Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Nearly eight hours later, Silas was still toggling between excitement and dread.
The five-and-a-half hour drive to Mount Rogers had felt like an eternity and Silas’s legs trembled as they set out on the long hike to the stream.
They started on the Trail, taking a more challenging path toward the mountain’s steep, western slope, then veered off toward the stream.
It took Silas some time to find the detour from his youth and the vision but he hurried, growing more impatient as he recognized trees and terrain.
He dove through a break in some mountain laurel shrubs and skidded down the hillside, toward the stream and its shore and heard Nox whispering excitedly at Nelson as they followed.
“The stream’s there! I see it!” Silas said over his shoulder, then craned his neck to see around a large boulder and a spruce.
He could see the rushing water and paused when he spotted someone by the stream.
Silas was back in his dreams and his steps dragged as he came out of the woods onto the sandy shore.
“What is it?” Nelson asked when he caught up with Silas but sucked in a gasp when he saw the other man.
“That’s him! It’s Tighe Ossor!” Nox said in an excited whisper and went to call his name but Silas stopped him.
“Let me. I don’t want to scare him,” he said quietly.
Although, the other man appeared to be totally at ease as he splashed water onto his face and let it drip through his short beard.
His flannel shirt was open and he was kneeling in his briefs as his cargo pants dried in the sun next to a pair of hiking boots and a backpack.
More water splashed onto his shoulder-length, strawberry blond hair before it was swept back and received a wild shake.
Silas opened his mouth to call out but the other man turned and a wide, bright smile filled his beautiful face.
“It’s you!” Tighe said as he rose and waved at Silas. “You came!”
“Me?” Silas waved back awkwardly as his feet carried him forward. “Do you know who I am?” he asked and received a bemused chuckle.
“I don’t know your name,” Tighe said as he approached and held out his hand. “But I know you,” he added, his nose wrinkling. “You’d think I was out of my mind if I told you how, though.”
“Try me.” Silas was spellbound. He felt tipsy as their hands touched and laughed, delighted and relieved as Tighe stepped closer.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how we got here, but I’m so glad to see your face.
” He was particularly grateful that it was still attached to its skull and was shaking as he cradled Tighe’s jaw.
“Me too.” Tighe made a dreamy sound as he nuzzled Silas’s palm, then leaned in and offered his lips. “What’s your name?”
Silas’s head lowered and he’d swear the ground tilted as their lips brushed. “Silas Shelby. Most people call me Shelby but you can call me Silas. Or Shelby. Whatever you want,” he mumbled and it turned into a groan as Tighe’s lips parted.
“Hello, Silas,” he whispered, the sweet, soft huffs giving Silas goosebumps and making him dizzy.
There was a cough behind them, making them jump and blush as they parted.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Nox said apologetically and offered Tighe a friendly smile. “It’s great to see you alive and well but could we continue this…elsewhere?” he suggested with a loaded look at Silas.
Nelson nodded as he scanned the clearing. “We can make it back to the parking lot before sunset if we leave now.”
“Leave?” Tighe shook his head and laughed. “Why would I leave? And who are you?”
Nox smacked himself on the forehead, then held out his hand.
“I’m Nox MacIlwraith. I teach anthropology at Georgetown and help the FBI whenever they catch something that involves cults or the occult,” he explained before cocking a thumb at Nelson.
“This is my soul’s mate and the bureau’s finest, Agent Grady Nelson. We just call him Nelson.”
A soft grunt and a nod answered as Nelson checked his watch. “Your name is Tighe Ossor and you should come with us. We have very good reason to believe you’ll die in this location.”
“Oh.” Tighe drew back, swallowing loudly. “Okay. Let’s get away from here but do I have to leave the mountain?”
“I’d advise it,” Nelson replied and waved as he turned and headed back the way they had come.
Nox flashed Tighe a dazzling smile and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll explain everything if you’ll come with us. We’ve been looking for you for a few weeks because we want to prevent your death and the safest place I can take you is to my home in Georgetown. I can explain that as well.”
Tighe’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “No. I can’t go to Georgetown. I don’t know where that is but I can’t leave—”
“Shhh!” Nox gripped Tighe’s shoulder and stared into his eyes but Silas felt a sudden rush of calmness and he wanted to go.
“Okay…” Tighe said, dazed as he nodded, glancing at Silas. “You’re coming too?”
Silas gave himself a shake, clearing his head, then went to work on the buttons on Tighe’s flannel. “I came here for you and I plan to stick as close to you as I can until we’re sure you’re safe. Don’t forget your pants and boots. And you’ll probably want to grab your backpack.”
“Right!” Tighe rolled his eyes and went to finish dressing.
Like Nelson, Silas felt uneasy as he searched the woods around them for any sign of danger or a hint to what would kill Tighe. The sooner they got away from the stream and away from Mount Rogers, the better.
“Have you been having dreams too?” Tighe asked as he knotted the second boot and stood, dusting off his hands.
“You had a dream? About this?” Nox whipped around, his eyes wide as he studied Tighe.
His face turned red and he cast Silas a nervous look as he went to his backpack, swinging it over his shoulder.
“I’ve had a lot of dreams but not about this,” he said as he waved around them.
He cleared his throat and offered Silas a quick, shy smile and held out a little bundle of blue flowers.
“Just you. I made this today because I knew you’d come. ”
“This is beautiful. Thank you,” Silas held the skillfully braided arrangement in his palms, touched at the intricate plait and the tight little bow.
Nox hummed knowingly. “Look at that! A posey!” he said, waving for them to follow and Tighe looked confused. “We should keep moving unless we want to fight over Tighe.”
“A fight?” he asked Silas but he shushed and gestured for Tighe to go ahead. He didn't want to alarm Tighe or stop for more questions.
“Nox is joking.”
“A joke,” Tighe said with a feigned laugh. “I don’t understand most jokes but I was worried he might have meant the other guys.”
“What other guys?” Silas asked and Nelson paused, sending Nox and Silas wary glances.
Tighe shrugged. “I didn’t see them, Cranky Frank did. He said they had muscles and tactical gear. Maybe even a gun.”
“Cranky Frank, you say? When was this?” Nelson had his notepad and his tiny pencil out and was taking everything down.
“Frank said it was this morning, a while before we met.”
Nelson looked up from his pad and arched a brow. “Did you get a look at the time, by any chance?”
“Time?” Tighe laughed and shook his head, then frowned at Silas. “Should I have? I never do but I didn’t think it was important.”
“It’s probably nothing,” he said, anxious to keep Tighe moving. “We should stop by your camp and get the rest of your things.”
“My camp? This is all I have,” Tighe said and this time, Nelson blinked at him, looking confused..
“You’ve been out here for months without any other gear?”
“Years... I live on the Trail but what else would I need?” Tighe asked with a shrug.
“I see…” Nelson looked impressed as he carried on and Nox was grinning as he marched behind him.
“It makes so much sense if you think about it, for an Ossory wolf.”
“What’s he talking about? I’m an Ossor,” Tighe whispered at Silas, making him chuckle.
“I barely know half the time, but he’s pretty damn smart about this mythology stuff and everything he’s said has been right so far.”
“I’m not just a mythology nerd,” Nox said, then stopped and took Tighe by the shoulders. “I’m just going to rip the Band-Aid off because I sense that you’re more open-minded than most people and because I can prove that I’m real,” he told Tighe, causing his eyes to widen.
“A real what?” he asked and Nox grinned.
“I’m a powerful witch and the reincarnation of a Celtic demigod.” Nox held up a hand and Silas and Tighe jumped, swearing as a flame ignited from the palm.
“A demigod? Like Achilles?” Tighe whispered as his finger stretched toward the flame, gasping when it was close enough to feel the heat.
“Part god, part man. Sometimes more god than I’d prefer, but it’s something like that.
” Nox smiled softly as the forest grew warmer and brighter around them.
“My parents were both descendants of ancient gods: the Dagda and the Badb. You’re descended from an ancient line of Ossors, who were named thusly because they were the original Werewolves of Ossory. ”
“Werewolves? The elders used to say our kin could change into great wolves but I’ve never seen it,” Tighe whispered, suddenly pale, but Nox held up both hands.
“There are various ways we can interpret the descriptions of these ‘werewolves,’” he said as they continued to walk and the soft, warm haze around them dissipated.
“Some accounts describe shapeshifting, but was it literal or did they shift from civilized men to brutal raiders? Many scholars believe the werewolves were linked to the fianna and merely looked and behaved like wolves. In fact, they referred to their activities as ‘wolfing’ and they were said to keep their hair and beards shaggy and thick like a wolf’s.
But they were also said to shave the sides of their heads and tattoo them, which sounds so metal,” Nox said before waving wildly.
“We have to cut my hair when we get home!”