A Birth day

Aria saw him finish his food an smiled " I agree,besides it might just be this wonderful drink talking but I feel like a desert of a diferent kind " she said smiling across the table at him.

Ruby showered and changed into a light cotton pair of short PJ's and headed back to the living area she heard Angus talking to lya and smiled at how easily Lya got him to relax " your right about that shower " she said smiling as she ebntered the room looking at Lya she smiled to her and mouthed a thank you for talking to Angus and getting him to sleep. She moved to grab a cup of th chikery tea as she smiled to Angus " we'll be with you too." she said she glanced at the bottles that Robert had laft for him on the counter " nothing will go wrong, lya and beau are right here too" poring a cup of tea she headed to the bed room turning down the bed she sat waiting for him to join her as she sat and sipped her tea before placing down the cup and laying down to wait for him taking out a book she found he began to read about New Orleans and its history both good and bad.

Angus poured a dose of the new sleeping potion, despite his dislike of it. He had absolutely no desire to take it at all. He did not want to sleep and while he appreciated Ruby's attempt to reassure him, she wasn't able to help him with this. Iya could but he didn't want her to have to. He saw her settling herself into a comfortable chair for the night, with her table and her cards, a few little potions bottles, and her runestones. Beau poured the last of the chicory coffee into a mug for her, and he took a tin of Iya's own herbal tea from her bag and proceeded to put a pot on for her to drink during the night.

Angus headed upstairs and got into bed, turning down the light. He did not want to turn the light completely out. He enchanted it to be very dim, very much like a dim nightlight. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a need to not let the room get entirely dark. He reluctantly took the potion, feeling some level of dark foreboding. He opened his book deciding to just read for a few minutes by the dim light, but he didn't read more than a minute or two before the sleep potion was hammering at his brain. He closed the book and laid it aside.

"Goodnight, Ru," he told her quietly. He closed his eyes, and tonight, he felt as if he was slipping away, floating away on the tide. Everything was dark, and he could smell the strong smell of the wet grass, the mud, the nighttime smells of the murky swamp. He could hear frogs and crickets, and in the distance he could hear kalimba music, with drums and a didgeridoo. That was something he had heard before in these dreams. As he got closer, the music got louder. He could see the dancers but he couldn't see Marie.

"She's not here," Angus said softly to Iya in his dreams.

"Yes, she is," Iya whispered. "I can feel her. She's here somewhere. Carefully--go look for her. We need to know what she's up to. Don't get close. Just see where she is." Angus started walking through the area, and he walked up to the shack, but he could not step up onto the porch. He was somehow blocked from that.

"I'm blocked," he told Iya. "Suppose there's a cellar door?"

"Maybe a backdoor," she said. "Not a cellar door. We don't have cellars down here because we're below sea level. It's too wet here for a cellar. We don't even normally bury our dead underground. It happens occasionally, but not often. Maybe there's a back door." He walked around the house, and then, he could see Marie across the yard. She was crouched down low to the ground, on what looked to him, in the darkness like a little building, maybe about the size of a garden shed. It was too dark to see clearly what the building actually was or looked like.

"Over there," he told Iya. "What's she doing?"

"I don't know. I can't see. Go closer--carefully. Do not let her hear you approaching," she told him. He knew how to be silent. He crept up slowly, silently. Then he could hear her chanting something.

"She's singing," he told Iya. Going closer, he could see she was doing something in a clay bowl. She was making something.

"Spellcasting. I need to hear her spell," Iya told Angus. "Go a little closer." Angus walked another couple steps, and he could smell whatever she had in the bowl. It stunk. It smelled like death to him. He heard her sing, and then she cackled a little, like she was excited about her dark task, and then she'd sing some more. And then, from Angus's side, he felt Iya suddenly vanish. She had left him. Anxiety rose up sharply in him when he felt that he would need to face her alone, especially if Robert's potion kept him trapped here.

Angus didn't know, though, that Iya hadn't actually left him at all. She had opened her eyes, bounced up from her chair and snatched up one of the potions bottles.

"Beau! She's trying to take him! We have to wake him up!" Iya said, dashing up the steps, with Beau already a couple steps ahead of her. Beau and Iya burst into the bedroom, and Beau raced to Angus and tapped his face, trying to wake him.

"Angus," Beau called. "Wake up."

"Dwet long! You cannot have him!" In Angus's dream state, Iya was shouting at Marie, and she was firmly telling Marie that she had to let Angus go because Iya already had made a voodoo claim on Angus. "He's already mine! You have failed. Release him this instant or I will kill you." Angus heard Marie screech in rage that there was someone else here. "Show her your coin, Piti." In his sleep, he showed Marie the coin around his neck and Marie apparated out of his dream. It was after Marie had apparated out that he could wake.

Beau sat him up, and Marie handed Beau the bottle of potion.

"Good. You're safe now. Drink," Beau told Angus. He fed Angus two big gulps of the potion, and then he paused, looking at Angus.

"Are you fully out?" Iya asked Angus, seeing that Angus was still groggy.

"I think so," Angus said, not sure of what had happened.

"Good job. You did well," she smiled at him. "Come downstairs. You need just a little of the tea I brewed. Even part of a cup will be enough. Well done. I'll go get the tea. Beau, bring him downstairs." She turned and left the bedroom, going down to the kitchen.

"What did she call her?" Angus asked Beau.

"Dwet long--It's a creole insult. Iya called her a thief," Beau grinned. "It literally means someone with long fingers--long enough to be in other people's things. Come."

"Sorry, Ru," Angus said. "That was a rude awakening. I apologize." Beau supported Angus as he stood up, and everything spun viciously.

"The tea will fix that. It helps," Beau said, steadying him. "You're having a temporary energy imbalance. Seers get it all the time. The potion we gave you will help, and so will the tea. I think Iya will tell you you're safe to sleep for the rest of the night. I don't think Marie will be able to get to you anymore tonight."

"Go back to sleep, Ru," Angus said. "You don't need to watch me drink tea. It isn't like you haven't seen that before." He cast her a bit of an amused smile and let Beau help him downstairs.

Ruby watched as Angus entered the bed room and took his potion then setled " what ever happens rember I love you" she said softly to him a she saw him slip into sleep. She didn't sleep but sat noting his movements as he slept when Lya burst in she watched moving on the bed to sit over Angus while Lya did wat she neded and after amonent she saw Angus wake up , she breathed out in relif and saw him stand to go drink tea . Moving from the bed not caring she was in her PJ's she quickly moved and hugged him tight holding him " I'd watch you drink water if I could" she said smirking up at him " besides Im not tired , after that I dought I could sleep." she followd them to the living room.

Grabbing a cup of tea for herself she sat down and cupped it as she sipped it gently. Glancing over at Aria and Marcus home she saw the lights wee still out " guess there having a late night." she said but heard a jeep pull up.

Iya brought him a cup of tea and handed it to him.

"Drink," she told him. "It is a rather medicinal tea to help seers. In this case, it will help you too because even though you aren't a seer, you are using the same sort of energies as a seer. Between the potion and the tea, your energies should balance out, and you'll feel better."

"Thanks," he told her. He wrinkled his nose slightly at the bitter tea.

"Sorry. It isn't particularly tasty, but it does serve is purpose," Beau said.

"So explain to me what just happened," Angus said.

"You caught her brewing a killing potion. She would have poured it into the bonfire and recited your name as she did. And, if things went the way she wanted it to, it could well have acted like a sort of a killing curse. it would have separated your soul from your body, and very precious few people who are not already seers have ever known how to return to their bodies once separated. If the soul is separated long enough, the body dies, and the soul either stays in limbo or the voodoo priest can capture the soul and put it into another body. Done correctly, it lets the voodoo priest have full control over that soul and body."

"Well, that's a handy way to create a slave." Angus said. "I definitely don't want to sleep now."

"She can't return tonight. This takes tremendous energies, and I deliberately interfered with that for her. She isn't going to have enough energies left to return tonight, but, regardless, I will go with you to keep you safe."

"She knows you exist now, though," Angus said, concerned.

"Yes, she does, but I can outmatch her any day of the week. Don't you worry about that," she said.

"The real fight has begun now, though, hasn't it?"

"Yes," she nodded. "It has."

"What's her goal? To control me?" Angus asked.

"No. She wants to kill you. I believe the woman she works for has hired her to kill you."

"Then I need to get to both of them first," Angus said.

"Don't worry about the woman who hired her. When its time to fight her, we will. The bigger threat, at least for now, is Marie."

When Ruby said she believed Marcus and Aria were having a late night, Angus nodded.

"Told you," Angus said. "He has a way with women."

Ruby had heard what had been said and it had sent her blood boiling but she kept outwardly calm at her mother hurting Angus the tea she sipped helped her focus and she smiled at Angus when he said Marcus had a way with the ladies " well Aria needs someone in her life shes gone long enough being a lone wolf, I think like you said they will be good for each other.

Aria moved slightly forward having finished her second drink "maybe we should head back, merlin only knows what the others are thinking." she said as she picked up her purse " besides this heat it starting to make me wilt and I could use a cool shower." she said winking as she stood up and moved to the head waiter taking out her purse she took out a muggle card and paid or their meal " you can pay me back another time and in another way." she smiled and chuckled to Marcus before hooking her arm around his so they could walk out the restaraunt together.

"I don't care what the others think," Marcus told Aria. "Besides, Angus's daughter didn't come about because of his pious, virgin lifestyle." When she paid the bill, he just smiled. "Well, thank you, then, for a wonderful evening out. Let's go home." He escorted her out to the jeep and drove them home. When he saw the lights still on at Angus and Ruby's, Marcus knew full well it meant that something had gone off the rails there. He gave a half a thought to going to check on them, but he decided against it. He walked around the jeep to open the door for Aria, and he stopped short before he opened the door.

"Hold on. One moment," he told her. "Lumos!" He shined a light up into the tree that overlooked the jeep and saw a cranky mammoth snake dangling down from one of the branches. He used his wand and a quick nonverbal spell to fling the snake some distance away from the house. "Rat snake," he told Aria. "Not venomous but he certainly had foul intentions. And from what I could see, he was the better part of ten feet long. I preferred he did not crash our evening. I think you can get past the wildlife now," He opened the door for her. Once she was out, he closed the door and then he looked at her.

"Do you mind if I...?" he began. Then he took the chance to kiss her slowly. "Sorry. I've been waiting all evening to do that."

Aria chuckled "well thank you for the pleasant company and yes , still puzzles me how that quiet mouse with a firey tmper could land Angus, I thought he'd be single for the rest of his life but, Im glad he and she got together. " she said walking with him to the jeep climbing in she sat watching the view as he climbed in.

Soon they arived and she saw lights on in Ruby and angus's diggs. She glanced over at him puzzled but chose not to say anything knowing they had it in hand. When he stopped at just about opening the jeep door and cast lumos she chuckled seeing the snake leering at them both she watched him flig it away then explain all the time she was smirking at him. "he certainly was a big boy" she said " but I agree wildlife of that sort belongs out side the bedroom." she said as she slipped out the jeep and stood facing him as he closed the door behind her she smiled at him as he asked her half a question then kissed her she returned his kiss equaly, when he pulled back she chuckled "its about damn time, I was thinking the same thing." she said smiling at him her hand resting on his cheek. " but where do we go from here?" she asked meaning would he want just the kiss or something else or was it just a show for some one who might be watching them.

"Well, I think could be our own entertainment, can't we? I think we ought to go inside and leave our clothes on the floor," he told her. "I don't want to waste any more of the night." He cast her a bit of an amused smile. "After all, it's awfully hot and humid. I think we'd be far more comfortable without all these clothes. Come with me." He led her inside and closed the door and locked it. He put a wandless charm on the doors to lock them all, just so he wouldn't have to do a check on the doors tonight. Then he motioned to her to follow him to the bedroom.

Angus sipped the nasty tasting tea, feeling stressed. He was tense and tired. "I think Robert's potion was a dud."

"What makes you say that?" Iya asked. "You were able to get to sleep, and we were able to wake you when we needed to. Robert never promised to stop the dreams with this one."

"Does this place really exist where she keeps taking me?" Angus asked.

"Yes. it does," she said. "You want to go there, don't you?"

"Yes. I do. i want to see it in daylight," he said. "And I think Ruby would like to see it."

"Well, it looks entirely different in daylight than it does at night. However, if she wants to see it, I could take a memory thread from you and we could put it in a basin. We could use the basin like a pensieve and she could look at it the way you see it. She would likely then see Marie too, without having the danger of seeing her face to face."

"I don't want to frighten you," Angus told Ruby, "but if you think it would be helpful for you to see this creepy place as I see it, then I have no objection. It's your choice. If you want to see it, I'll let her have that memory."

Aria heard him and chuckled nodding as he spoke of the humidity " oh I agree , getting out of these clothes would be fun" she said and followed him inside as she paused she heard him lock the door and place a charm on itbefore motioning for her to follow him as she moved she left behind her sloes and bag on the chair before smiling and letting the bedroom door slowly close behind her just as the strap of her dress slipped from her shoulder and she smiled to him..

(Fade to black)

Ruby listened to them and when Angus asked if the place he ahd been taken was real she looked to Lya who she was suprised to hear that it was now she was curious . Hearing Angus talk to her about actualy seeing the place he was being taken she nodded "Of course I want to see this place." she said her cup placed down beside her as she stood and folded her arms across her chest " you can't be creepped out over something you have seen with your own eyes." she told him then looked at Lya. " plese I want to see the place." she asked her.

"Well, not entirely true," Angus said to Ruby. "Some places are just creepy period, wither you've actually seen them for real or not." Iya took the thread from him, and Beau found a large ceramic basin in the kitchen. He filled it with water, and she put the thread in the water and stirred it a couple of times with the tip of her wand.

"It's ready," she told Ruby. "More tea, Piti?"

"No thanks," Angus yawned. He leaned back against the back of the sofa, and a moment later, he was unintentionally asleep. Iya smiled, knowing it was Robert's sleeping potion, still hammering at Angus's tired brain.

"Shall I go with him, just in case, Grann?" Beau asked. "If she does somehow manage to come back, I'll call you."

"If you like," Iya told Beau. He settled into a chair and closed his eyes to go with Angus into his dream state.

"Beau will just keep an eye out. She can't come back tonight, but Angus is understandably anxious about sleeping. It makes him feel very vulnerable, and I don't blame him one little bit. Beau will go with him just to give him an extra layer of protection," Iya told Ruby.