I tried to wedge another DVD into the box, but it would hold no more. There were only a few cardboard boxes left, and more than half of my stuff left to pack. Sighing, I tried to fold the four corners of the box in on itself, the way you do when you run out of tape. After several failed attempts, I forced the box closed and lifted it to move it by the front door. The DVDs and video games spilled out onto the floor in a disorganized pile. I’d forgotten to fold the bottom panels first.

Anger tightened my jaw, but I kept it in check.

Rob did not seem to take a hint. He hummed the Legend of Zelda tune over and over. I asked him to stop.

“So where were you last night when I was having a drive-by shootout with Raza del Norte?”

Rob put a finger into the corner of his mouth. “I was out having a night time swim.” He lifted his hands and imitated gill movements on either side of his face. “Gotta shift into my various forms every once in a while, or else my body forgets how to do it. And since salmon is the one form I shift into the least…” he paused as he noticed what he was packing. “Ooooo. Speaking of swimming, I didn’t know you had these,” said Rob, holding up a stack of Aquaman comics.

“Dude in my class found out I like comics and he gave them to me. They’re alright I guess.”

Rob’s eyes glowed as he admired the aquamarine undersea castles and oceanscapes. “Reminds me of Mag Mell.”

I’d read about Mag Mell. “Let’s see. That’s where King Tethra lives right?”

“Yep. His underwater fortress.”

I nudged the hobgoblin. “Let’s not get distracted. We’ve still got a lot of packing to do”

After a few minutes Rob struck up the tune from Super Mario Bros.

Irritation jabbed me.

“Rob, you know why we’re packing right?”

“You got kicked out of your apartment. Duh.”

My eyebrows furrowed together. “And you remember why Eddy kicked me out?”

He smiled and nodded. “Yep. Raza del Norte came here looking for you and Tain turned into a werewolf and chased them off. But Eddy felt enough was enough, so he dropped you like a hot potato.”

“And Tain is a werewolf. And vampires tried to kill us. And gang members are still out there, one of them being my girlfriend’s brother. And the Morrigan called in a favor so I have to go find Aengus Og so I can confront Donn’s son Diarmud.”

“And, what’s your point?” asked the hobgoblin.

“My point is, I know little about Diarmuid or why she wants me to confront him, so I have no idea what I’m up against. I don’t know jack squat about Aengus Og either. So why, at a time like this, are you humming jolly tunes? We’re in some deep crap.”

Rob sighed. “I’m immortal Sean. In the scheme of things, this stuff will be a distant memory to me soon. I used to be like you. So frustrated I could not understand why bad things always happened to me and my previous masters. But, one by one, they all died or were killed. So I try to cherish all of it. Every moment. The good with the bad. Because at some point it’ll all be over and I’ll have to find another master all over again.”

The weight of Rob’s words pressed down on me. His perspective was...eye opening.

“How old are you Rob?”

Rob squinted while trying to draw up a distant memory. “In my early three hundreds. I lost count a while ago.”

“Don’t you know what year you were born?”

Rob shrugged with a grin. “I was born on the Otherside where time flows different. So at some point my age became irrelevant. It kind of was from the get-go, considering I’m immortal. At least age wise. I can still be killed like anyone else.”

I let out a low whistle as I grasped at straws to understand what being over three hundred must be like for Rob. I was not even a tenth of that age. “Man, what I’d give to have three hundred years’ worth of skills. I bet I could take on Donn, the Dullahan, and the Dearg Due single handedly.”

Rob chuckled. “That’s what I admire most about you Sean. You don’t waste your time. You strain to add meaning to every waking moment of your existence. You think nobody sees, but I see. In all my three hundred years I’ve never seen anyone attempt as many undertakings as you have these past few months.”

“Well it’s not like I go looking for trouble. Most of the time. It finds me.”

“And you contend with each tangled mess as if the responsibility is yours alone. I’m proud to have you for a master, Sean O’Farrell. It makes my commitment to you much easier.”

I wrestled with a wave of emotions that reddened my face. I put the box I was packing down and wrapped Rob in a bear hug. “Thanks buddy. You’re a good friend. And a good servant.”

Rob patted me on the back. “Truly and honor, Mr. O’Farrell.”

After that we went back to packing, smiling in silence. Rob was right. This was a minor setback in the grand scheme of things. It wasn’t like I was fighting for my life right at that second. Sure things were hard, but this was to be expected, all things considering.

“So who’s Aengus Og?”

“He’s the Celtic god of love.”

“Really? They didn’t assign it to a woman?”

Rob threw his palms up. “Who knows?”

“So I have to find the Celtic Barry White. What’s his deal?”

“All I know is, he left Tir na nOg a while ago and has never looked back. He’s something of an outcast amongst the Tuatha de Danann. Almost like he was exiled.”

“Exiled from Banishment. Nice. He must be a ticked-off dude.”

“We’ll see.”

“He doesn’t sound like much of a threat.”

“Might not be, but better to be safe than sorry.”

Right then Charice and Nehemiah showed up to help.

Charice eyed me as if to say, figures you’d get kicked out.

I pursed my lips, too frustrated to explain anything to her at the moment.

“Thanks for coming through with the Datsun, Nehemiah. You’re the only guy I know with a truck.”

“Once the guy with a truck, always the guy with a truck,” said the wizard. “Where are we taking all of this stuff?”

I took a deep breath. “My mom agreed to help me store my stuff and let me stay there while I look for a new place.” I hated admitting that I needed my mom’s help. But there was nothing else to do.

I motioned to one side of the room. “These boxes are good to go. This stuff over here still needs to get packed, but I’m almost out of boxes.”

Charice opened the top of several finished boxes. “Who packed these?”

Rob and I pointed at each other.

Charice rolled her eyes. “These are packed terrible. No wonder you ran out.”

She grabbed an empty box and began packing things her way.

“Cool. Thanks Charice. Rob, you help her. Nehemiah and I will load the truck.”

---

“That’s the last box,” I said, wiping sweat from my forehead. We all hovered around my mom’s kitchen. Thankfully her and my kid brother Aiden were over at her friend Nancy’s house having dinner. I didn’t want to explain why Nehemiah and I were still friends. Wouldn’t make sense to her.

Rob poured glasses of lemonade and everyone sipped in silence.

“Ah,” sighed Nehemiah. “Hits the spot.”

We’d stuffed most of the boxes I did not need access to in the garage. The rest went in the spare bedroom where I’d be staying until I got things sorted out.

“Was that the last of it?” asked Charice.

I did a mental tally. “I think so. Rob?”

Rob eye the ceiling and counted on his fingers. “Yep. That was all of it.”

“Cool,” said Nehemiah. “Because I’ve got to dip. Does your mom have a landline?”

Believe it or not, she did. I tossed the wireless to Nehemiah and he went into the living room to call his wife.

A realization crossed my mind, making my expression sour.

“What’s up?” asked Charice.

“We didn’t get everything. I need my bed frame and mattress. But more importantly, Tain is still out there somewhere.”

Charice rubbed my arm. “We’ll find him.”

“But if he tries to come back there tonight, he doesn’t know I don’t live there anymore.”

“Sean, you’ve tracked and defeated so many monsters in the past few weeks, I’m sure you can find a dog.”

“Werewolf dog,” I said.

She kissed my cheek. “It’ll be alright. Let’s get back to Vallejo. I’m hungry. After we eat we can take apart your bed frame while we wait for Tain to come back.”

I sighed. “Okay.” That was as good a plan as any.

Nehemiah finished the call with his wife and hung up the phone. I gave him a handshake. “Thanks for all your help. Couldn’t have done it without your truck.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Nehemiah headed out to his truck and the rest of us to my car.

I felt like I was forgetting something. It was staring me right in the face.

The old Oak tree.

Nehemiah fired up his little Datsun and waved goodbye.

“So this is it huh,” said Charice, turning my attention to the tree.

“Yeah. Don’t touch it. This tree isn’t as docile as it appears. I don’t know how it’ll react to your wings. Last week it blasted me across the yard thanks to my hyperactive Keening.”

I hadn’t needed the Oak because since then I’d traveled to Tir na nOg, which always recharged my Good Luck. But last night’s run-in with the children of the Dearg Due did me in. Not to mention I was here, so why not?

Because I was scared. That’s why. I didn’t want to get blasted all the way to the gutter again.

Gently, I pushed Charice back, then put both my hands on the Oak.

I drew in a deep breath through my nose. Reaching out through my palms I felt the power that resided within. It wasn’t coursing with electricity. Instead it felt more like a calm but steady flowing river, a deep body, not of water, but of magic that I could wade into. Again the image of the roots of the tree came to mind and a wellspring of emerald glowing waters. With caution I drew from those waters. My hands glowed with emerald light. Celtic knots laced up my arms, across my neck, over my head, and down my back. I stepped away, releasing my hold on the tree.

Power stirred within me, like I’d woken from a deep sleep and downed an energy drink. I flexed every muscle in my body, releasing some of the tension. I took another deep breath. Resisting the urge to yip and holler, I hugged Charice instead. “I feel good.”

“I’m glad,” she said.

Rob butted in. “Uh...can we go? We’re all hungry and this is getting awkward.”