Gathering Storm

Gathering Storm

## Blurb

**Immovable Object - Meet Irresistible Force**

When Alastair Stone investigates a tale of odd events at an abandoned Midwestern paper mill, he figures it's just another hoax. After all, he's seen hundreds of them in his career.

He soon discovers this one isn't a hoax, though—and neither is the backwoods hunter who's suddenly developed healing abilities in Pennsylvania. The only thing the two have in common are the strange, possibly extradimensional rifts spontaneously appearing nearby.

As Stone digs deeper, he finds forces aligned against him—including some of his most trusted and powerful friends. Why are they warning him away from the rifts? And more importantly, why do they refuse to give him a reason?

But when Verity disappears during their investigation, Stone knows he has to get to the bottom of this supernatural mystery—no matter how many enemies he has to make in the process. And when he finally does learn the truth, it comes with the horrifying revelation that he might already have made a terrible mistake.

## Plot

Alastair Stone is feeling a bit lonely. Ian, his newfound son, is off exploring the world. Verity is so busy he hardly sees her, and now she’s planning to move up to San Francisco to work more with Scuro. Jason is busy, too, with his PI cases. So, when Verity brings an odd case to his attention, his restless mind locks on it. A group of teens in a small town in Iowa had a strange encounter with ghosts at an abandoned paper mill but, afterward, they all seemed to forget it. Stone decides a short jaunt to the Midwest will be a good distraction, even if it turns out to be nothing.

## Quotes and One-liners

Stone to Kolinsky: This isn’t the time to start hoarding information like some kind of gods-damned dragon on a pile of gold.

Jason on the magical world: “A lot of good things have happened in my life because of it. I got my sister back from some pretty bad stuff. I met my best friend, even if he does drive me batshit sometimes with how his curiosity gets him into trouble. And my life’s in a lot better place than it was a few years back. So I guess all in all I gotta say it was good for me.”

Verity is working, so Stone goes it alone, heading through the portal to Chicago. The Overworld behaves strangely, with brilliant flashes of color instead of its usual foggy gray. And there are sounds; there are never sounds in the Overworld. Even stranger, when Stone exits in Chicago, he finds he’s lost about seven hours, rather than the five minutes or so the trip should have taken. He resolves to let the magical community know to be wary of the portals.

Devil’s Creek, IA predictably turns out to be a wide spot in the road surrounded by cornfields and trees. Wanting to visit the mill at night, Stone spends his time researching its history, finding the mass deaths of millworkers in a fire in the 1930s adequate fuel for echoes to be present.

When he’s ready to explore the mill, Stone is intercepted by Mitchell Kirkson, a young man who’d been at the party and heard a stranger was asking about the incident. He convinces Stone to ride around with him and listen to his story – he’s the only one who remembers what happened.

According to Kirkson, the mill is frequently the site of gatherings of the local teens to just hang out, listen to music, and drink. That night was the same, until Kirkson and the others began to see other people in the place – men, women and children in old-style clothes. Suddenly, a light like a hole in the sky appeared, and Kirkson found himself \*with\* the strange people, who were running in fear. Just as suddenly, he was back with his friends, who now were also running and yelling fright. They all ran and left the place, not even taking their beer or anything with them. Almost immediately, they all began to forget the details of what happened, except for Mitchell. Some were referred to shrinks, and his own sister was put in a mental health facility, unable to deal with the incident.

Stone goes to the mill and does a brief ritual to kind of prod the ghosts to appear. They do, seeming to be going about their work, when Stone spots a yellow glow in the air, something like a portal. He directs magic at it to test it, and a sudden blinding light and clash of power knocks him out, briefly. When he rouses, the place is dark and devoid of magical energy. He contacts Mitch and tells him he didn’t hallucinate, but it's nothing to worry about; just avoid the place for a while. Mitch says he needs to show Stone something, so they agree to meet the next morning.

Mitch takes him to his house, to his sister Cathy’s room. He’d lied about her being in a facility. For the last two weeks she’s been hiding in her room, with the local pastor coming often to pray over her and cast out her ‘devil’. When Mitch asks to come in, Cathy yells at him to stay out, she can’t take it anymore… They burst in, and Stone magically wrests a razor from Cathy’s hand. Her eyes are glowing the same yellow as what he’d seen in the mill, and her aura is awash with it.

Since contacting the energy at the mill, Cathy is seeing auras, and can’t turn them off.  She can’t be near anything living, and it’s driving her mad. Stone asks Mitch if he can try to help, and Cathy begs him to, if he can. She might as well be in a facility, otherwise. Alastair examines her and finds a tendril of the yellow energy has infiltrated her aura, extending out to…somewhere. He delicately pulls the yellow away, and it dissipates, leaving Cathy’s eyes and aura their normal blue. And just in time. Stone makes himself scarce while Mitch intercepts his father, who has just arrived with the pastor for more demon-banishing.

Stone’s trip home is uneventful, though he does stop to ask the proprietor of the Chicago pub that hosts the portal whether anyone had reported unusual phenomena after using it. No, he says, nothing at all. Nevertheless, he reports his experience to Eddie and other mage contacts, asking them to be wary and report any unusual happenings.

Stone has lunch with Kolinsky to discuss the yellow glow he’d seen in the mill, as well as his experience in the Overworld. Kolinsky says he’ll do some research, but he notes Stone appears to have something else on his mind. Alastair says he’s looking for a master for a young black mage…his son. Stefan, who admits to having children of his own, says he doesn’t want an apprentice, and Stone says he doesn’t think he’d be a good fit, anyway. They leave it with Stefan agreeing to research the rift, or whatever it was, and the Overworld anomaly for free, because he is intrigued. But Stone will owe him if he finds a teacher for Ian.

Meanwhile, Jason travels to work a case in Reno. His thoughts about the shifter elixir, his flagging love life, and other things prompt him to stop in Truckee for lunch as a distraction. As he’s leaving, an SUV slams into his company car, disabling it. He’s not hurt, but the car is undrivable. The SUV’s driver, Amber Harte, apologizes profusely, and offers to buy Jason a coffee while they wait for his car to be towed and the damage assessed, then she’ll drive him to Reno. They chat – he’s a PI, she’s a bartender – until they’re interrupted by Amber’s boyfriend, Hank. He’s angry and confrontational, but Amber has no trouble standing up to him and talking him down and making him leave. Jason says he doesn’t want to cause her trouble, but Amber insists on driving him to Reno. As he says goodbye and heads into the dealership, Jason notes that a bruise Amber had earlier has already healed.

Jason takes a rental car the next day, and completes his assignment – photos of a cheating spouse. He can’t stop thinking about the elixir, and the shifter, Tony, who lives somewhere in the area. He even goes as far as to call Foley to see if he can put him in touch with Tony. Foley says no, he has no way to contact Tony and, frankly, after the events in Garra’s compound (Stone and Claw), he’s happy to be off the elixir and wants nothing to do with it. Frustrated, Jason’s mind wanders to Amber’s warm eyes, then to the bruise on her arm. He calls her and tells her about the bruise. Amber begins to get touchy, and when Jason says he thinks he ‘knows what she is’, she tells him not to call her again and hangs up.

Unable to completely dismiss Devil’s Creek as an anomaly, Stone tasks his students with finding evidence of current occult phenomena for extra credit. A few days later, one of them presents him with information on a man in the Pittsburgh area who suddenly developed healing powers. He supposedly went into Pittsburgh with his cousins, intending to make money off the ability, but a local gang grabbed him and he disappeared. He’s supposedly being held by the gang and forced to heal them, and anyone who’ll pay them.

Stone travels to Pittsburgh where, magically disguised as a nondescript salesman, he makes inquiries at a bar the gang is known to hang out at. He tells a sob story about being unfaithful and being wounded in the leg by a jealous boyfriend. He needs to get his wound taken care of so his wife doesn’t find out. A gang member makes contact and gives him an address to go to. Once there, he’s taken blindfold to another location.

Clyde, the healer, is ordered to heal Stone. Alastair can see the creepy little man is in a panic, so he makes a big deal of ‘healing’ the illusionary wound on his leg, and what a miracle it is. Clyde whispers that his healing power is gone, he needs help to get away.

Just then, a firefight breaks out between the gangers and, apparently, a rival gang. Stone is able to shield himself and Clyde from bullets, and they escape in the gang’s van during the battle. He takes Clyde to a seedy motel and gets his story. He and his two cousins had been hunting out of a friend’s rural cabin when Clyde’s dog was attacked by a bear. They scared the bear away with guns and Clyde ran to the obviously mortally-wounded dog. Suddenly, he felt weird – energized – and his vision went yellow. The dog’s wound healed like it had never been. Clyde and his cousins tried to make bank on this new ability, but the gang found out, killed the cousins, and captured Clyde.

Stone has Clyde direct him out to where he’d been hunting, though as they leave, he spots a shadowy, orange-aura-ed figure watching them. In the woods, Clyde takes Stone to where he healed his dog. Alastair spots an illusion, which reveals a rift similar to the last one, but bigger, and glowing green. Clyde suddenly panics, saying it’s happening again, and tries to run, but he’s caught by something. He jerks and seizes like he’s being electrocuted, then is vaporized.

The shadow/orange figure steps into view and assures Stone he is safe, though Clyde’s death was necessary. It doesn’t refer to Stone by name, but calls him ‘scion’. The figure warns Stone not to interfere with the green rift, or any others; the consequences would be beyond Stone’s comprehension. It reiterates that it cannot harm Stone ‘in this form’, but to heed the warning and leave things alone; all is going according to plan. After it disappears, Stone once again closes the rift. It had been leaking significant energy, and was too dangerous to leave there.

Back home, Verity wonders if Alastair shouldn’t follow the figure’s warning, and leave the rifts alone. But Stone says he can’t just ignore phenomena that are harming people, and he doubts that the entity that so casually killed Clyde has everyone’s best interest at heart. He decides to talk with Eddie and Ward, and ask Kolinsky if the ‘scion’ business is familiar.

Next day, Imogen calls Stone and tells him she’s getting married. Stone feels a bit of distant regret as he wishes her and Clifford the best, and says of course, he’ll be at the wedding. He also receives an anonymous note with text visible only to magical sight, warning him away from the rifts or the consequences will be dire and the writer will have to personally oppose him. Then the text disappears.

Jason has arrived home after having spent another couple of days in Reno, only to be told his car was a total loss. He’s moping, unhappy that Verity is moving away, and that he got stalkerish on Amber, when Amber herself calls. She’s in San Jose and asks him to meet her at her motel. There, she appears to be in pain, but puts off Jason’s questions, asking him what he meant by knowing what she is. Jason says he thinks she’s supernatural, a shifter. Amber admits that she is, one-quarter shifter. She doesn’t get furry, but she does have enhanced strength, stamina and healing.

When Jason tells how he knows about shifters, Amber is surprised to learn he was part of the group that liberated Garra’s compound. She is part bear, and a kind of supernatural bounty hunter. She was badly wounded earlier that day, by a thief/mage she’d been tracking. She’s almost healed, but she’d remembered Jason, and hoped he could contact the friends he’d mentioned who are also aware of the magic side of things. She usually has no trouble with her quarry, but this guy is deliberately baiting her, and he has abilities she can’t match.

without something of is. Amber had gotten a good hit on him and produces a glove with a small bit of blood on it. Verity is able to trace the guy to a warehouse where it appears they’re waiting to fence the items they stole from Amber’s friend in Truckee. When they case the place, Jason overhears two thugs talking, and it’s apparent that Amber’s boyfriend, Hank, heads up the operation. This news is a bitter pill for Amber. Meanwhile, Verity comes up with a plan of action.

The team bursts into the warehouse with Verity providing an illusion of police raiding the place. During the battle, the mage uses his talent to phase from place to place and through things to good advantage. Team Amber manages to subdue the thugs, but Verity has run off after the escaping mage. They find her standing in front of a wall, at the base of which is a small pool of blood. The mage had attempted to phase through but misjudged the thickness and became trapped inside the wall. Amber heads back to confront Hank, leaving Jason hopeful she’ll agree to have dinner with him when things settle.

Stone visits Kolinsky again, but Stefan has no new information on the rifts. So, Alastair relates his adventure in Pennsylvania. He then goes on to include the strange glowing orange figure, and its warning. Kolinsky reacts strongly – for him – when Stone says the figure addressed him as ‘scion’. Kolinsky’s reaction is even odder when Stone shows him the now-blank note, and reads back from his journal what it had said, the warning to cease interfering with the rifts. Kolinsky tells Stone he can’t help him with this matter, and he’ should follow the advice given and drop the matter. He denies being involved with the rifts, but is adamant that he cannot be involved, nor can he help with any consequences if Stone persists.

Livid, but concerned he might have made an enemy of a friend, Stone nevertheless calls Nakamura in Las Vegas. No one on Earth would be better suited to investigate the rifts than Trevor Harrison but, as usual, he’s not around. Running out of options, Alastair goes to Huan’s Antiquities, even though Madame Huan hasn’t been available in quite a while. He’s surprised to find the shop open, with actual customers and an unfamiliar woman behind the counter. She tells Stone that Mme. Huan was called away on sudden urgent business and will probably be away for some time.

A boy browsing overhears and tells Stone he missed Mme. Huan by just minutes. A tall guy in old-fashioned clothes with a Russian accent had come in, then the two had left in a hurry.  Alastair is floored by the idea that not did Kolinsky refuse help, but warned Mme. Huan. What on earth is the man up to, and how is the kind and benevolent Mme. Huan involved?

Alastair fills Verity in on the situation, hoping she’ll have some thoughts since she’s not directly involved. She suggests that, rather than old records, perhaps Stone should be looking for maps, since apparently these rifts are known, by someone, at least. She also cautions that, if Kolinsky and, especially, Mme. Huan want him to leave things alone, they may be trying to keep him safe.

Stone takes the portal to Caventhorne. Eddie and Ward are there, so the three delve into Desmond’s holdings, looking for a map of the rifts. Finding nothing, they adjourn to the Dancing Dragon for a pint or two. Tired, Alastair retires to the townhouse to grab some sleep. His dreams are full of maps and rifts, though, and he tosses until he wakes with an idea. He hurries to Desmond’s library and the huge magical globe there.

The globe is ancient, predating the US, though the landmass is strangely accurate. It also lights up with ley lines and pinpricks of light to magical sight, the pinpricks scattered over the landmasses. Using a helpful magical magnifying glass, Stone confirms that two of the pinpricks seem to coordinate with the two rifts he’d encountered. He identifies three others in the US to investigate. When he tells Verity he plans to check at least the first one out over the coming weekend, she offers to go. She has some downtime, and she can take Kyla for a mini vacation. Stone is reluctant, but agrees. Verity chooses the location in Wyoming, since Kyla had an interest in visiting there. A couple of days later, Stone gets and urgent message from Kyla – Verity is missing and Kyla can’t remember what happened.

Verity and Kyla had driven out to the location of the rift, near a tiny town called Cinder. Kyla was waiting in the Jeep while Verity explored, when suddenly Verity stiffened and…Kyle woke up back in their motel, with no Verity.

Stone gets to Wyoming as quickly as he can and meets Kyla at the motel. They head back out to where Verity disappeared. Kyla and Stone get along like cats and dogs on the drive, and especially when Stone engages in his ‘stream of consciousness’ running commentary as he investigates the area where the town should be, but isn’t. Kyla doesn’t know how Verity can stand it. Still, she warns Stone not to go off without her. Alastair’s monologue helps him conclude that the entire town – and Verity – have been engulfed by the rift.

The pair approach the outskirts of where the town should be. Kyla stays with the Jeep while Stone tests the boundaries, but he gets too close and is pulled in and disappears, from Kyla’s perspective. Alastair, though, finds himself in a colorless, static version of Cinder. Everyone there seems frozen in time. He searches, and eventually finds Verity trapped in the rift, neither in nor out. She isn’t moving, but her aura indicates she’s fighting to get loose. Stone uses his Calanarian power to free her, then explains what happened. They need to find the rift itself and get out, then close it.

As they walk the town to find the rift, they chat. Verity suggests the rifts aren’t Stone’s responsibility, that he should alert others. He responds that most mages are like Eddie and Ward – scholars, not doers. And younger mages don’t get the kind of training anymore to deal with something like this. Verity reiterates her idea that a central governing group is needed. They find the rift and pass through to find an angry Kyla and an unknown man waiting for them.

The completely unremarkable-looking man orders Stone to take the women and go, and leave the rifts alone. When Stone balks, the man threatens Kyla. He’s not allowed to touch Stone, a scion, but he can and will kill Kyla, and Verity, if it comes to it. Kyla distracts the guy by stomping on his foot and Stone lights him up while Verity gets Kyla safely away from him. When the man tries to rise, Stone hits him again. This time, the man tells Stone this isn’t over, and disappears.

Stone hurries to close the rift before the man can return. Cinder reappears, with no one apparently aware that they’d been in any danger. Alastair decides he’s going to have to bring other mages in on this, and hope they aren’t in Kolinsky’s camp, whatever that is.

Jason and Amber meet for dinner in Truckee, and Amber tells Jason that not only did her friends get their goods back, but Hank’s been arrested for the theft. The ‘mastermind’, of course, will never be found. They chat about magic and whatnot, and eventually Amber invites Jason back to her place to see where things go.

Kolinsky shows up at Stone’s house – without triggering his wards. Alastair warily lets him in. Kolinsky tells him he already knows what occurred in Wyoming, and that Stone has bested a mage that should have been beyond his power. Stone says he has his owns secrets to keep. Kolinsky tells Stone that he shouldn’t be talking to Alastair – there will be consequences when it’s found out – but he knows Stone won’t leave things be without more information. But, Kolinsky demands a magical blood oath, so Stone can’t pass the information on – nor have it taken from his mind. The stakes are too high for less.

After the oath is given, Kolinsky leads Stone through a discussion that allows him to tell Alastair, without telling him, about the rifts. They are natural occurrences from the planes rubbing and bumping against each other, like Earth’s tectonic plates. Where the planes intersect, rifts open, letting off magical pressure. If Stone keeps closing rifts, he could precipitate a catastrophe. In fact, it remains to be seen whether the ones he’s already closed with result in any negative effects. As for the magical bleedover, and things like Cinder shifting into another plane, they are unfortunate collateral episodes, and unavoidable. Finally having a \*reason\* why the rifts need to be left alone, Stone tries to turn the conversation to the references to him as a scion. Kolinsky says he cannot answer that, and disappears. Stone is left with still more questions, not least of which is – who is Kolinsky, really?