We played. I waited. Night fell. The fear that had wormed its way in before sundown steadily grew. By ten o’clock it had swelled past dread and pulsed just short of mind numbing terror. I didn't have any proof, but I was still certain. They were coming for us. It was only a matter of when. Mike felt it, too. He kept his shotgun close at hand, extra shells on the arm of his easy chair. The others didn’t seem to notice, though Troll did make a comment when we started smoking inside. We’d never let anyone smoke in the house, before. Mike was filling out his second character sheet (he dies at least once every time we play) when Gina asked, “So…are you sure she’s alright?” “Who?” Mike said as he rolled a pair of dice. “Dammit. A three for intelligence? Really?” “Sounds about right to me.” Justin smirked. “The Lady.” Gina gestured towards Mike’s room. “She’s been in there for hours. Shouldn’t we check on her or something?” Mike started to shrug, then shook his head. “Nah. She’ll come out when she’s ready.” “Should be any minute now,” I said. “She’s been listening at the door for the last hour.” The door opened. The Lady stood in the doorway. She held herself awkwardly, left arm in a sling, trying not to hunch over from the pain of her injuries. Her eyes were cold, sharp, piercing despite the dark circles under them. The flannel bathrobe we’d stuffed her into did nothing to detract from her regal bearing. She radiated authority, as if the earth and sky should bow to her. She also radiated danger, but that might have just been the gun in her hand. I shot Mike an accusatory glare. “You left your gun out?” “Of course not,” Mike said. “It’s where I always…ah crap.” “It was under your pillow, wasn’t it?” Mike flushed. “Yeah…my bad...” The Lady raised the pistol. “Where is the Sword?” Mike raised his hands, trying to look harmless. “It’s alright. We’re friends.” He reached down and picked up the sword. It had been leaning on the recliner next to his shotgun. “The sword’s right here.” “Bring it to me.” She frowned, then said “Please.” Mike grunted and stood. The Lady pointed the gun at him. ”Bring it to me slowly,” she instructed. Her voice was smooth, sensual, and had an English accent. It was a great voice for commercials, or maybe a phone sex hotline. Her tone was low and threatening. I didn’t doubt for a second that she was willing to shoot Mike. “Set it against the wall next to me. Make no sudden moves.” Mike did as instructed, then backed away. She eyed him suspiciously for a moment, then tucked the pistol into her sling. She reached out and grasped the hilt. Some of the tension went out of her. “Thank the goddess,” she breathed. She pulled the pistol back out, but didn’t point it at anyone. “Is my dress somewhere nearby?” “It uh…got ripped up pretty bad in the fight,” Mike replied. I nodded in silent agreement. The truth is Mike had cut the dress off her when we treated her wounds, but telling an armed woman you'd cut off all her clothes didn't seem like a good idea. “We’ll get you a new one. May I have my gun back, please?” She hesitated, but handed him the gun, butt first. He popped the clip out and racked back the slide. A round popped out of the gun. He picked it up, put it back in the clip, and reloaded the gun. He tucked it into the back of his shorts and said, “Alright, then. We’ve got a lot of questions, and I’m sure you do, too. But first thing’s first. Lets get you dressed and get some food into you.” “Pizza,” I declared. “Genius,” he agreed. “Meantime, it’d be rude not to introduce ourselves. What’s your name?” She hesitated. “I… it would be unwise to say.” “Well, we could just say ‘Hey you in the flannel,” Mike said, “But it’d be easier if we had something to call you.” “You’ve been calling me Lady this past while, have you not?” She tilted her head, considering. “Lady. That name will do.” “Ok,” Mike said. “Lady it is.” He pointed to himself. “I’m Mike. The guy with his arm in a sling is Kevin. The big dude is Troll. The lovebirds are Justin and Stephanie, and the cute blond with glasses is...” He trailed off. I smirked. I knew he’d forget her name. I could have told him what it was, but it’s more fun to watch him flounder. He held his hand out to the woman in question. “Her name’s…uh…” “Gina,” She supplied. “Gina! Right.” Mike grimaced. “Sorry, Gina. Anyways, it’s nice to meet you.” He held his hand out to shake. She looked at it, then looked down at her sling. “Oh, right.” He withdrew his hand. “You mind ordering us some pizza, Kev? I’m gonna find Lady some clothes.” “You buying?” I asked. “Sure.” He said. “And we need cheesy bread. Lots of it.” He smacked his lips. “Love the cheesy bread. And mountain dew. We’re almost out of the dew.” I quirked an eyebrow at him. “I have ordered pizza before, you know.” “I know.” He raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Just saying. I’ll go find some sweats or something.” He turned back to Lady. “They uh…might not be a perfect fit. But I’ll do the best I can.” Lady quirked an eyebrow, shuffled out of the way. Mike went into his room. I ordered some pizza. BREAK The silence was awkward. Lady in White (or flannel now, I guess) stood next to Mike’s doorway. The rest of us sat quietly, trying not to stare. Stephanie hates awkward. She decided to break the ice. “Well,” Stephanie said with a welcoming smile. “You don’t need to stand over there. Come sit down.” She patted the couch next to her. “I promise we won’t bite.” Lady shook her head. “No, thank you.” “Aw, come on,” she cajoled. “You’ll like us. We’re nice people. Well,” she cocked her head, reconsidering, “Except for Troll.” “I’ll nice your face.” Troll threatened. “I love you, too, Troll.“ She stuck her tongue out at him. Did I mention her tongue’s pierced? “Don’t worry about him. I’ll protect you,” she promised. “Come sit down.” Lady shook her head, a hint of a smile on her face. “I’d really prefer to stand.” “Come on,” Stephanie wheedled. “You’re going to hurt my feelings.” “Sitting down might not be a good idea.” I interjected. “Mike stabbed her in the butt.” “Thanks, Kevin.” Mike rolled his eyes as he stepped out of his room, clothes and a medical bag under his arm. “Sorry about that.” He told her. “I didn’t mean to cut you.” “You threw a sword at her.” I pointed out. “I didn’t have a choice! And did I mention that I hate you?” “You could have chased her.” “So could you,” he argued. “But she would have gotten away.” “Gotten away?” she asked. Her eyes narrowed. “Away from whom?” “It’s not like that,” Mike explained. “One of those shadow things possessed you. It made you get up and run away from the fight. If you’d escaped with that thing controlling your body, they’d have had you. So I threw the sword. I didn’t know what else to do.” “Possessed?” she asked. Her face went white. “I don’t remember…” I noticed a slight tremor in her legs. Mike let out a breath. He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, thought better of it. “Don’t worry. We’ll do everything we can to protect you. You have my word.” He hefted the clothes. “We’ll fill you in, but you should probably get changed, first. I’ll put these in the bathroom for you.” He padded down the hallway. Lady spoke up. “Excuse me…Mike?” Mike stopped. “Yeah?” “I would very much like to bathe.” One bath and four pizzas later, we reconvened in the living room. I spelled out last night’s events, with as much detail as I could remember. The Lady (now in Gym Clothes) listened closely, and asked a lot of questions about the fight and her condition after it. When we finished, she sat for a minute, thinking. Finally, she spoke, “It’s strange.” “What’s strange?” I asked. “Aside from, you know, all of it?” “These…Shadow Men,” she said. “There is no reason they should be affected by fire or faith.” “They totally were, though,” Mike patted said cross under his shirt. “We lit them up like a Christmas tree.” “Precisely,” Lady agreed. “Why did fire destroy their vessels? Why were they stopped by a simple display of faith? There is no reason for them to have such weaknesses. They should have killed you both.” “They almost did kill them both,” Troll pointed out. “Kevin got slapped around like a red-headed stepchild.” “Thanks, Troll,” I said. “No charge.” “So do you know what they are?” Gina asked. “Spirits,” Lady said. “Called from beyond the Veil.” “So they were ghosts?” Justin asked. Mike smirked. “I ain’t afraid of no ghost.” “Not ghosts,” Lady corrected. “They were never human. They are spirits, creatures of the aether. Were I to guess, I would assume they had been summoned and bound to the shadow forms we saw.” “Bound?” I asked. “Like with a spell or something?” “It might be a spell,” she replied. “Or a ritual. Or perhaps they are servants of some other powerful being. I have no way to know.” “I notice you didn’t ask why the sword kills them,” I interjected. “The sword does not kill them.” She stated. “It merely destroys their vessels. The spirits are still on the physical plane. They are simply less able to affect it.” “Does that mean the one that possessed you is still in your body?” I asked. “No. If my unconscious mind had not driven the creature out, I would not have awakened,” Lady shivered. “Or not as myself, at least. But possession, entering a person’s body, it creates a bond. A malevolent spirit can use that bond to anchor itself on the physical plane. And to any children had afterwords. Such a being will bring terror and suffering down through generations, until every descendent of its original host has perished.” Troll let out a low whistle. “That sucks.” “Isn’t there anything we can do?” Stephanie asked. She shook her head. “Not right now. It will be some time before any of them gather the strength to inflict any harm. I will look into it once I have reached a safe place.” “Where’s a safe place?” Mike asked. “I don’t…” Lady’s voice faltered. “I don’t know.” She turned her face away from us, too late to hide the tears forming. Her shoulders shook once. When she turned back, her face was serene. “I...I thank you for your assistance. You helped me when my need was dire. But it’s not safe here. I must go.” She grimaced as she picked up her sword, letting out a huff of pain as she half dragged it, heading for the door. Mike got up and blocked her way. A flicker of annoyance crossed her face. “Move out of my way.” Mike folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah, I don’t think so.” Lady’s eyes narrowed. “Move now.” Mike met her glare with a glower of his own. “Make me.” She snarled and tried to raise her sword. Mike gripped her wrist and pushed it back down with little effort. He put his other hand on her left shoulder and pressed down. Lady let out a pained gasp, sank to her knees. I started to get up, to stop him. He caught my eye, gave his head a slight shake. I sat back down. He spoke softly. “We saved your life once already. Almost died doing it. I carried your unconscious ass two miles with broken ribs. We treated your wounds. We guarded you while you slept. Even after you pointed a gun at us, we’re still trying to help you.” “I don’t need your help,” She snapped. “You do.” He said. “You know you do. More of those Shadowbound are coming after you. Maybe worse things. And you’re hurt. Hurt bad. You can’t fight. You can’t even run.” He let go of Lady and stepped back, speaking softly. “I get what you’re trying to do. You think keeping us in the dark will protect us. You think you can run off and get captured and that we’ll be fine. But it’s too late for that. Those things know about us. We’re involved now. They’ll be coming for us whether you’re here or not.” “You don’t know that,” She argued. “They might leave you alone.” “They might,” I cut in. “But it’s more likely they’ll torture us trying to get information, then kill us to keep us quiet.” “We need you, too.” Mike continued. “We need information if we’re going to fight these things. Information that you’ve got. You’re our best chance at making it through this. And we’re the only chance that you’ve got.” “You have a decision to make,” I finished the pitch. “And you have to decide now. You can run. We won’t stop you. Shut up, Mike,” I said before he could speak. “Or you can level with us and we can work together. What’ll it be?” “Um…Kevin?” Stephanie asked. “Didn’t Mike say she’d die on her own?” “Yes.” I told her. “She will. But that doesn’t matter. It’s still her choice to make.” I turned back to Lady. “What will it be, Lady? I crossed my good arm over my sling. “Decide.” Lady stared at me. I stared right back. She inclined her head. “You are right. I have been…foolish. “Don’t worry about it. Mike’s foolish all the time.” Mike flipped me off. I gave him a smirk. "I would very much like your aid," Lady continued. "Only if you tell us what you know," I stipulated. She regarded me briefly, then nodded. “I swear before the Mother that I will tell you what I know about my situation, save for that which I am forbidden to speak, or which could endanger the lives of others. So witness earth. So witness sky.” “Good enough for you, Kev?” Mike asked. I thought about it. The Lady's promise was a lot more specific than I'd expected. On the other hand, if she was that careful with the wording, it implied she meant to keep it. Good enough, I guess. I nodded. “Ok then." Mike put on a serious face and raised his right hand. "I swear to protect you with my life until we get you to safety, as long as you keep your vow and don’t unnecessarily endanger the well being of any innocents. I swear it on my word and my life, so help me God.” “Ditto.” Justin seconded. “Except for the God part.” “I swear with the God part.” Gina smiled. “Now wait a minute,” Mike protested. “I swear too,” Stephanie smirked. “On the Mother. We witches have to stick together.” “I ain’t swearing shit,” Troll said. “But you can count me in.” “Did you just call me a witch?” Lady was shocked. “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “We’re in America. Nobody cares if we follow the Old Religion.” “I don’t think you should get involved, Steph,” Mike objected. “You and Justin should take Gina home.” “What was that?” Stephanie’s eyes narrowed. Mike shifted uncomfortably. “It ain’t like that, Steph. Kevin and I are already involved, and Troll can handle himself. The rest of you’ve never dealt with anyone trying to kill you. You could get hurt. Killed, even. I don’t want you in harm’s way.” “You don’t have a choice, Mike,” Stephanie folded her arms. “I’m not going anywhere.” “I can take care of myself,” Gina said. “You’re not keeping me out of this.” “But-“ “She needs our help.” Stephanie cut him off. “And she’s going to get it. And if you ever imply I should stay out of harm’s way because I’m a girl again,” Her voice went deadly quiet. “I will personally beat the shit out of you.” “I’m not calling you a pansy, Steph.” Mike tried again. “But this is some serious life and death shit. We could die. You could die. And if you died, then…” Mike looked down. “If you… I couldn’t live with….” Stephanie walked up to Mike and gave him a hug. “Aw, Mike. That’s sweet. Stupid and chauvinistic, but sweet.” She wagged her finger in his face. “But you don’t get to tell me what to do. I’m a grown woman, and it’s my decision. And if I get hurt, it won’t be because you let me. You don’t get to feel responsible for my well being.” “Uh…Justin,” Mike appealed. “You want to help me out, here?” “Screw that,” He snorted. “I’m not stupid. Besides, I already swore and stuff. ” “Give it up, Mike,” I said. “You can’t stop them. We’re going to need all the help we can get, anyway.” “Fine,” he said. “We’re all in, then.” He looked at me, realizing I hadn’t said one way or the other. “You are in, right Kevin?” “Oh, sure.” I raised my hand. “I swear on your word and your life.”