Part 19

          I laugh as well, in relief as much as jest.
          "...but there are some things I'm curious about.  Anna told you that she didn't think one of them was the usual sort of spirit?"
          I nod.  "She did.  And I don't know if... I'm pretty confident that Meres and Azal aren't actually brothers, but there's definitely something in common between them.  So it could be them both."  Their eyes, that intensity, that commanding presence...
          "Mmm, yes.  I don't think you need worry about the ghosts - Evelyn, and any others - around you, I've caught a few glimpses of them as we've been sitting here, and they're harmless enough.  Curious, but no more.  But those that aren't ghosts... those can be more difficult, and unpredictable."
          "Wait.  Not ghosts?  Then what..."
          "That's what I'm not yet certain of, but it's why Anna sent you to me.  I can't promise I can sort it out, but I have worked with other spirits in the past."
          "Other spirits... like demons?"  I shiver, curling my hands closer around the mug of tea that suddenly seems too small and fragile a warmth.
          "Some of those I've come into contact with would be called that, yes.  But don't worry yourself yet - there are angels too, and a hundred gradations between the two extremes, as well as many types of each.  As diverse as mankind is, so too is the realm of the spirits."
          I'm not entirely sure how much of this I believe - but then, I wouldn't have believed my own story a few short months ago, so I'm willing to at least follow along with her train of suggestion, even if I end up discarding it as crazy later on.
          She sighs heavily, setting down her mug, and rubbing her temples for a moment.  "It can be very difficult to identify the type of spirit - sometimes, it's simple, just a matter of judging their response to very simple things.  But other times - and I suspect your case is one of them - the spirits are extremely intelligent, and can mask their presence, lie, fool the person trying to connect with them.  It would be easiest for me if one or the other of them were present now, but since it's not something you can control... hm."
          I'm still trying to absorb her other suggestions.  Angels? Demons? Something else? Is that really what Meres and Azal are?  "...you have no idea what secrets my 'family' holds."  I run a hand through my hair, trying to clear my head a little.
          And then I feel another hand brush lightly against mine - so lightly, hardly more than a breeze, but much cooler than the air around me.  I look up, and see Sylvia's eyes suddenly locked on mine.  "You know he's here?"  She nods, then closes her eyes, her lips starting to move though I can't make out any words.
          I feel the breeze soft against my cheek, and have to fight my imagination, trying to focus only on what I'm actually experiencing and not what I'm imagining.  There's not really a weight on the couch cushion beside me, making me lean to one side a little, is there?  I try to breathe normally - should I focus on him, and try to strengthen his presence here?  Or will that make him nervous and leave?
          "Meres... what is it you want from me?  Or that Azal wants?  What can I do..."  A strand of hair flutters gently against my cheek, as if someone has whispered beside me, but I can hear nothing.  "Please, if there's anything... you know I'd help, Evelyn and Calvin and Avery, your Celestine..."
          And at her name, there's a noticable breeze through the room, and I hear Sylvia's sharp intake of breath.  "Whatever you just said," she hisses, "really struck a chord."
          "His wife, Celestine, who died young..."
          "Yes.  He loved her, so deeply."
          "And when she died, I think..."
          "He felt there was nothing left in this world for him."
          "And he'd put so much into his life with her - built the mansion, put so much love and care into every detail..."
          "And it was all for her, so when she left, he couldn't bear to stay, and yet..."
          "And yet he couldn't quite leave it, either.  Even when the house burned down..."
          I feel flushed all the sudden, and Sylvia makes a quick gesture with her hands.  "Careful, Kimber - that's a dangerous subject with him."
          I nod, biting my lip, focusing on the faint movements of air through the room.  "I know.  I was there that night, for parts of it, though I don't know the whole story yet."
          "He doesn't want to tell you."
          "...I didn't think it would be that easy.  Is there anything you think he does want to tell me?"
          "Yes, but... it's too abstract to be clear."
          Story of my life.
          "He seems to be a little protective of you, though.  It feels like he's on guard against something, keeping a barrier here."
          "Azal, I'd guess."
          "Yes, I think so.  Another who is his equal, and yet... is troubled, is broken, somehow.  Can't always be reasoned with, does foolish things, frustrating...  But he feels sorry for him.  And for himself, and for others, because..."  She trails off, but I see her lips still moving, though I don't think in normal English words.
          Then a vase thumps onto the carpeted floor as the house trembles.
          Her eyes and mine fly open as we look to each other in panic.
          "Get down," she commands, ducking low and moving quickly over to a doorframe.  I follow her, my bag falling off my lap and spilling onto the floor beside our discarded mugs.  The room-shaking was only momentary, thankfully, but there's still a heaviness in the air, like the charge in the atmosphere before a thunderstorm.
          I hear Sylvia gasp beside me, and look over to see her hands pressing into her temples, her eyes tightly closed, her lips moving in another silent chant.  Then: "No.  He wants you to stop looking.  To leave it all be.  Everything was burned and is gone.  There's nothing left to find, it's all gone.  Leave his children alone.  They have no power to threaten you.  They can tell you nothing of him.   Tutto è andato.  It is gone, you should not try to find what is not there."
          "Azal..." I murmur, my voice catching in my throat.  "Azal, I only want to help - to help your children, to..."  To what?  To shield them from the harm he himself caused, or allowed to happen under his own roof?  To give them the love that he never did?
          "No.  They are his children, and they have nothing to do with you.  You shouldn't return there.  He burned it all so nothing would be found.  He wants nothing more to do with that place, with these people, with that... failed experiment?  It is nothing to him, it is nothing now, and you have no place in it."
          My heart breaks at hearing this - but I refuse to accept his demand.  Not that I'll refute him aloud, but---
          The house trembles again.  Not enough to do any damage, but as if a huge storm rages outside, though the placid morning summer sun still shines.
          "Meres?  Meres, you know I intend no harm..."
          And suddenly, they're both gone.  I think my ears pop a little, in the sudden change of atmosphere.  Everything is silent and still and light again.
          Sylvia and I sit motionless for a long moment, absorbing what just happened, catching our breath.  Then I grin wryly.  "Well, you did say it would be easier if they showed up..."

          Sylvia's still not quite sure what they are - but she's "95% confident they're not demons," so that's something at least.  (I really didn't think they were.  Azal is cruel, yes, but not completely inhuman or anything.)  "It feels as though they're still a part of this world, though, not entirely spirit, though it's only the spirit that was in the room.  As though they're projecting from elsewhere, but whether it's another place, or another time, I can't tell.  But there's a physicality for the spirit to go back to."
          I frown, my brows furrowing.  "So... they're human, with extra psychic ability?  And maybe a hundred and fifty years old?"
          "Mmm. Like I said, I'm not sure if they're in our time or not.  But with powers like that, it's possible they...oh, I don't know, can leave their bodies in some kind of suspension, so the years don't affect them at full-strength.  I haven't encountered that before, but it should be plausible."
          Right.  Because plausible is an adjective I'm using a lot lately.  "But, physical, so, human?"
          "Not necessarily.  As I said, there are a lot of in-between states possible.  Just as some ghosts can make sound, or interact with objects, while others can become fully visible for varying lengths of time.  Everything in our world is on a sliding scale, really, and it's the same for the spiritual realm."
          "...so, apart from accidentally saying anything that pisses him off, any thoughts on how to protect myself from Azal?"
          We've picked up the last of the various fallen objects around the room, and she sighs as she takes another look around the room to make sure she hasn't missed anything.  "Honestly, it seems like Meres is your best defense, though I'm not sure that helps much.  Still, I had the feeling that there's enough of a connection between them that one will know when the other's near you - so even if Azal shows up first, I think Meres won't be far behind.  Other than that... They're not quite like anything I've encountered before, I'll have to do some research and see if there are any wards or charms or anything that might help you.  Staying away from the grounds of the old house would probably be best - but I get the feeling that would be a pointless suggestion to make to you."  She says this last with an understanding smile, and I grin wryly in return.
          "Yeah, no, it's not something I can leave alone yet."
          "I wouldn't be able to either."