They took the key from Maggie and walked up to the door. Hawk looked at Han and Shera from over his shoulder, and stated, “You guys wait here, while I get my things. I don’t want him to know you’re even here until the ritual starts.”
Han and Shera glanced nervously at one another, as Hawk entered the building. They watched him move quickly through the scattered and upturned furniture, heading for the bar. Han grabbed Shera’s arm, as she unconsciously eased toward the entryway, and she flinched at the sudden surge of spiritual energy.
Shera heard Amber’s warning, and called out, “Hawk stop!” He slid to a halt and turned his head toward Shera. “It’s a trap. He’s waiting for you.” She looked at Han, “Remember what I told you; keep skin contact with me.” She held out her hand, and he slid his hand from her forearm to entwine his fingers with hers. She turned back to the entryway and stepped inside.
Han snatched her into his arms, and shielded her, as a chair flew toward her head, and slammed into the wall, next to where she had been standing. “Are you okay?” He watched for more flying objects, as he waited for her to answer.
She pulled away, “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Anytime.” They quickly crossed the room to where Hawk was waiting.
Hawk watched them nervously until they made it over to him. “That scared the hell out of me! I saw that chair heading for you…”
“I’m fine, Hawk. He was just trying to scare me off.” She scanned the area, and asked, “Where’s your stuff?”
Hawk pointed to his smudging implements, about twenty feet from where they stood, and said, “There, just on the other side of the bar.”
Shera took a step forward, and Hawk threw his hand up, while Han hesitated. She sighed, “Guys, I can see him; you can’t. I’m the logical choice.”
“All the more reason, you should stay here to watch my back.” Hawk’s expression showed no sign of wavering.
Shera shook her head. “I can react faster if I see the danger coming than you could, not knowing where it is.”
Han sighed in defeat. “She’s right, Hawk. You have to let her go for it.”
Shera could tell they didn’t like it, but when she stepped forward again, Hawk didn’t make a move to stop her. Han watched her closely and matched his movements with hers. Shera eyed the bar suspiciously, as they made their way to the bowl and implements lying on the floor.
Shera caught movement from the corner of her eye and glanced away from the bar. Amber was hiding behind a pillar, shaking her head vehemently. Shera knelt-down beside a table and turned back to face the bar. She analyzed the scene and saw something she hadn’t noticed before. She turned toward Han, and whispered, “You’re not going to like what I’m about to do, but I need you to take cover behind that table,” she pointed to an overturned table closest to the bar, “and wait for me to retrieve Hawk’s things.”
Han shook his head, “Hell, no! I won’t leave you vulnerable, Shera.”
She looked at him, pleadingly. “Han, I need to be able to move swiftly. I can’t do that like this.” She held up their hands, fingers still entwined. “Please, you have to trust me, or I can’t do what I need to, without one of us getting hurt.”
Han looked at their hands, then loosened his grip. He reluctantly let her pull her hand from his, as he whispered, “Be careful,” and quickly moved to the table she had shown him.
She watched him take cover, then made a run for the bowl. Just as she was about to reach it, she dropped to the floor and slid across the carpet. A knife sailed over her head, aimed for where her chest had been, and she heard the men scream her name. She cringed, as the carpet scraped at the skin of her arm. Her slide nearly over-shot the bowl and feather, and she scrambled to retrieve them. She could hear glass rattling at the bar, as she snatched them up, and sprinted for Han’s table.
Glass shattered all around her, so she didn’t dare slow down. Han was waiting for her, and caught her, as she made it to his hiding place. He spun with her momentum, and they both tumbled to the floor, Han rolling on top of her. He tried to shield her, as they scrambled to the safety of the table.
Shera tried to catch her breath, before uttering, “Thanks!”
“That was insane, Shera! You should’ve told me about the knife!”
“Would you have let me go alone if I had?”
Han stared darkly at her, but she ignored him. “Are you hurt?”
She inspected the back of her forearm, from her elbow to her wrist, then shrugged, “Just a little carpet burn. I’ve had worse.”
He shook his head in resignation. “Alright, now what?”
“Now, we can start the ritual. He’s weak and trying to conserve his energy. That’s why he hasn’t attacked us like he did last night.”
“I thought we were supposed to start by the door.”
Shera grinned at him. “We are.” She laid the feather over the top of the bowl, and picked it up with her left hand, then grabbed the side of the square table with the other. She glanced over her shoulder, “Come on, then. Don’t make me do it all myself.”
Han shook his head and grabbed the opposite side of the table. They lifted it, carrying it over to where Hawk was waiting. Han looked at his friend, shook his head again, and said, as Hawk took the acting shield from Shera, “I think she might be certifiable.”
Hawk laughed, “You like her!”
“Alright guys, let’s move over by the door, and get started.” She was moving before she finished, and Hawk and Han scrambled to keep up. She placed the feather in her mouth, and carefully tucked the bowl under her arm, as she used the lighter to spark the smudge stick. She had it smoldering, by the time she reached the door. She tucked the lighter in her pocket, took the bowl from under her arm, and placed the smoking stick in the bowl.
“How am I going to help you, when I have to carry the table?” Han smirked at her, as she turned around.
She handed the feather and smoking bowl to Hawk, then stepped right in front of Han. She placed a hand on each side of him and took the table from his grasp. “Put your back against the table.”
He carefully turned around to face her, as to not knock the table from her grip. He smiled at her proximity, as she directed him to take the corner of the table with his left hand. She grabbed his right hand with her right hand, turned her back to him, then slid his hand under her shirt to rest on her bare abdomen.
A wave of desire rolled over her, as he pulled her tight against his body. She cleared her throat, and replied, “Can you control your libido, please? I can’t concentrate with that bouncing around in my head.”
“Oh, come on! You just shoved my hand up your shirt. I’m a guy, Shera. What did you expect?”
Hawk burst out laughing, then replied, “I’m not sure I would’ve handled it much better.”
Shera smiled, as she took the smoldering herbs from Hawk. She started to reach upward to begin the cleansing, but paused, “Get handsy, and I’ll cut it off!”
Han smirked at Hawk, then said, “Just to be clear, when you say it, are you referring to my hand or…?”
“Use your imagination!” She smiled again, as Hawk nearly dropped the table from laughing so hard. She took a deep breath and began the ritual.
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