A Birth day

"Good idea," Marcus said, taking a cup of the Irish coffee. Angus took a cup and smelled it.

"Smells precisely right," Angus said. "Nice work." He took a sip. "Perfect." He went over and sat down to enjoy his coffee. Marcus sat down too to enjoy his coffee.

"I hope you're making a notebook of your own with some of Angus's recipes that you want to take along when we move to the cottage, Aria. There could be worse things than to have some of Angus's recipes, you know."

"By all means," Angus said. "Especially since some of mine are recipes I got from someone else anyway. Might as well share the wealth. I did try to make some notes on each page about where I got the recipe from as well as any changes I made to it from the original, and I've certainly known a lot of good cooks who have shared some of their best with me."

"Not trying to change the subject but, since we're going to France anyway, why dont we drop off Ginger at Evan's before we go to meet with Daniella?" Marcus suggested to Angus. "Evan isn't that much farther east, and we can backtrack to Paris."

"Fine by me," Angus said. "Saves somebody a trip. Good idea." He was drinking his coffee, and between the potion, the coffee and his own fatigue he was getting tired.

"I'll go make a last check and lock up," Marcus said. "I'll finish my coffee when I get back." Marucs headed down to the basement to start his nightly rounds.

Angus hadn't counted on it, but he fell asleep with the coffee mug in his hand, with only a sip or two of the Irish coffee left in the mug.

Aria smiled and nodded as Marcus suggested the note book to put recipes she would have at the cottage " oh nice idea" she said " I'll do that while you guys are away tomorrow" she added watching as Marcus headed down to do his rounds. Ruby saw Angus slowly fall asleep , standing she gently took his cup from him and smiled placing a gentle kiss to his forehead " sweet dreams" she said softly then smiled to Aria " after what he's been threw sleep is a blessing but I still worry about Pricilla invading his dreams" she said softly placing the cup down only for a moment while she placed the blanket over him.

picking up her own cup she carried it to the kitchen motioning to Marcus as he came back up and pointing to Angus now sleeping in his chair. Aria chuckled softly and finished her drink , taking it to the sink she let Ruby wash it and went to do her rounds on the upstairs. Ruby went to the office behind the kitchen and found a small note book in a pack of them taking it out she wrote Aria's name on it and placed it on the counter for her for the morning so she could write down recopies.

"Don't worry, just let him sleep. I'll stay with him," Marcus said. "Maybe getting rid of the pendant will let him rest a bit more soundly. We could hope, anyway. All the kids are asleep, and Finn is settled in upstairs, so I think we're set for the night." Marcus got a pillow and a blanket from his room and brought it downstairs so he could sleep on the sofa. Marcus knew how to be a light sleeper so that if anything happened during the night, it would wake Marcus.

Angus slept fitfully for a few hours, and then he started to dream. This dream was very different from the norm. He was walking down a brick street, and he saw no sign of any electricity, there gas street lights. People around him were wearing old style clothes. Women had long dresses. Angus gathered this was probably the 1800's sometime. As he walked the street, he found himself in front of a building that looked familiar. He stood outside for a long moment, not sure of where he was, but then the door of the building opened on its own. He felt drawn to go in, and so, carefully he went inside.

It looked a bit like the House of Voodoo, but then again, not. And, sitting near the fireplace, was a black woman in bright colored bohemian clothing. She was watching him closely.

"I have been waiting for you. Come closer, young Seer. You are not the one I mean harm to," she said. Angus walked towards her. She reminded him of Priscilla, but then again, she was very different. This woman was exceptionally beautiful, captivatingly so. She had dark energies, but he felt that she truly did not mean to hurt him.

"Why does the woman want you?" she asked him.

"What woman?"

"The one who has defiled my name by using my name for her crimes. The woman who wants you dead. The woman who says she is the queen."

"She is no queen," Angus said. "Regardless of what she calls herself. Who are you?"

"Do you not know?" she asked. "You burned my symbol tonight..."

"I burned her symbol," Angus said.

"You did well. The red spark from within. She cast that spell in my name when she made that pendant. It drew on my powers and made her look far more powerful than she is. Her powers were not her own. They were mine. When you destroyed the pendant, you broke her spell and I am free. I am grateful. And I will go to settle my score with her so you will have some rest from her for a time, and her symbol will harm you no more. I cannot protect you from the woman who is touched. That fight is not mine. It is yours. Rest well because the other woman will come again." His dream faded to black, and he woke.

He found himself at home, in the middle of the night, in the dark. Fatigued, e closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

Ruby looked at Marcus and nodded " all right , sleep well Marcus" she said and headed up to their room to sleep. Aria finished checking the second floor and headed back down seeing Marcus take a pillow and blanket she smiled at him knowing he was going to sleep not far from Angus " sleep well " she said to him and kissed him gently " I'll se you in the morning" smiling she headed back up to their room and changed sliping into bed to sleep.]

Next time she woke the sun was up and she slipped from the bed heading down to the kitchen to start breakfast, she smiled seeing the note book on the counter she assumed Ruby had left for her, now opening it she wrote down a recipe she saw of Angus, it was the one for the ice cream and she smiled knowing Marcus would love that . Soon Ruby walked down and started breakfast of Poached eggs with smoked salmon and bubble & squeak, Peanut butter-stuffed French toast along with fruit salad and porridge should any one want it

Marucs got up, and he saw Ruby and Aria working on breakfast. He went over and poured himself coffee.

"'Morning," Marcus said quietly, yawning. "I'm rather surprised he's still sleeping. I woke up a couple of times, and he was sleeping. For the most part, I don't think he even moved. If he'd have had a nightmare, I'd definitely have heard it. So, if he had a night without Priscilla in his dreams, then I'd say that was a success." As he was speaking Finn came down from upstairs and headed to the door. "This is apparently another thing I'm good at--letting the dog out. Come on, Finn." He went over and opened the front door, letting Finn outside, and then he gave the dog food and fresh water.

Angus woke, and he saw Ruby, Aria and Marcus all three awake. Angus yawned and stretched a little.

"I'll get your coffee," Marcus said. He poured Angus a cup of coffee and took it to him. "No nightmares?"

"No, not as such," Angus said. "I did have a really, really weird dream, but I don't think I'd consider it a nightmare."

"What's this?" Marcus reached down and picked up a scrap of parchment paper with a symbol on it, a symbol that looked like an overly elaborate heart. "Where'd you get this?"

"I don't know," Angus frowned. "I've never seen it before."

"I've seen the symbol before, but I've not seen this piece of parchment. You had to get it somewhere. Angus, this is the voodoo symbol for Marie Laveau--the real Marie Laveau. It was in a couple of the voodoo books I bought when we were in New Orleans. And this one was written with a quill. It was not mass produced. Are you sure you didn't dream about Priscilla last night?"

"Positive. I had a dream, but it wasn't about Priscilla. I was in New Orleans in the 1800's, and I walked down a brick street until I got to a house that looked like the House of Voodoo, except it wasn't a shop. It was just a house. I was drawn inside, and there was a woman there, sitting in front of the fire. I spoke with her. She said Priscilla defiled her name...."

"Mate, it sounds very much like you might have visited the real Marie Laveau in your sleep," Marcus said.

"Well, I sort of had that feeling but she never said she was Marie Laveau. She said when I destroyed Priscilla's necklace, I set her free too. She said Priscilla used some of her powers to attack me but that ended when I broke the necklace. She was going to go settle her score with Priscilla so that I got a bit of a break from her but that eventually Priscilla would be back."

"That is very interesting indeed," Marcus said.

Aria and Ruby both looked up when they heard Marcus wake and walk over to pore a cup of coffee "fresh made " Aria said then saw Angus wake behind him as Finn ran downstairs. Hearing Marcus and Angus talk she picked up the book close to where she was sitting and opened the page to a picture of the real Marie Laveau. Now with it open she walked over to Angus " this who you saw?" she asked him showing him the picture. " that's a photo of the real Marie Laveau" she handed him the book and went back to help Ruby with breakfast , setting it all out she chuckled seeing Finn run back in and heard the babies shouting from upstairs. " I'll get them" Aria said and chuckled walking up.

" glad you finally got some sleep, some proper sleep" she said as she placed down the food " breakfasts ready , Poached eggs with smoked salmon and bubble & squeak, Peanut butter-stuffed French toast along with fruit salad and porridge should any one want it" she said and smiled as she saw Aria walk down with both girls on each hip . Caprice giggled and held out her hands to Angus calling out " Dada" as Aria walked towards the table.

"She was younger than that image," Angus said, seeing a photo of a portrait of Marie Laveau, "and she was far prettier, but that, basically was her."

"It sounds like Priscilla pissed her off, and..."

"Angus," Robert's voice came through the floo suddenly, "you up?"

"Yes. What's up?"

"Tell me you didn't go anywhere last night overnight."

"Me?" Angus frowned. "Certainly not. I was here. I fell asleep down here in the living room, and I actually slept clear through til just a few minutes ago. Why?

"I had to ask. Priscilla and Dominic were both found unresponsive in their cells this morning," Robert said. "Their healers in Paris can't find anything cause for it, but they're both unconscious."

"You're kidding," Angus frowned deeply, surprised.

"Sounds like she meant what she said," Marcus told Angus quietly.

"What?" Robert asked.

"You might want to come over. I might have some information about it--maybe, but it does rather belong in the 'stranger-than-fiction' file," Angus said. "It might be more in Kate's ballywick."

"I'm on my way," Robert said. "And I'll bring Kate with me if she's dressed yet."

"Fine," Angus said. The floo clicked off. "This is just really weird," Angus told Marcus.

"You might want to broaden your mind," Marcus said. "If I've learned one thing in all my time in guarding Khaat is that 'stranger-than-fiction' stuff is just another normal day for a seer."

"Yeah, I'd rather turn all this seer stuff off."

"That does not appear to be the hand you've been dealt, so I suggest you focus on adjusting to it," Marcus told him. Angus sighed heavily, not liking it one little bit.

Ruby heard Robert threw the floo and looked puzzled but said nothing as she walked over with Angus first dose of potion for the day." this one is three times a day." she said handing him the spoon so he could take it " quicker you done it the quicker you can eat breakfast" she said chuckling. it was now Aria called out from behind her.

"watch out we got a runaway" she said and turning Ruby saw Caprice toddling towards them calling out " dada" still each step she was determined to get to Angus . " well seems she's on the move big time" she said smiling and chuckling as she watched Caprice wobble around her and hold the arm of the chair Angus was sat in triumphantly calling "Dada" .

Angus saw Caprice heading for him at the same time Ruby was handing him the bottle of potion. He couldn't do both at the same time, and Caprice seemed to be more pressing. So he set the bottle of potion aside.

"I'm not going to do the potion this morning, not til I get back from Paris," Angus said. "I need to be clear headed for the meetings, and Daniella, and Anise is depending on it."

"You wanna try half a dose?" Marcus asked.

"No. I want to be clear headed, period," Angus said, not feeling like he had a choice but to set the potion aside to pick up Caprice. She was now 13 months old, and as advanced as she was, she was more like the size and weight of a 15 month old. He picked her up, feeling his shoulder having difficulty in lifting all 22 pounds of her. She was just too heavy now for him to do much of that until he was healed. He sat her on his lap.

"Don't do that again until it's healed a bit," Marcus told him. "I'll get her for you. Just ask." As Marcus spoke, Robert knocked on the door, and he and Kate walked in. Angus didn't answer Marcus because of Robert's arrival.

"Good morning," Robert greeted everyone.

"Hello, All," Kate said. "Sorry to interrupt your breakfast. We'll try not to keep you long."

"So what is this you know?" Robert asked Angus. Angus told them the story of his dream and showed them the piece of paper that Marcus had found on Angus's lap with the voodoo symbol on it. Robert looked at the symbol and handed it to Kate. The minute Kate took it, she seemed almost surprised by it.

"This is authentic, Robert," Kate said. "I can feel the energy signature on it, and it's a strong signature, one that is not Priscilla's dark arts signature. This is a neutral signature, not a white lighter or a dark arts one. She passed it on to him to prove that what he saw and what she said was real."

"Could the spirit of a woman like that cause the sort of harm that we're talking about?" Marcus asked.

"Yes, indeed," Kate said, "especially if her appearance was particularly frightening. It might have terrified them that seriously that it caused them this sort of damage."

"Rather in the same vein that Neville Longbottom's parents were permanently damaged by Voldemort," Robert said. "And if that's the case, we won't have any way of knowing if the damage is temporary or permanent. They could snap out of it at any time, or perhaps never at all. Alright. So, you might well need me to go with you today. Gie me an hour or two to get some things done, and I'll plan on going along with you."

"I don't remember them giving me a specific time for me to be there," Angus began.

"They'll just have to wait until we get there," Robert said. "After all, you're doing them a favor. They'll have to wait on you."

"This feels more like a command performance than a favor," Angus frowned.

"Yes, well, that's the way they operate there. Ignore it," Robert said. "They aren't going to give you trouble today. I won''t let that happen. We'll go, you'll both give your statements, and we'll come back. It's that simple."

"If you say so," Angus replied.

Ruby saw Angus put down the potion and nodded " okay, I'll have it ready for when you get back but for now I'll put it back." she said picking it up but paused as she saw him try and pick up Caprice, she breathed out once she was sat on his knee happy now she was with her dad. Ruby turned to see Robert and smiled to him " morning guys" she said as she moved to put the potion back where she had placed it ready for when he returned after Paris.

Aria made a bowl of food and brought it to Caprice who quietly sat and ate looking at Robert and Angus as if wanting to show Robert how big she was placing food in her mouth with out making a mess. Ruby chuckled and grabbed a plate for herself and sat down while Kate and Robert spoke with Angus and Marcus.