, who are you talking about?”

Kathryn looked away from him and across the room to her window where a light
breeze was blowing through the curtains. “The angel.”

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