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A Little Blue
Six
08/08/09 1100 Sullivan Ranch, Texas
Ciaran grounded his pack and took a deep breath. It was quiet in the fields but it was lunch time and not surprising. “Hello the house!”
A moment later the front door opened and a tall, slender, sandy haired man stepped outside. His face creased in a smile. “Ciaran?” A moment later he’d engulfed Ciaran in a hug. “It’s good to see you, son.”
“You too, dad.” He twisted free and waved behind him. “I’d like to introduce you to my ladies and a friend.” He pointed in turn as he spoke. “This is Victoria, Ceres and Eliana and they’re pokegirls. And this is Tamsin Baker, a lieutenant in the British Army. Ladies, this is my father, Rafael.”
Rafael stuck out his right hand to Ceres. “I’m pleased to meet you.”
Ceres stared at the hand until Victoria cleared her throat. “It’s a greeting. You’re supposed to gently shake hands and then release.”
Ceres took Rafael’s hand and shook it carefully before letting go. “What is the significance of this greeting?”
Ciaran grinned. “It is an ancient way of showing that you are carrying no weapons in your primary hand. Along with giving your name, which means you’re giving a person power over you, this shows you are friendly and therefore are not preparing to attack.”
Suddenly Eliana was there with her hand outstretched. “I am Elaina and I am not planning to attack,” she announced loudly.
Rafael shook as he glanced at his son and spoke in a low voice. “Is there something I should know about this one?”
“They’re all dangerous. She’s a bit hasty sometimes.”
“Hasty, is it? That sounds like quite a story.”
“Later, father.”
Rafael then shook hands with Victoria and Baker, pausing with her. “Lieutenant, is it? I was a major myself.”
“British Army?”
He grinned, taking years off his face. “Perish the thought. They were still thought of as the enemy at that point. I was Fórsaí Cosanta, lass.”
Tamsin smiled back. “I won’t hold that against you.”
A tall woman with bright red hair shot through with gray opened the door. “Rafael, who is it?” She broke off. “Ciaran!” They hugged. She looked at the newcomers. “I’m Martha.” As they introduced themselves, her eyes lingered on Ceres’ nude form. “Nice hat.”
Ceres smiled happily and touched the brim of her hat. “It is. It is a Stetson and a cavalry hat. Ciaran got it for me.”
“Don’t you think you need a dress or something to go with that hat?”
Rafael grinned. “Martha, leave the girl alone. When you were her age you didn’t wear much more than she is now.”
Martha glared at her husband, but there was a twinkle in her eye. “Rafael Michael Sullivan, listen to you, speaking such about your only wife. You keep that up and I’ll be a widow.”
He grinned. “Go ahead, I need the rest. Then you can tend to the fields.”
“Fields is it? I guess I’ll remain a wife for a while longer.” She turned to Ciaran. “Bring your friends inside. I’ve got lunch waiting and although I didn’t expect to feed so many we’ll work it out.”
“I do not need to eat,” Ceres said. “The sun here is incredible.” Her head swiveled and she fixed Elaina with her gaze. “Ciaran, do not spoil her. She should get one serving only.”
Eliana glared back. “I would never eat all of their food.” She looked around. “I’m sure there are wild pigs around here.”
“We ate breakfast two hours ago,” Ciaran said. “Thank you mother, but something to drink is all we need.”
Rafael sighed theatrically. “I see that you’ve become lazy, sleeping in until long past sunup.”
“I wish,” Baker half grumbled. “We were up at five this morning. We just didn’t eat until after they exercised.”
Martha looked from Baker to Ciaran. “Are you two a couple? I would like grandchildren someday, Ciaran.”
‘Isn’t that my sister’s job?”
“I want grandchildren from each of you,” she shot back.
Baker laughed. “We are not a couple.”
“She’s right,” Ciaran smiled too. “Besides, Tamsin has a career in the British military. She couldn’t come back here to help with the farm for years, if ever.”
“Ciaran will have children with us,” Victoria announced. “I don’t know when, but he will.”
Ciaran sighed. “And my job is going to keep me away for a while too.”
“Speaking of that,” Rafael deliberately steered the topic away from its current focus. “Iain Grey came by here a few days ago. He said he wanted to meet us.”
“He was a nice young man,” Martha said. “He liked my pecan pie.”
“Everyone likes your pie, mother.”
“Not everyone,” she disagreed, “but you’re very sweet to say so. Come in, girls and let’s see if you like my pecan pie.”
“Ciaran,” his father said softly, “stay out here for a moment.”
Ciaran nodded to Victoria and Ceres. “I won’t go off the porch.” Ceres nodded and motioned Victoria inside ahead of her. When they were alone, he sat down in a chair. “What is it, dad?”
“I need you to talk to your sister. Something happened and she won’t talk about it with me or your mother. She’ll talk to you.”
“Where is she?”
“Bee went to town this morning to get some supplies. She’ll be back before supper.” He dropped into another chair. “Iain brought your mother some hard to find things, like sugar and molasses. Where is he getting sugar?”
“Remember what I said about pokegirls and farming?” His father nodded. “He’s got some of them and they’re letting him grow sugarcane, which he processes into sugar. He makes enough to sell. I guess he decided to bring you some. With the right pokegirls we could grow it here. I wasn’t kidding when I said they could triple our crop production without hurting the soil.”
His father was silent for a moment. “Are any of your girls the right ones?”
“Ceres could be, but I’ve still got my job overseas.” He leaned back in the chair. “I’ve got some presents for you before I go. One of them will let you send me messages even while I’m out of the country.”
“That’ll make your mother happy. She’s not used to you being gone and she misses you. Do you realize this is the longest you’ve been away from home?”
“I know, dad.”
His father got up. “Good. Go on while there’s still some pie.”
08/08/09 1845 Sullivan Ranch, Texas
In her battle form, Ceres very closely resembled a Centrosaurus, with the large frill and nose horn indicative of the species. The horn was much more robust than those in the pictures of true Centrosaurs he’d looked at on his computer, but that was probably an adaptation for her enhanced strength. The frill was smoother and stronger too, and tough enough that she could use it as a shield in combat, unlike those of the dead dinosaurs she resembled. She stretched nearly twenty feet from nose to the tip of her tail and weighed a solid three tons now that she’d been through a healing cycle in their new PHU.
So it was even more remarkable to watch her move at a fast walk through the field of sorghum without making a mark in either the soil or on the plants. The sorghum seemed to flow around her as she moved, and behind her the plants were noticeably healthier, with damage from insects gone and at least an inch taller than the ones in front.
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,” Rafael said. “How often can she do that?”
“We talked about it before she started and she’s more concerned about the health of the sorghum. Apparently doing this doesn’t really strain her at all, but if she makes passes too often and too quickly she could weaken the plants and, according to her, that weakness could be passed along to any seedlings you grow from them. Iain has separate fields for seed crops and grows them at a slower rate than the food, so he doesn’t worry about straining the food crops. He can harvest as often as once a week, but he doesn’t so his pokegirls can do other things besides just that.”
“That would be a lot of work,” his father admitted. “Being able to stagger field maturation would make harvest not quite so frantic, though.” He looked down the road that ran towards Tulia. “Here comes your sister.”
Ciaran watched a wagon being pulled by a pair of horses approach them. “Isn’t that dangerous, being alone like that?”
“I made a deal with some of the tamers in town. They hunt that road every other day for feral pokegirls and we feed them with the ranch hands when they get here. It helps to keep the feral numbers down. It’ll be easier when you’re home.”
Ciaran nodded. “Where are all the hands?”
Rafael shrugged. “It’s Saturday and their day of rest. Only a couple of hands are on duty today.”
“Sunday is the normal day off in England,” Baker remarked.
“In my eyes, Tamsin, Sunday is God’s day. It’s not a day of rest; it’s a day of working for the Lord. We will be in town tomorrow and helping to replace the roof on our church.”
Ciaran glanced at his father. He wasn’t anywhere as religious as Rafael was and they both knew it, but his father was content to let his son follow his own path. “I’ll go meet her.” He waved to Victoria and trotted down towards the wagon as Victoria followed.
The driver pulled the wagon to a halt as he approached. “Ciaran?” She pulled the brake and leapt down. He expected one of her regular sarcastic comments and was surprised when she just hugged him, resting her head against his shoulder. She was almost as tall as he was, with hair like their mother’s and bright blue eyes. Finally she looked up at him. “I thought you’d be gone for longer.”
“So did I. I’m only here for a few days. I had to come back to Texas because, well, I got lost.” He grinned.
“You were in England and you got lost and ended up back in Texas?” She gave him a smirk. “Didn’t you notice the part where you had to swim for a very long time?”
“Is that what that was? I thought that river seemed kind of wide.” He shook his head. “It’s a little more complicated than that. If you promise not to make fun of me until I’m finished, I’ll tell you about it tonight.”
“Deal.” She looked past him. “Who is she?”
“That’s Victoria. Victoria, this is my sister, Beibhinn.” He pronounced it the Irish way, Bee-veen.
“Most people call me Bee,” she said as she held out her hand. “Are you a pokegirl?”
Victoria shook her hand and stepped back. “I am. I’m one of Ciaran’s troupe. A harem is what I think they’re called. We call it a family.”
“I like family, myself,” Beibhinn said warmly. “Welcome to the Sullivan family.”
“Thank you,” Victoria said simply. “I think the horses want to be put up.” The horses were staring at the barn, noses quivering as they sniffed the air.
“They want their grain and water,” Beibhinn laughed. “Climb up and you can ride with me. Coming, Ciaran?”
“I’ll be there in a minute. Go with her, Victoria.” He gestured towards Eliana watching them. “I’ll be safe.”
When he joined them outside the stable, he had Ceres and Eliana with him. He grabbed a parcel from the bed of the wagon. “Start unloading. Beibhinn will tell you where it goes.” In a short time the wagon was empty and put away with the horses grained and brushed down.
After dinner, he went outside and sat down on the porch steps. A few minutes later his sister sat down next to him. They sat together for a long time without speaking. “What’s it like,” she finally asked.
“What?”
“Having a pokegirl?”
He leaned back against the railing and thought about how to answer that. “They’re people. Each of them is as different as you or I are. Ceres is a thinker. Eliana is hotheaded and jealous to a fault. Victoria is worried that she’ll close her eyes and I’ll disappear.”
“But they protect you no matter what?”
“That they do, sometimes even when we disagree on how much protection I might need.”
“Can women have pokegirls?”
He glanced at her. “You know they can. Leslie Turner in town is partnered with one.” A thought occurred to him. “You would have to have sex with her.”
“I’m not a lesbian!”
He shrugged. “You don’t have to be. But you do have to be bisexual. You ever had sex with a woman?”
“Ciaran!” Her voice was a low hiss.
“So, instead of us talking about you licking pussy, how about we talk about what happened that made you think you needed a bodyguard.”
She straightened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t lie to me. Just say you don’t want to discuss it.”
She was quiet for a long time. “You remember Randall Wyatt?”
“Who can forget him? His dad is the richest man in Tulia and Randy is probably the biggest jerk.”
“He asked me out on a date.”
“Does mother know you’re dating?”
“Stop teasing, Ciaran. I’m serious.”
“So am I, sorta. Does mother know you were seeing a Wyatt? She and Randall’s uncle Mark Wyatt have history. Dad’s the reason Mark has that limp. Of course, the way I heard it, dad wasn’t going to stop where he did and mother’s the reason Mark has that leg and is still above ground.”
She turned to stare at him before looking back into the night. “No, I didn’t know that.”
He shrugged. “It happened before either of us was born. You go out with him?”
“Yeah. He wanted me to do things with him. I didn’t want to do them. He hit me and kicked me out of his car.”
“He has a car? One that runs?”
“Yeah. It’s the only luxury car running in the area and it’s one of the benefits of being spoiled rich. It’s his pride and joy.”
“You tell dad what happened?”
“No, and now I’m glad I didn’t. He’d kill Randall. I had bruises for weeks. They’re still not completely healed.”
“You know, Beibhinn, you probably shouldn’t have told me if you don’t want him hurt. You know what I have to do.”
“Don’t kill him, Ciaran. He’s not worth it.”
“If he hits women, he’s not worth much. But I won’t unless he makes me. You want to come and watch?”
She sighed. “God help me, I do.”
“I’m pretty sure that dad will expect me to help with the roofing tomorrow. We’ll pay Randall a visit Monday morning.”
She was silent for a moment. “You said earlier that you were going to tell me about being lost.”
“You believe in magic?”
“I’ve seen some pokegirls do what they call magic. It seemed pretty magical to me.”
“I got sent to Glasgow by my boss to check on something. Well, apparently we found what he wanted us to check on in the middle of a park there. One second I, Victoria, Elaina and Tamsin were standing in a park and the next we were on the outskirts of the solar system inside a base built into a huge asteroid.”
“Not Ceres?”
“Nope. That base is where she and I met. She was feral and dying.”
Something in his voice made her look up. “What is it?”
“Most feral pokegirls don’t know what’s going on or even that they’re feral. They’re like wild bears or sharks instead of people. You can’t talk to them and you can’t reason with them. But to wake up their minds you still have to have sex with them.” His voice was flat. “I had to do that to Ceres and Eliana. At least Eliana acted like she wanted sex to happen. Ceres was unconscious the whole time. It reminded me of Eddie Haskins when he got Dorothy Travers drunk and raped her.”
“You did not rape me,” Ceres’ voice came from the darkness, making both of them jump. “You helped me, Ciaran.”
“How long have you been out there,” Beibhinn demanded.
“I have been here since Ciaran came out here. I came out the back door so as to not disturb him. We would not leave him unguarded outside, especially at night. I know that Ciaran feels guilt for what he did, but without that I would either be dead or in a pokeball waiting to be woken up by someone else, someone different and most probably not better than he is.” A piece of darkness approached and became Ceres. Her dark coloration provided excellent camouflage at night. “He and I are a good fit and I am fortunate that Victoria insisted he tame me.”
Beibhinn looked at her and then him. “Is she for real?”
He shrugged. “It’s hard to tell. Pokegirls bond to their tamers and they develop an emotional need to be with him or her. In many cases they’ll do and accept almost anything to fill that need. I don’t doubt that sometimes they lie about how perfect their tamer is.”
“I did not say you were perfect. You are not. You take all of the covers when it’s cold.” Ceres’ teeth flashed in the night. “He rolls up in them until there are no covers left. He looks like he’s been cocooned.”
Beibhinn’s laugh pierced the night. “We called it a Ciaran enchilada. He’s done it for as long as I can remember. One time the alarm clock went off and he rolled right off the bed onto the floor and almost knocked himself cold without ever dislodging the blankets.”
“Gee, I could leave so you two could abuse me to your heart’s content.”
“I do not wish to abuse you, Ciaran,” Ceres said apologetically.
“Don’t apologize to him, Ceres. We were teasing him. We do that to those we love,” she glanced at him, “even brothers.”
“Teasing is good?”
Beibhinn nodded emphatically. “Yup. As long as you don’t get too mean with it, it’s very good.”
“Then why does he sound hurt?”
“Because sometimes they whine to let us know they know they’re being teased. If he really wanted us to stop, he would tell us.” She glanced at him again and her voice lost its humorous tone. “When he loses his temper, it’ll be unmistakable.”
Ciaran got to his feet and held out a hand for his sister. “I think it’s time for all of us to go to bed. Tomorrow will be here soon enough. Just so you know I think mother has Tamsin bunking with you.”
Beibhinn took his hand and let him pull her upright. “I don’t mind. It’s been a while since there’s been another girl here. Maybe she and I can talk a bit.”
Ceres looked at Ciaran. "You are going to bed too?"
"I am."
"Good. I wanted to talk to Victoria about an idea she had for tomorrow and I need to do it before she goes to bed."
"What's that?"
"It’s something that might satisfy her, me and perhaps some other people about something they occasionally have a problem with." She winked. "You'll see."
08/09/09 0945 Sullivan Ranch, Texas
There were ten employees at the ranch, four women and six men. One pair of them was a married couple with two young children. All of them were present outside the house when Rafael led his family out the door. Everyone was wearing clean work clothes.
After greetings, Rafael opened his Bible and read aloud for half an hour. Then they loaded onto the wagon and headed for town.
Baker was riding on the wagon seat with the Sullivan parents while Ciaran shared Eliana with Beibhinn and Victoria flew sentry over the entire group while Ceres trotted alongside. She looked at Rafael. “Can I ask a question? I don’t want to offend anyone, but I’m curious about something.”
He smiled. “Questions are almost always welcome, Tamsin. What do you want to know?”
“Why did you read from the Bible?”
“It’s Sunday. God wants us to remember Him on this day.”
She nodded. “I understand that, but why didn’t we go to the church service instead?”
Rafael looked at the horizon. “We probably should have but, God forgive me, I can’t stand the priest in Tulia’s church. He’s an arrogant man and thinks that just because he survived the collapse of civilization he’s the Word of God made flesh. God is with me wherever I go and I need no man except His Son to intercede with Him for me. I won’t subject my family or my employees to that unless they wish to.” He glanced to the side where his children were riding. “I certainly won’t subject Ciaran’s ladies to his lectures.”
“Why?”
Martha was watching her children too. “Father Andrew feels that pokegirls are the daughters of Satan. He would not tolerate their presence in his church. We’re not comfortable with that kind of hate. Even if you think that pokegirls are sinners, which I don’t, you’re supposed to hate the sin and love the sinner so that she might see her sin and repent. So we don’t go to church right now.”
“But we’re going to work on the church,” Baker protested softly.
Rafael chuckled. “That church was there before Andrew came to Tulia and, God willing, it’ll be there long after he’s gone. Even if I don’t live to see that happen, I will not neglect God’s house to spite a man.”
“What do you do for Sunday work when you’re not working on the church?”
Rafael pointed east then swung his arm north and finally west. “Not a hundred miles in any direction except for south are Texas’ borders with either two or three different leagues, depending on who you ask. None of them seem to understand the concept of being nice to their citizens, but then I’d be reluctant to be a good citizen if I was stuck trying to live under those traitors to the USA. We get refugees from all of them coming to Amarillo and some end up in Tulia. Because of them, Tulia has recovered all of the population it lost to the plague and the aftermath. That means there’s always someone that needs help and God wants us to perform acts of charity. To help them, we repair houses, dig wells and septic systems,” he shrugged, “whatever we are called upon to do.” A dry smile crossed his face. “Fires we fight any day of the week.”
Baker laughed. “That makes sense.”
As they approached the outskirts of the town, Ciaran yelled up to Victoria. Baker watched as she dropped to the ground while Ciaran and his sister dismounted from Eliana. Victoria’s wings vanished as the other two changed to their human forms. “Oh, good,” Martha murmured to her right.
“Excuse me?”
“I suggested that Ciaran have his girls become as human as they can to keep Father Andrew’s choler at bay as much as possible.”
Baker blinked. “Choler?”
Martha’s eyes twinkled brightly as she smiled. “I have a word of the day calendar and that one came up a couple of days ago. Granted, it’s from 2004, but I keep going through it every year.”
Ciaran waved at them. “We’ll walk into town and see you in a little while,” he called. He watched the wagon head off before turning to his ladies. “Father Andrew isn’t going to like your presence, especially once he realizes you’re pokegirls. I don’t really care and we’re going to work on the church not go to a service. But to keep things as calm as possible, you’re not to go into the building. I won’t either so we’re not separated.”
“What about bathrooms?”
“There are some outhouses nearby. We’ll use those. When you first have to go, I’ll go with you and show you some things that will help.”
“We know what an outhouse is,” Victoria said.
“Ah, but in Texas it gets really hot in the summer and cold in the winter. The outhouses have vents with slides to vent them when it’s hot. If you don’t know to open them in the summer you’ll swelter and the stink will be incredible.”
"Why aren't they open all the time in the summer?" Ceres was scanning the area as she asked. "That would seem a logical course."
"It might, but if you leave the vents open wasps and yellow jackets will build nests in the outhouse. That's a really, really bad idea for the poor people who want to use that outhouse." He smirked. "When we build an outhouse for someone we put a piece of window screen mesh over the vents to keep most of the insects out, but even those get damaged eventually so it's a good idea to keep the vents shut when the place is empty."
"You know, Ceres does not look human enough to pass for one even if she wore clothes, Victoria pointed out.
"I know, but it can't be helped and I'm not going to not let her help just because he won't like her. If he gets belligerent, let me deal with him."
"We will," the three women chorused together.
Ceres looked at Victoria. "Do you have it?"
Victoria nodded and dug a small bag out of her back pocket. "Here you go."
Ceres shook out a few wisps of dark green fabric and a tiny bottle. Ciaran raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"
"While we were at the Grey Ranch I talked to the others about problems humans have with us and Victoria suggested that to ease human sensibilities I wear a G-string and some pasties. It won't block much of the sunlight and I don't want to cause you more trouble than possible. Still, it can be pointed out that I am not nude. I had these made while we were at the Grey Ranch along with the spirit gum adhesive." She slipped the G-string on. Victoria stepped behind her and fiddled briefly with the back. "It's the same pattern and color as my skin.
"That's wonderful," Beibhinn grinned. "I could never wear anything like that in public but it’s still a great idea."
"It's only for interacting with human communities," Ceres said as she carefully applied a pasty to one of her nipples. "This would quickly get destroyed in the wilderness. Besides the G-string binds under my tail and it's a little uncomfortable."
"I appreciate what you're trying to do," Ciaran squeezed her shoulder. "Just be careful not to let humans dictate how you live your life."
She winked. "You're the only one I would allow to do that, Ciaran. Even then, I know you don't want me to act like some kind of automaton to your wishes. This, however, is easy enough to do. Just don't expect me to do it every day."
"That's more than fair enough."
08/09/09 1230 Tulia, Texas
Three wagonloads of shingles waited for them. They were pre-war shingles, manufactured in a factory that was long since defunct for lack of raw materials or destroyed by pokegirls or human retaliation and hidden in some warehouse for years until recently rediscovered. Wrapped in bright plastic packages, they were a testament to what once had been. Each package or bundle weighed eighty pounds, making them tricky to maneuver on a ladder. Neatly stacked with them were some buckets of tar and wooden boxes of nails and tools.
"Where is everyone," Ceres asked looking at the family wagon that was parked near a collection of other conveyances.
Beibhinn nodded towards the building. "After the service there's a potluck lunch for the parishioners." She looked at her brother. "Shall we join them?"
"I'm not going to stir up unnecessary trouble," he replied as he examined the work site. "We'll get started here. You go on." He pointed. "Ladies, let's get those ladders in position and then we can unload the wagons and get the shingles onto the roof."
"If you're staying, so am I," Beibhinn said.
"Suit yourself." He gestured at the building. "You can help me with the ladders and then we can stay out of the way while the ladies do the heavy work.”
Beibhinn gave him a mock glare. “Are you implying that I am not a lady?”
“He is not,” Victoria patted her on the shoulder. “As you well know, you silly girl.” Beibhinn just grinned back.
Ceres touched Victoria on the arm to get her attention. "I have construction experience. Me, you and Eliana push the supply wagons closer to the building. Once the ladders are set, Eliana can toss bundles up to me and Victoria can space them across the roof."
Ciaran eyed her. "And what about me and Beibhinn?"
Eliana flashed a grin. "Like you said, just stay out of the way and look pretty."
Beibhinn smacked him on the arm. "Ladders. Or do you want to just stand around while the women do all of the work?"
He grinned. "I like that idea."
"Right, now come on."
When the first man stepped out of the church he stopped and watched as Eliana, who was standing in the bed of one of the wagons, easily lofted a bundle of shingles up to Ceres on the roof. She caught it and stacked it behind her just in time to turn and catch the next one. Victoria came up, threw a bundle over each shoulder and walked away to position them on the roof. Ciaran was on the roof with a rope, lifting the cloth bag that Beibhinn had filled with boxes of nails.
The man stared for moment before hurrying back inside. Shortly a growing group of adults interspersed with a sprinkling of children were watching the spectacle. Ceres thumped her tail loudly on the roof to get their attention. "Less watching and more working!"
Ciaran sighed. "I really hope she doesn't break the roof we're here to shingle."
People drifted out to join them and soon men clambered around on the roof. Once the shingles were all where they needed to be, Ciaran and his girls got off the roof to let the people who knew how to put on a roof work uninterrupted.
"I can help," Eliana protested.
He eyed her for a moment. "Do you know how to drive nails?"
She shrugged. "How hard can it be?"
"It isn't that difficult, but the place to learn is not on a roof where you can punch holes in the old roof before the new roof goes on or, heaven forbid, put holes in the new roof." He looked up at the men working. "I know enough about roofing to know I don't know enough about roofing to do it right."
"What do we do now," Ceres asked.
"We'll patrol and keep the kids out from underfoot. We'll also do water runs and pick up anything that gets dropped, like tools or nails." He glanced at the sky. "And we'll keep an eye out for ferals. There are a couple of tamers in town, but thanks to Father Andrew and his attitude towards pokegirls they don't come by the church that often."
"Do you want me in the air on sentry duty?"
"I do, Victoria, but it may be borrowing trouble from Father Andrew."
"If that's him," Eliana motioned towards a stout man in a cassock striding towards them. His face was mottled and his lips compressed in a straight line. "I think trouble is already here."
Victoria stepped in front of Ciaran. He sighed and touched her on the shoulder. "He's unarmed. You and the others spread out a little. Don't surround me. Eliana, do not act impulsively."
"Don't act deliberately, either," Ceres muttered. She moved to stand next to Ciaran. "Victoria, take two steps to the right. While the man is talking to Ciaran, shift slowly behind him. At least he's alone."
"What gives you the right to order us," Elaina demanded in a low voice.
"I was trained in security and being a bodyguard. You are not. I want to end this without Ciaran being covered in anyone's blood. More importantly, Ciaran wants this to end the same way."
“I do,” he agreed.
Andrew didn’t wait until he could speak to Ciaran. He started yelling when he was still several feet away. “Ciaran Sullivan, what on earth do you think you are doing with those?” People looked up and began drifting in their direction.
“We finished unloading the wagons,” Ciaran wasn’t sure there was a good way to deal with Father Andrew, but he was determined to try, “and now we’re going to keep the kids and onlookers from being where things might get dropped.”
“You will do no such thing. These, these whores will leave this place immediately!”
Ciaran’s temper flared but before he could move Ceres slapped Father Andrews hard enough to make him stagger. Ciaran knew she must have been very careful since with her enhanced strength she could have easily torn the priest’s head off. “We are not whores,” she said in ringing tones that could probably be heard inside the church, “and priest or no priest I will not let you call us such.” Father Andrews stared at her, his face chalk white with shock. The only color was his cheek reddening with the print of her hand. “But we will not stay where we are not wanted.” She turned to Ciaran, dropping her voice to a conversational level. “With your permission, I, Victoria and Eliana will return to the Sullivan ranch.”
“I will not stay either,” Ciaran replied. He looked at Father Andrews. “I note that you managed to keep from being offended until the hardest work was already done,” he said in a chilly voice. “These women are good people and if you say one more harsh word against them and I find out, rest assured I will not tolerate it. And before you protest that you are a priest and beyond my anger at such an insult, remember that only God is infallible. You are not.” He turned on his heel. “Eliana.”
The Samhain shifted to her battle form and waited patiently until he climbed aboard her. He pulled Ceres and Victoria up behind him. “Eliana, take me to father.” She turned and trotted to where Rafael stood watching. Ciaran bobbed his head to his father. “I’m sorry about this, father. I know you have to stay until the job is done. We’ll see you at the house.”
Rafael reached up and squeezed his son’s hand and Ciaran was stunned to see pride shining in his father’s eyes. “Well done,” he said simply. Ciaran didn’t have any response to that so he kneed Eliana.
As she turned away, Tamsin ran up. “Wait. I’m going with you.”
He smiled. “You’re human, female and new. I’m sure you’re more than welcome here.”
Baker shook her head. “I don’t need that kind of welcome and I don’t want to get back to the house and discover you’ve already returned to England.”
He slid off of Eliana. “Take my place.”
“You’re going to walk?”
“It’s a fine day for a walk. Once we’re out of town we’ll change things up but right now I don’t think I want people knowing any more about my ladies’ abilities than absolutely necessary. Once we’re out of town we’ll hunt the immediate area along the road as we head home. Who knows, maybe we’ll scare up some feral pokegirls for capture.”
“Are we still visiting Randall tomorrow,” Ceres asked unexpectedly.
“Oh yes,” Ciaran’s eyes hardened. “We are indeed.”
08/10/09 0530 Sullivan Ranch, Texas
Everyone at the table stared at the jar of small gray pellets before looking at Ciaran. Martha looked at Rafael, but Beibhinn spoke before she could. “Why would we want to take anything that Sukebe designed?”
Ciaran opened the jar and shook one of the pellets out into his palm. “These weren’t built by him. They’re not anything he ever thought up. Iain gave them to me. They’re from a group of people that opposed what Sukebe was doing and have been working to undo some of the damage. These are supposed to help even the odds we face, even if just a little bit.”
Rafael plucked the pellet from Ciaran and held it between his thumb and forefinger. “So humans built these?”
Ciaran nodded and lied to his father. “Yup.”
“What do they do?”
“They help us to heal a little faster and better. They keep us healthier, which lets us live longer. They give us computers in our brains.” He shrugged when his father’s eyebrows rose. “I know it sounds crazy, but apparently the computer is so small that it doesn’t bother anything. At least mine hasn’t.”
“You have this inside you?”
He nodded. “I and my girls all have them. They haven’t activated yet because it takes a while to build them, but we do.”
Martha spoke. “What does this computer do?”
“It can access a net of information and it can let you talk to other people who have these computers without needing a phone or radio.”
Rafael held the pellet up so he could peer at it. “I’m not sure I want your mother able to talk to me whenever she feels like it. I like some privacy. And what about strangers who have this randomly trying to contact me?”
“You can tell the computer to not tell you that someone is trying to talk to you unless it’s an emergency. Apparently it learns quickly what you do and don’t like and will let you know if strangers want to bother you, just like a phone rings.” He looked at his sister. “As for you, this means you don’t have to worry about not being able to have kids. You’re supposed to be fertile, but this will make sure you are.”
Beibhinn gave it a suspicious look. “I won’t spontaneously get pregnant, will I? I already have a reputation for being frigid. I don’t need them to decide I’m the next Virgin Mary.”
Her father frowned. “Watch your mouth, young lady.”
“Sorry, dad.”
Ciaran grinned. “No. You’ll still need to find the right guy and do what needs to be done with him to get pregnant.” He blinked at his mother’s flat look. “You know, dating, approval of the rents, marriage and all that.”
“Nice save, mister,” his mother said. “But it doesn’t get you off the hook for grandchildren. We all have a responsibility to humanity to help repopulate the Earth.”
There was only one right answer. “Yes, mother,” he replied meekly. He took two more pellets from the jar. “Well?”
Beibhinn grabbed one and washed it down with some water. “These days I need all the advantages I can get. Will I be able to fight pokegirls now?”
“Um, no,” Ciaran said. “You'd have to get a pokegirl of your own for that.” He looked at his parents. “One of the benefits is that it’ll help to prevent the little infections and things that killed so many people after the collapse.”
His father swallowed his pill. “Why do you have so many of these things?”
“Iain gave them to me. I’m supposed to hand them out to anybody I want to.” He grinned. “You three were at the top of the list.”
His mother swallowed her pill. “Thank you, Ciaran.” She looked at her husband. “What about our workers?”
“I think we’ll wait on them, Martha. None of them have been with us for over a year.” He glanced at Ciaran. “And that’s only if our son would let us give them to them in the first place.”
He shrugged. “I don’t think you two have done a bad job of raising me and Beibhinn, so I trust your judgment where people are concerned.” He rubbed his eyes. “I’ve got one last thing I’ve got to do and then I can head back to England to continue my mission.”
His father looked at him curiously. “What do you still have to do?”
Ciaran carefully didn’t look at his sister. “I’ve got to visit someone. He and I have some personal business to conduct.”
His mother perked up. “What’s her name? Is it anyone I know?”
“It’s not a girl and no, I don’t think you know him.” He got up. “I’ll see you later today.”
08/10/09 0845 Tulia, Texas
The Wyatt house was a nicely apportioned home that had some electric lights, although with the sun up for over an hour none of them were on. A dark blue Porsche 911 GT1 was parked in a driveway while a man carefully waxed it with a chamois. “Is that Randall’s car,” Ciaran asked.
Beibhinn nodded. “Yes. I’ve only been in it on our date.”
“It’s pretty. I’d rather have a truck, but that is a very pretty car.” He whispered something to Ceres before striding up to the man waxing the car. “Is Randall home?”
The man looked him up and down. “He is,” he said carefully. “Is the family expecting you?”
“Randall should be, but I doubt he is.” Ciaran was looking at the house. “He should have known this day would come as soon as he did what he did.” He flashed a smile. “If he were a thinking man he would never have done what he did in the first place.”
The man was watching Ciaran with a sudden caution. “Shall I let them know you are here?”
“Please do. I am Ciaran Sullivan and I am here to speak with Randall Wyatt.” He watched the man go up to the door and knock. The door was opened and he slipped inside. An older man peered out at them for a second before shutting the door.
“Eliana, you are to protect Ciaran and Beibhinn from threats. Anyone who gets within ten feet of them is to be killed.” Ceres turned to Victoria. “You keep alert for longer ranged threats. Act on your own initiative.” She looked at Beibhinn. “Does this family have pokegirls?”
“Someone in security might. I know that Randall had one briefly but that she left him.”
“So probably not. That’s good.”
Eliana leaned towards Victoria. “Do you like her taking over?”
Victoria shrugged. “She seems to know what she’s doing. I’ve been in command before and I don’t crave it. And if she can keep Ciaran safe, I’ll follow her lead.”
The door to the house opened and a nicely dressed tall man with graying brown hair stepped out. Two heavyset men whose demeanor fairly screamed bodyguard took up station in front of him. “I am afraid my son refuses to come out to meet you, Mr. Sullivan. I am Brandon Wyatt. What is your business at my home?”
“Movement at curtains, second floor middle window,” Victoria said in a low voice to Eliana and Ceres. “No sign of a muzzle.”
Ciaran spoke in a loud, clear voice. “I am here because your son tried to force my sister to have sex with him. When she refused, he beat her. I’m here to beat Randall for what he did.”
“I did not!” Randall poked his head out the window on the second floor. “She wanted it!”
Brandon looked up and spoke in a cutting tone. “Which did she want, the sex or the beating?”
Randall looked confused for a moment. “What?”
“You asked me out on a date,” Beibhinn yelled. “I never wanted to have sex with you!”
Randall stared at her before his eyes widened. “You!”
“Yes, her. Now come down here and take your whipping like a man,” Ciaran called. “Or be branded a coward!”
Randall jumped as if stung. “No!” He disappeared back inside the house.
“My son,” Brandon said conversationally, “is a physical and moral coward. I am sorry, but I promised his mother that I would protect him and so I cannot force him to come down here and face you. And I am very sorry for the way he behaved towards you, Miss Sullivan. If there is any other way that I can offer redress, I would.”
“Give me his car.” Beibhinn stared at her brother, who ignored her. Something was thrust into Victoria’s hands and she looked down to see Ceres’ hat. She blinked and returned to her surveillance.
Brandon’s right eyebrow rose. “That is the only car like it for a thousand miles, Mr. Sullivan. My son values it only slightly less than his own life.”
“I figured as much.”
“No, father!” Randall’s call came from just inside the window.
“You have an interesting sense of justice, Mr. Sullivan. I must warn you that the car will be of little use to you. Nobody can make the high octane fuel it requires and we have the only stores of it.”
“Father, no!” Randall stuck his head out the window again. “Mother gave that car to me!”
“The money for that car came from me,” his father replied coldly. “And since you have done nothing to earn anything, that car is mine. It is yours, Mr. Sullivan, to do with as you will.” A scream of fury came from upstairs.
Ciaran didn’t hesitate. “Ceres.”
She ran up the hood of the car onto the roof, the fiberglass flexing underneath her weight. She launched herself straight up, changed to her battle form and burst into flames as she used ignite and napalm together. Six thousand pounds of dinosaur crushed the Porsche in a spray of glass and plastic. Tires exploded like bombs and there was a dull explosion as gasoline erupted from the ruptured tank and ignited. A scream like a gelded hog came from the window as a heavy cloud of black smoke climbed for the sky. Metal groaned as Ceres tore her way free of the wreckage.
“Mr. Wyatt, feel free to send me the bill for cleaning up,” Ciaran said.
Brandon surveyed the burning vehicle with satisfaction. “There will be no need, Mr. Sullivan.”
Ciaran nodded to him, started to turn and stopped. “Mr. Wyatt, as you undoubtedly know, there is history between my mother, my father and your brother Mark. The only thing my father ever said about the Wyatt family to me was that there was not a single Wyatt worth the bullet to kill him. Today I learned that my father was wrong, and when I see him again I will tell him just how wrong he is, sir.”
Brandon gave him a surprised smile. “Thank you, Mr. Sullivan, for the sentiment. Considering the caliber of the son and daughter they have raised, I begin to suspect that Mark’s version of what happened would differ in great ways from the one that your father or mother might tell me.”
“On behalf of my family, sir, I invite you to speak to them and find out for yourself.”
Brandon’s smile grew and warmed. “I think, Mr. Sullivan, someday soon I definitely will take you up on that invitation.”
Ciaran nodded to him. “Good day sir.” He motioned to Eliana and she changed to her battle form.
08/10/09 1130 Sullivan Ranch, Texas
Martha put a hand on Rafael’s arm to forestall whatever he had to say. “That was a brave thing that you did, Ciaran. If Brandon does as he says, he will be welcome here.” Rafael looked into her eyes and closed his mouth. “The Wyatts and the Sullivans could do a lot of good for the Tulia if we worked together.”
Rafael found his voice. “If that Wyatt boy comes around I will fix him.”
Martha shook the arm she was holding. “You will do no such thing. Ciaran punished him more than physical violence could ever do. Our son made his first enemy today, and if the measure of a man is in the enemies he has I’d say Ciaran is off to a good start.” She gave him a stern look. “If you had killed Mark I would be married to someone else. If you kill Randall I will be just as alone. Being branded a coward for life and losing the one thing he valued will hurt him far more than a simple beating ever would have.”
Rafael looked at her for several seconds before nodding. “I’ll do what you want, but Randall will never be welcome in this house.”
“Agreed,” she said before turning to Ciaran. “What are your plans?”
“I need to contact Iain and see when he can return me to Glasgow so I can get back to work. Tamsin has undoubtedly been missed by now, so I know she’ll be questioned and probably I’ll also have to be debriefed about what happened to us. The transport device won’t work again until it’s recharged and nobody knows how to do that, but I still have it if they want it.” He shrugged. “And it doesn’t matter since the station now belongs to the Grey family. I don’t see him giving it up just because some government tells him they’re claiming it.” He grinned. "Iain is so stubborn about such things he might as well be a Sullivan."
“Do the English have any way get to the space station?”
Ciaran shrugged again. “There are a couple of pokegirl breeds that could be used for transportation. I don’t know if the Royals have any of them and I don’t know that if they do they know what those girls are capable of. Even of they do have space going pokegirls and know how to get them to operate in space, they have no idea where the station is located. I know they have no technologically built space ships capable of getting into Earth orbit, much less reach an asteroid.”
“How is it that the Grey family has them?”
Ciaran frowned. “There are things about them that I’m not supposed to discuss. I’m not sure if I’m not supposed to even know things like that but I do know I shouldn’t talk about them, even to you.”
“Your loyalty is commendable,” Rafael said. “Granted, it’s frustrating, but commendable nonetheless.”
“Thanks, I think.” He got up from the table. “Now if y’all will excuse me, I need to talk to my ladies and then talk to Iain.”
He was outside when Beibhinn caught up with him. Eliana glanced at her and went back to keeping an eye on their surroundings. “Ciaran, I’ve been thinking.”
He smiled. “We should warn the world to stand by for earth shaking events. My sister doesn’t think that often.”
She smacked him on the arm. “I was thinking about what you said about pokegirls. I,” she dropped her voice and looked around before speaking again. “I have had sex with a girl.”
When she was silent for a moment Ciaran managed to resist the urge to make fun of her. Instead he spoke in a quietly encouraging tone. “Does the fact that you’re revealing this to me mean you’re interested in having a pokegirl in your life?”
She visibly relaxed. “It does. I know that dad wants the ranch to go to you,” she began.
Ciaran cut her off. “I think it should go to you.”
She looked surprised. “Why? You’re the oldest.”
“This isn’t the Middle Ages, sis. Between the two of us, you’re the most stable and you love this place more than I ever will. Oh, I still plan to come back and work here, but,” he waved a hand around them. “There’s a whole world out there and it calls to me. I won’t see it all, but I will see some of it. Considering what’s out there it’s very likely that I’ll die on one of those trips or find some place and settle there. If I live to have children, I know you’ll do right by them, so I’m not worried about any inheritance.” He chuckled suddenly. “But now I’m talking about me. What kind of pokegirl are you interested in?”
“I’ve been using the computer you gave me and I think an Elfqueen would be best for this place. She’s great for farming and if she can get the Earth Mother technique she’ll help with the livestock, too. And she’s decent in combat when we get attacked by more ferals.”
Ciaran ground to a halt. “More? There have been attacks since I left?”
Beibhinn looked away. “Crud. I wasn’t supposed to tell you about it. We were attacked two weeks ago. It killed several cows and a pregnant mare before the local hunters caught her. Now she’s working for them. She’s something called a Coyotits.” She grabbed his arm. “Don’t tell mother and dad you found out from me.”
“I won’t. Why didn’t they want me to know?”
“They were afraid you’d refuse to leave again. They know you’re excited to be doing this job and they don’t want to burden you with staying here because of something that’s already over. Would an Elfqueen stop a Coyotits?”
“With the right training one can stand up to almost any pokegirl, be she feral or aware.” He ground his teeth. “Are you sure you are willing to do this?” She nodded. “Then let me talk to Ninhursag. She’ll be sympathetic to me.” He looked around and headed for the closest shady spot. Once there he pulled out his computer and activated it.
Theodora’s hologram popped up. “Ciaran, what can I do for you?”
“My sister is interested in meeting a nice Elfqueen. It turns out my home has been hit by ferals at least once while I was gone and I want to help her find one, so I need to talk to Ninhursag.”
Theodora grinned. “Actually, you need to talk to me, which just happens to be a good thing because Ninhursag is busy with Iain. I’m far more familiar with the inventory lists than anyone else.” She winked. “It’s a hazard of being me. What are your requirements?”
“She’ll be working alone unless she starts a court here and will be partnered with my sister, Beibhinn, so she should like women. There aren’t any other pokegirls on the ranch, but there is a small group of tamers within an hour or so of here. I’d prefer her to know the Earth Mother technique for our livestock and possibly some weather magic for dry periods. We never get enough rain here.”
Theodora looked thoughtful for a moment. “We have a couple who would be good potential fits. The Earth Mother can be taught to any of them and you have the money in your account to do so. How old is your sister?”
Beibhinn leaned forward. “I’m nineteen.”
Theodora turned to face her. “Greetings, Beibhinn Sullivan, I am Theodora. Believe everything good that Ciaran tells you about me. He has spoken highly of you to us. I think the best match for you would be Neem. She’s sixteen years old and originally came from the part of the world that you would call India. She’s very bright and not ambitious, but she has no back down in her, which will help if any other Elfqueens show up. She’s also Seelie and she knows how to grow living weapons.”
“Sixteen? She’s jail bait?”
“That is a human paradigm that is completely arbitrary, Beibhinn, and has changed through human history. She is old enough to need tamed or she will go feral. That makes her an adult pokegirl.”
Ciaran cleared his throat. “She sounds expensive. Can I afford her?”
“She is completely aware and so your only charges would be to update her training to include a handful of simple weather spells and the Earth Mother technique. Since you’re working for us that training would be billed at family prices. Yes, you can easily afford her training.”
Beibhinn frowned. “If she’s aware and free, why are we paying for her training?”
“Because you want to meet her and you want her to have certain abilities, it is only fair that you pay for her to learn them. She will be more than willing to learn these so the only potential issue would be price.”
“Does Ciaran get a refund if she doesn’t stay?”
Theodora shook her head. “You pays your money and you takes your chances. If you try to put in the contract that she reimburses you for training given to her that was specifically requested to make her more acceptable for you, she’s less likely to be positively disposed towards you or even to agree to meet you. You could try to put it into the contract, but knowing what I do of her personality, I would recommend never even letting her know you considered doing that to her. I said she’s not ambitious. I never said she wasn’t proud.”
“She sounds a lot like you, sis.”
Beibhinn nodded slowly. “Yes, she does. Are you willing to eat the cost of her training if she doesn’t work out?”
“Theodora is my friend and I know she’s picked the best possible candidate, so yes.”
Theodora beamed at him. “Thank you, Ciaran. I get so few sincere compliments except from Iain.”
“You’re welcome. Give her the training and please send her safely to meet Beibhinn.” He frowned. “You said she’s from India, more or less. Does she speak English?”
“She is fluent and literate in it or I’d tell you she needed that training too. Iain has insisted everyone become fluent in English.” She chuckled. “I’d have insisted they learn Texan, too, but that dialect seems to vary more than I thought it would across the regions of the league.”
“Thank you. Do you know when Beibhinn can expect her?”
“I have to retrieve her from storage and coordinate her training with Ninhursag. I’ll have a transport in the area for some deliveries on Friday. I could run her up to the Sullivan place then.”
“That’ll be fine. Oh, please offer her a twee. My family has accepted them so she should have one if she wants it.”
“That’s splendid. Consider it done.” Theodora looked from one to the other. “Is there anything else?”
“No. Thank you, Theodora.”
“You’re welcome, Ciaran. I hope we will become friends, Beibhinn.”
“I do too, Theodora,” Beibhinn replied honestly.
“Then I am sure we shall. Good day to you both.” Her image vanished.
Beibhinn smiled. “I like her.”
“She’s a likeable woman. Just remember that she will never, ever do anything to hurt Iain and you should have no problems with her.” He put the computer away. “Have you spoken to father about this?”
She nodded slowly. “I talked to mother about it first and we talked to him. He’s not comfortable with me sleeping with a woman, but he knows I intend to marry and have children someday and he knows that she needs this or she will go feral. He had to do some praying and soul searching about it, but he has accepted it. He does hope she’ll accept God and Jesus into her heart.”
“And you?”
She smiled. “God loves everyone, including pokegirls. I’ll show her what God’s love is and let her decide for herself.”
“Good answer, sis.”
“So says the man living in sin with not one but three pokegirls,” she said with a laugh. “I can see how much they care for you. Did dad talk to you about them and God?”
“No, he knows me too well for that. I’m teaching them to read. If they show interest, then we’ll see.”
“I wish he knew me too well for that,” she sighed. “But I live under his roof and so I live under his rules. Land here is a dollar an acre. Maybe I’ll buy some land next to the ranch and build a house.”
He smirked. “That was my plan. I already own a hundred acres south of it. It’s one of the reasons dad doesn’t pester me too much. I’m letting him use it rent free, but he knows it’s mine.”
She gave him a winsome smile. “I don’t suppose you could see your way to lending your poor pitiful sister a hundred dollars?”
He nodded. “I can and I will.” He chuckled when she gaped at him. “Don’t catch any flies with that mouth.”
“I’m just surprised you’d do this.”
“I love you, sis. I know you need a place of your own and I know you’re good for the money. You’ll pay me back if you can.” He grunted when she hugged him. “What’s that for?”
“It’s for being a wonderful person.” She grinned at him. “And if you repeat that to anyone I’ll deny it.”
“Why deny it,” Eliana asked. “He is truly wonderful.”
“I’m his sister. It would set a bad precedent.”
Eliana gave her a confused look. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s part of teasing him.”
Her blank look vanished. “Oh. I know I don’t understand teasing, but I do know what it is.”
“It’s ok, Eliana.” Ciaran shook his head. “I realize my sister is a taker and will never acknowledge everything I have done for her. She’s just hopeless.”
“See, that’s him teasing me.”
Eliana gave a great sigh. “I will never understand this.”
Ciaran hugged her hard. “It’s ok. I like you the way you are.”
“Good. I do not plan to change.” She gave them a perplexed look when they both laughed before finally smiling. “I made a joke?”
“You made a good joke.”
"Good." She frowned. "I wish I understood jokes more but I hope that I will in time. Is teasing a kind of joke?"
"That's it," Beibhinn replied.
"No wonder I don't understand it."
Ciaran blinked and pulled out his handheld. Theodora appeared again. "You have something else to discuss?"
"Tamsin and I need to return to Scotland. I'm sure she's been missed and the Royals are only going to get more worried when they can't find either of us. I wanted to find out when we could get a ride."
"The Queen's government has been informed that neither you nor Tamsin are currently in land they control and that you're safe, so they're not quite as panicky as you might think. Still, they would like to see their agent, so Iain has placed a small transport at your disposal. When do you want it to arrive?"
He thought quickly. "How about in five hours? That'll give me time to get some money for my sister and take care of a couple little things. I'll let Tamsin know so she'll be ready to go."
Theodora nodded approvingly. "At your disposal means that it will be ready for you to board when you want. Five hours from now is more than acceptable. It will land on your family's land a hundred feet from your father's house in five hours. I will see you then." She vanished.
Ciaran took his sister's hands. "I've got to go find Tamsin and get her moving. Keep in touch, will you?"
"Of course I will, dear brother." She hugged him again. "I love you."
"And I love you, Beibhinn."
Ciaran Sullivan
Victoria – Angel
Eliana – Samhain
Ceres - Tantrasaur