Caleb looked up, his studious nature as clear as a zit on a sixteen-year-olds nose. “Despite your newfound control and escalation in the level of your abilities, there’s no guaranteeing that, when faced with Silas, you won’t manifest other unexpected powers you can’t control. Todd will stand in for Hudson. You need a Mediator and Silas will undoubtedly make certain that Hudson is unavailable for the task.”
“You’re asking me to put another person I love in danger, place a big target on Todd, telling Silas it’s okay to fuck with him, too? No, I won’t do it.” Even though he continued to struggle to contain the immense energy on his own, how could Shaney put Todd up like a sacrificial lamb for slaughter? Shaney could not, would not, allow Todd to step in as his Protector. He could only imagine what Silas would do to Todd.
Caleb blinked, staring Shaney down, and Shaney stared right back. Oh, there was a lecture coming.
Caleb folded his hands on the table. “From what I’ve read so far, the variables are too endless to plan for and control. You, Shaney, are a primordial soup of abilities. What lies dormant within you is infinite. Silas spared no area of the occult in creating you. No one has ever been born with innate abilities to control energy until now. As I said earlier, people are born with the propensity to control certain aspects of energy to a limited degree, such as those with ESP and even myself using Sacred Geometry, but no one comes out of the womb with full-blown abilities...until you, Shaney. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Shaney merely blinked, knowing Caleb would explain it, even if he did reply. “To use an analogy, humans are born at the bottom of the ladder in terms of using the powers of their mind and may ascend a few rungs within their life time. Every human is at the bottom of that ladder…except for you. You were born near the top of the ladder. You are beyond anything even I can totally comprehend. But everything I’ve said means nothing if you lose control, because you will kill us all and quite possibly half the town.”
Silence. He needed time to get up the nerve and say it. “That’s why I’m going alone.”
A deafening chorus of protests filled the room that would have knocked Shaney over if not for the counter behind him.
“You truly are the fucking idiot I’ve always joked about if you think I’m going to let you step one foot near that lunatic without us! No way in hell!” Todd’s chest heaved, his brown eyes flared with a burning light, and the cords of his neck stood out. He was pissed. It was nice to see something other than pain.
Maximus stalked toward Shaney, pointing a meaty finger at Shaney’s chest. Shaney swore the gates of hell were going to open up behind him, complete with decorative flames. “I will tie your ass to a chair if you step even one foot out of line. And when I tie people to chairs, I like to play.”
Todd snorted. Oh, shit. Shaney so didn’t want to think about the nasty shit Maximus could do after tying him to a chair.
“Worrying about you will just distract me.” Shaney confessed to Todd.
“Actually, setting him up as your Mediator will afford him some protection. He will have a greater immunity to external power. Not total immunity, of course, but some.”
“More than if he was on a bus heading out of town?”
Todd actually growled.
Caleb smirked. “I won’t even bother to answer that question.” Maximus’ phone rang. He answered with a clipped, “Talk,” and disappeared into the living room. Hudson’s living room. Soon to be their living room. In Shaney’s chest, an insistent ache had set up permanent residence. But Shaney knew that his ache was nothing compared to the pain Hudson was currently enduring.
“As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t even a question. It’s happening,” Todd said. “I go where you go, Shaney, and I’ll do anything and everything to make sure you’re okay. Just like I always have. Don’t shut me out.”
A massive well of pain swam in Todd’s eyes. Oh, God, Todd, what the hell happened to you? His friend’s quiet, well-adjusted façade was crumbling. Shaney was a shit for not noticing before. He nodded reluctantly, knowing nothing he said could convince Todd to stay away.
Caleb gathered the books. “I have what we need back at the cabin. I also need to contact others in the community. I’d like to set up some wards and boundaries around the Hudson’s cabin before we meet Silas tomorrow. They could limit the amount of external energy Silas has at his disposal and, in a sense, weaken him.”
Caleb went off to collect Maximus. There was silence until Todd spoke. “I have to do this, Shaney.”