CHAPTER THIRTY -ONE
The small group had returned to Tabitha's car where they'd all climbed in, not saying a word. Zoltan quietly put the key into the ignition, had started the engine and reversed the car away from the pyramid before turning back towards Powell River.
As they arrived back at the house, Carmelo and Jo stood waiting their arrival home.
"Well?" Jo asked, "What happened?"
"Wh...what do you mean? We just went for a drive," said Tabitha as everyone stood, shoulders slumped forward.
"It's quite all right, you know. We are fully aware you went to Ben's. Presumably nothing happened or you wouldn't be back so soon," said Carmelo, patting Lilly on the back.
Nobody said anything.
"Crystal?"
The beautiful young woman brushed her hand through her hair and looked up at her friend before bursting into tears.
"There, there," he said, "Come, let's all go inside and you can tell us what you saw."
It didn't take long for the group to explain what they'd witnessed, much to the shock of the rest of them.
"It was a pyramid... like a real pyramid..." said Lilly before December continued, "and it was warm, when we touched it, it was warm."
"And...?" said Jo.
"All the men were there," added Zoltan. "And I mean, ALL of them. There were hundreds of cars just parked there, left in the middle of the road, doors open and then, when we walked around the corner..."
December coughed, making everyone jump, "...and we saw the men, all of them."
"Well spit it out, we're dying to know what's going on. Come on, do tell," said Ruby who was leaning in with her eyes open wide.
December continued, "They were all, you know, erm, like," she chuckled awkwardly, "erm... semi-naked."
"Did you say semi-naked?" said Ruby with a sly grin as the group all nodded at exactly the same time.
"So who's going back?" she said, "Whoever it is, I'm coming with you!" she laughed but nobody laughed with her. "Well then, perhaps I'll go alone..." she said, hovering away out of the room.
"Mother!" said Moira through gritted teeth as her ghost re-appeared, half out of the living room.
"What?"
"Oh... just go."
Again, Ruby smiled and was gone.
"What else did you see?" asked Gabriel.
"It was like something out of a film," said Lilly awkwardly.
"What do you mean, dear?" asked Rose.
"Erm, the few clothes they were wearing were kind of like, erm, like something from Egypt, like from Cleopatra," she said with an uncomfortable chuckle.
"This is so bizarre," said Millicent.
"Bazar... yeh, Millie, yer right there. Is this common wiv them Sarens?" asked Kieran.
"Unfortunately we don't know much about the Sirens, Kieran," answered Jo. "We're trying to track down a Siren expert at the moment but we're not having much luck."
"Which is why we decided not to approach Calliope until we know more. After all, we don't know how dangerous she really is," said Carmelo with his eyebrows raised, looking across at the group that had gone out that morning.
"Perhaps we could have....ouch....ow....oh......" said December, falling forwards onto the thick rug in the centre of the room, almost knocking her head on the coffee table.
Everyone rushed forward to help her as she held her head in her hands.
"It must be Jack," announced Millicent, "He must be trying to get through."
Carmelo took the young witch in his arms as everyone sitting on the sofa stood up to allow her to be gently placed there.
Moira held one hand, Millicent held the other and Lilly hurried to the kitchen to dampen a cloth for her forehead.
When she returned, the room was silent except for Millicent's soothing voice, calming her and helping her to get through to Jack.
After five minutes, it was clear he wasn't attempting to get through at all.
"I don't understand," said Moira, "I thought the headaches were purely to do with the communication?"
Millicent nodded, "They are," she whispered, her own brows knitted together in confusion. "Keep trying, December. He must be trying to get through."
As December winced and moaned at the pain, another person fell to the ground holding his head.
"Wyatt!" yelped his wife, Sonya.
"My goodness, what on earth is going on?" said Rose as Gabriel was the next to fall, "Gabriel!" she yelled.
And then, both Meredith and Lilly succumbed to the excruciating pain.
People rallied around them all, placing dampened cloths on all of their foreheads.
"What's the connection, Carmelo?" asked Millicent, "What connects all these people together?"
"It's Jack. He's Lilly's father, Gabriel's son, Meredith and Wyatt's brother. Jack is the connection. Could he be trying to communicate with them all?"
Millicent nodded, "It is possible, of course, but I think there's something else."
"Awww," yelled Wyatt all of a sudden as he fell off the chair and onto his knees. Everyone looked on in horror as his eyes began to darken and shrink in size right before them.
"Oh My God," said Jo, "It's not what you think it is...he's changing. Dad, you're changing. It's the raven gene."
"B...but how do you know?" asked Millicent in surprise.
"I have the gene, I've been changing for well over a year now. That's it, they're all changing," she said gleefully clapping her hands together.
And soon enough, Gabriel, Lilly, Wyatt and Meredith all sat in the living room looking around at their surroundings from a completely different perspective. They were no longer human, they were stunning large black ravens.
December was still wincing from the pain as she turned to look at the strange occurrence.
"Lilly?" she croaked as one of the ravens hopped up from the floor onto the sofa and sat beside December.
"Lilly? Is that you? she asked as the bird nodded its head. One after the other, people spoke to the family of ravens, identifying each one. Soon the room applauded and excited laughter broke out.
"I..I..I don't believe it, I j..j...just can't believe it," stuttered Sonya as Wyatt fluttered to her side and turned his head from one side to the other. He opened his beak and out came a loud squawk. She and Wyatt both jumped before he tried again, letting out a soft coo as she gently stroked his feathers.
"Mom?" asked Cormac, the astonished teenager who had always believed he had a normal mother just like everyone else.
Meredith gently tugged at his fingers with her beak as Rose approached the last bird who remained alone in the centre of the room.
"I always knew you could do it, Gabriel," she teased as he began to squawk uncontrollably and dance around the room happily.
The laughter soon died down as December continued to suffer aloud.
"Shhh, I'm sorry everyone, I know this is a very exciting time for you all, but December is still in a lot of pain and I know quiet really does help somewhat," said Millicent as Moira looked at her gratefully.
The room quietened down until her groaning became less and less and, eventually, she fell asleep.
"I'll carry her into Lilly's room," whispered Carmelo, bending down and scooping her up into his arms, carrying her as if she was as light as a feather. He placed her gently on Lilly's bed as Moira and Millicent sat down by her side.
"Thank you, Carmelo. We'll stay with her."
He nodded and quietly closed the door behind him.