A Birth day

"That's why I had it in my pocket," Angus said. "Nobody's gonna reach it there unless I let them."

"It's not a completely horrible plan, but pretty close to it," Marcus said.

"I'll let you know, Jack. Thanks," Angus said.

"You can keep your box here, but I trust you and Ruby can take care of watering and weeding your own bedding plant starts," Kate smiled. "Gnomes? I suppose I could do that. But you might like what I've been working on for nighttime in my own kitchen garden. Over there on the shelf." She pointed where she had some beautiful little pottery figurines shaped like fairies, and she had done opalescent wings on them. She flicked her fingers at the little fairies, and when she did, they levitated and they glowed, particularly the wings.

"Gam! They work!" Abbey was delighted. "Did you make me one?"

"I did, Dear Heart," Kate smiled. "The pink one is for you, and the purple one is for Molly."

"Tanks, Gam!" The girls went over to the shelf, and they stared, fascinated. "Gam says no touchy," Abbey told Ruby.

"I have to enchant them with an unbreakable spell yet," Kate said. "Right now, they're still really fragile."

jack chuckled to Angus and nodded " makes sense" he said then motioned to Jess to head back to his normal duties " okay Marcus , just holler if you need me" he said and headed back to his patrol.

Ruby and Aria nodded " of course" she said but looing at where Kate pointed they both smiled " they are beautiful" Ruby said then chuckled as they levitated and had a light glow to their wings " again beautiful." she said then nodded to Abby " yep, got to be very carful around them" she added as aria looked at Kate.

" those would be perfect in a country cottage garden, the kids would love seeing them at night." she added with a smiled " okay I'll get to planting these right away, ruby what ones do you want?" she asked and Ruby walked over to her.

After a moment the seeds were separated and planted in recyclable pots and in a bedding tray so Aria could easily water them. " okay best spot to put them?" she said to her self as Ruby washed off her hands of the soil.

While Aria and Ruby were at Kate's studio, Robert brought Iya over, and she was utterly delighted to see Angus again.

"My boy! Oh, how I have missed you," she smiled and wrapped him in a strong motherly embrace. "Let me look at you. Oh, my, look at all those muscles you have now. You look splendid. So, Priscilla thinks herself the incarnation of Marie Laveau, now. Well, we did know she wasn't going to be quiet forever, didn't we?" She looked at him. "You're different somehow. There's...something new to you."

"I don't know how new it is," Angus told her, "but my grandmother, who died when I was maybe 5, has been visiting me. I've seen her. Spent time with her."

"Good for you! I am glad to hear you finally were willing to open that door," Iya beamed. "You are Celtic, after all, Boy."

"I think there's something you need to see," Marcus told her. He went upstairs to get the necklace. He fetched it and brought it back downstairs while Angus described what had happened with the kids in Knockturn. Marcus opened the handkerchief and she became wide eyed.

"When Priscilla has been in my dreams, I've seen it. I sketched it," Angus said. He handed her the sketch pad. She looked at Angus and laid her hands on the sides of his head, as if she were reading him like Robert did.

"This necklace is very dangerous in the wrong hands," she told them. "Have you touched it, Angus?"

"Yes."

"What does it feel like to you?"

"Dark."

"Yes. it is--very. Do you know what it does? It is your sketch that tells me."

"No idea."

"It opens the door between life and death. It allows the wearer to bridge the gap between. Would you like to know the amusing thing in it?"

"There's something amusing?"

"She can't do it without this. And, you---your abilities are being awakened because of the fact that your heart stopped in that casket. And your grandmother is helping you to step into your new abilities. You are starting to be able to bridge the gap, and you don't need a necklace to do it. Priscilla can't go where you can go unless she has this. This is very helpful indeed. I look forward to meeting your grandmother. I think I will like her."

Ruby and Aria finished and cleaned up the potting table before walking down to Kate " all right there all potted , we're going to head back to the duplex" Aria said as Ruby joined her with Kate " we'll see you later." she said and smiled as together they evaded back to the duplex talking about which plants they would use and where they would put them in their gardens.

Entering Ruby saw Lya and smiled " good to see you again" she said smiling but it dropped seeing the necklace " I hope your going to take that away" she asked and looked at her.

Aria moved to stand with Marcus " um did I miss something?" she asked " I'm guessing that necklace or what's left of it is bad." she asked

"Good to see you again," Iya said. "I could take it, I suppose..."

"It's safest with me," Angus said, understanding now. He looked at Ruby. "This necklace gave her a power that she doesn't have anymore without it. And, because its damaged, as long as I have the most important half of it, she can't say she's a medium because she's a bloody big phony. The necklace gave her that power, and now she doesn't have it."

"He's right," Iya told Ruby. "He has changed a little, partly because of the incident in the casket, and partly because of his grandmother. He has some very limited, beginning medium abilities. At least enough to be able to have a relationship with his grandmother. Ironic, isn't it? He is starting to gain the abilities that she no longer has."

Ruby listened to Lya and Angus and nodded " in that case we should hold onto it" she said and looked to Angus " if it helps keep it safe and you get to see your grandmother, I'm good with it, but what if she finds out he has it? "Ruby asked as she moved to sit down while Aria chuckled and moved to fetch the babies from Edwards side of the duplex.

" okay I got a hungry little one here " she said and pass3d Caprice to Ruby then took Dimond from Simone " Thank you Simone, I hope they didn't give you too much trouble" she said smiling as Ruby went and made two bottles that would tide them over till dinner was ready.

"Let me see if I can show you something," Iya said. "Sit." She motioned to a kitchen chair. She stood behind Ruby and laid a hand on each of Ruby's temples. "Now, blink slowly. And then look. She's standing right beside Angus. She truly is a lovely woman."

Iya gave it a moment, and then she looked at Caprice. "You are Angus's grann, aren't you?" Caprice nodded. "Now that you have found your way back to him, is there any chance that Angus will ever face Priscilla without you?" Caprice's expression changed to the fierce fighting expression that she had whenever she went into battle. It was the same expression that Edward had said, time after time, had proven her to be one of the fiercest women fighters he had ever seen in his life. Iya smiled. "Ruby, Priscilla can't see the other side now, and Angus can. And now that his grann has been able to find her way back to him, he will have help on this side of the veil and on the other. He is not nearly as defeatable for her as he was before. If Angus has the necklace, Priscilla does not have any way to summon help from beyond. He keeps her from it. She will continue to try to find him and kill him, as she has been doing, but this gives him a much stronger advantage."

"And I have her wand," Angus said.

"Her wand?" Iya asked, unaware. Angus picked up the wand, and it began to glow. Iya smiled. "Her wand carries her love for you," she said. "The light you see is the live of a grann's love. It is a light Priscilla cannot begin to comprehend, and it goes with you, as it always has. The light, though, will strike fear in Priscilla's dark heart. Your grann is very clever indeed. I like her very much."

Ruby looked at Lya and heard her " you can do that" she asked but did as she requested as she closed her eyes and opened them slowly she saw her stood behind Angus and smiled then heard Lya talk to Caprice " can you tell her that I will protect and love Angus with all my heart and I hope she doesn't mind our daughter having her name, we did name her in her honor after all" she asked smiling to Caprice as she sat looking at her but turning her head she saw a black figure stood outside the duplex " I take it that's my father?" she asked having a feeling it was because of the bad things he had done in his life.

Aria stood and looked at Marcus hearing Ruby and seeing her face as she looked at something she could not see. " hum, good thing we have that and not priscilla" she said as she fed Dimond her bottle of milk.

"She already knows," Iya said. "And she's met her namesake. Angus already showed her to her. That pleases her."

"It is," Iya said. "He cannot enter here though, even though he comes in peace. Someone sealed this house from him."

"Kate sealed the house not long after Reginald's death," Angus said. Iya turned. "What do you want, Reginald?" She listened for a long moment. "Thank you. Go in peace, Reginald." Iya turned to look at them but looked finally at Angus. "I have asked Robert to fetch the casket. It must be destroyed. The chain that still ties you to it is of Priscilla's design that continues to be fueled by Suzanne's hatred. The link must be severed so that you can be free and so that we weaken Priscilla even further. Robert and Kate are there, and Kate is preparing it. Reginald says there is another there to assist you and Caprice. One you know. He was a staunch defender. He...taught others how to defend. Angus, it must be done. Are you strong enough?"

"I need to be," Angus replied. He was trying to figure out who this other defender was. "Where is it?"

"At Robert's farm. He dared not leave it here because it would have drawn you to it. He had to put it elsewhere, but if you have the strength, we need to go and get rid of it once and for all. You are his friends. Are you coming?" He looked at Aria and Ruby and Marcus.

"Absolutely," Marcus said. "The sooner the better."

Ruby smiled to Caprice and felt happy she approved of her and their daughter she looked at Caprice and thanked her. Hearing Lya talk of her father she nodded " yes he was causing quite the mess around here" she said but fell quiet when she spoke to Angus. When he said they should find the other person she nodded with them " I'm with Marcus on this" she said as Aria nodded too.

" when your up to it I guess we go" Ruby said smiling " and yes sooner the better" she added " I'll stay with Caprice and Dimond."

Aria walked over to Angus and stood in front of him " so when do you want to go because we'd have to ask Robert for that potion from last night again" she added clearing away things so he could stand and handing him the waking stick from the other night.