The Scarlet Dagger

by J. E. Cluney

  I gazed around me at the waiting room, a few other people perched on the waiting chairs, watching the portal with mild fascination as it closed up.

  Marcus was already at the reception desk, and a nurse was hurrying out to assist him as she instructed him to follow her down the hall.

  I headed after them, hating how fragile and small Ollie suddenly looked in Marcus’ arms.

  My eyes stung as we were led into a room with a hospital bed, and Marcus carefully put Ollie down as a doctor rushed in.

  “What happened?” the doctor demanded. He had greying brown hair and bright blue eyes that were alert and focused. His professional attitude as he checked Ollie over quickly with a glowing white hand made me relax a little.

  So he was a witch then.

  ‘Dr Vander specializes in healing and health,’ Marcus informed me as Dr Vander and the nurse inspected Ollie.

  “He collapsed, was convulsing and seemed to be taking on some weird shift. There was golden magical energy surrounding him and sending out shockwaves,” Marcus informed them.

  “This is Oliver Blythe, correct?” Dr Vander murmured as he carefully held his hands over Ollie’s head. “I remember him coming in for the curse years ago.”

  “Yes, that’s since been lifted,” Marcus said, nodding.

  “I can’t find anything in particular, but we’ll run some tests. Would you two mind waiting outside?” Dr Vander asked as the nurse hurried around the room.

  “Of course,” Marcus said with a nod as he took me by the arm.

  I resisted at first, my heart pulling as Ollie remained unconscious.

  He looked so peaceful, like he was just sleeping. I’d do anything for him to just wake up and joke with me.

  To see his boyish smile and hear that stunning laugh.

  “Come on, Ally. He’s in the best care here,” Marcus murmured as he guided me out of the room.

  Lucas appeared in the hall, nodding at us as he went straight in.

  I heard Dr Vander greet him, and it seemed he was happy to get some assistance from a warlock.

  I drew in a shaky breath as Marcus led me to the waiting area, and I sunk into the chair, a numbness washing over me.

  I could feel all eyes on me as I stared down at the floor.

  What had happened to Ollie? I reached out mentally, but his mind was whirring with strange golden magic and odd sensations, and I had to pull away.

  I clasped my hands together as Marcus sat beside me and rubbed comforting circles on my back.

  I instead reached out to Lucas, finding that they were struggling to find anything to explain what had happened. They’d completely checked him over and were hooking him up to some machines to run less magical tests.

  From the sounds of it, they believed he was completely fine and would wake up in an hour or two, as his magic essence had just been depleted a fair bit.

  How could they not find anything wrong?

  “Everything will be okay, I promise,” Marcus murmured as he pulled me into his chest.

  I let out a shaky breath as I nuzzled into him somewhat awkwardly, since we were both sitting down.

  Why was life so hectic for us? Would it really be so bad for us to just have a few months of normalcy?

  I closed my eyes, wishing desperately that Lucas would just tell me Ollie was awake.

  I just wanted everything to be okay.

  13

  I sat on the edge of Ollie’s bed, stroking the back of his hand as he lay peacefully.

  We’d ended up bringing him home at the doctor’s request. They couldn’t find anything wrong and thought it’d be best if he woke up in a familiar environment. They also trusted Lucas to keep an eye on him and portal him back instantly if needed.

  Lucas had called his father, but he was still with the Council and couldn’t return, so instead, Lucas had called Bob.

  Skip had come home, and the boys had worried over Ollie before leaving me alone with him as they all sat in the lounge room while awaiting Bob’s arrival.

  “Please just wake up,” I murmured as I gazed down at him.

  What had all that magic been? And why had he started to shift into some kind of lizard thing?

  At least no one had seen it. Lucas had checked, but we’d been the only ones at the stable thankfully.

  ‘Bob is here,’ Skip informed me.

  I stroked Ollie’s hand, not wanting to leave him unattended.

  I was just glad that whatever pain he’d been in earlier had ceased when he’d fallen unconscious.

  The boys came upstairs with Bob, all filing into the room and surrounding the bed.

  Bob looked mighty concerned as he sat on the opposite side and touched Ollie’s forehead tenderly.

  “So you say there was golden magic and he was undergoing some strange shift?” Bob asked as he gazed at his grandson with a deep furrow in his brow.

  He looked quite weary right now, and his blue button-up shirt had various stains on it. We’d probably called him away from some farm work. His white beard looked a little unruly, like he’d forgotten to trim it today.

  “Yeah, it was powerful, knocked us on our arses, and we couldn’t get close to him,” Lucas said.

  “I wish I’d hung around longer. I just wanted to get Million home before all the traffic kicked in as others left. Thanks for calling me though,” Bob murmured as he pursed his lips. “I did find another old history book on our family that I read through last night. There was something in there that makes me wonder if it’s what all this is about.”

  “What was it?” I asked instantly, my heart lurching at the sliver of hope.

  “It was an old legend of the Blythe ancestors. Apparently, within the bloodlines lies a true beast, something rare and powerful that very few of our line can shift into. It hasn’t surfaced in many generations and doesn’t awaken easily. The last one was almost a millennium ago. It doesn’t say what he turned into, just that it was a powerful beast,” Bob shared with us as he toyed with his beard.

  “Wonder if that has something to do with the dagger too?” Skip mused.

  I just stared at Ollie. Was it possible this was it? Was he capable of shifting into something quite powerful?

  “Wonder what kind of beast?” Marcus said softly.

  “It looked lizard-like. Could be a basilisk, dragon, some kind of serpent, hell, even a giant fucking Komodo dragon for all we know,” Lucas said with a sigh.

  “Could be something that doesn’t even have a name, like a serpent pig with five tails that shoots lasers from its eyes,” Skip said, then snorted.

  “Surely there’s some kind of information to be found. Where did the Blythe’s originate from?” Lucas asked.

  “Some of the earliest ancestors were a mix of European and British, and apparently, we had some Viking ancestors too. Two hundred years they’ve resided in Maple Grove, being one of the founding families of the town,” Bob explained.

  “Founding families?” I mused. I knew there were renowned supe families here, but how many were founding families?

  “The Brady family is one too,” Lucas added. “There’s only a handful of founding families still here. Many moved towards the coast to settle over the years.”

  “I don’t know if you can find any more information on this legend, or where you’d even start,” Bob said, then sighed.

  We all fell silent as Ollie stirred, and I let out a breath of relief as he opened his eyes, looking a little out of it.

  “Hey, how you feeling?” I asked gently as Bob rested a hand on his shoulder.

  “Sore, tired,” Ollie mumbled as he eased himself into a sitting position, frowning at the crowd around him. “What happened?”

  “You don’t remember?” I asked, touching his cheek softly.

  “I remember going back for my phone…then feeling really weird, like something was happening inside me… It burned. Then I collapsed. Don’t remember anything after that,” Ollie said slowly as he struggled to remember. He slipped into my mind,
finding the memory as his eyes widened.

  “What was I turning into?” he whispered as he pulled his knees up in front of him.

  “We’re not sure,” Bob said with a sighed as he gave his shoulder a squeeze. “But we’ll figure it out.”

  Ollie just nodded as Bob rose.

  “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. Do you want me to hang around, Oliver?” Bob asked softly.

  “It’s okay, I know you probably have things to do at home. I’ve got everyone here with me, and they’ll look out for me,” Ollie assured him, but I knew his mind was still stuck on what had happened to him.

  He was scared, and I didn’t blame him. None of us had any idea what was happening to him.

  But Bob’s story about a beast legend was the closest thing we had to an answer.

  “Okay. You call me if you need anything, got it?” Bob said firmly, and Ollie nodded as we all answered in agreement.

  “Just rest up. You need it,” he added as Lucas headed out with him.

  “A pig with laser eyes, huh?” Ollie asked with a snort as he found the memory in our minds.

  “You never know. That’d be pretty cool though,” Skip said and smirked.

  Ollie forced a chuckle, but it didn’t reach his eyes as he stared at his knees.

  I reached out to rest a hand on his knee, and he gave me a grateful smile.

  “How about we watch a movie? Get some rest?” I suggested. It was the easiest thing to do.

  Ollie nodded softly as he rose, but I could feel his tiredness through our bond.

  He seriously was drained after everything.

  “I’ll make some milos,” Skip said instantly as he headed off.

  “Want anything to eat?” Marcus asked as he offered Ollie some assistance, but he waved him off.

  “Peanut butter and jam toast?” Ollie said after a moment of wondering.

  Marcus nodded as he flitted off, and I sent him a mental message that I’d love some too as I helped Ollie out into the hall and down the stairs.

  “I hate not knowing anything,” Ollie muttered.

  “I know. I wish we could figure it out right now,” I murmured.

  Ollie just stared hard ahead of him as we entered the lounge room.

  We plopped down on the lounge, and I switched Netflix on as Skip appeared with some milos for us.

  “What we watching?” Skip asked as he handed Ollie a glass first before giving me one.

  “Not sure. Maybe something Marvel,” I mused.

  “Sounds good to me,” Skip said as he hurried back to the kitchen.

  Both he and Marcus returned as Ollie and I found a movie to watch, and we munched away on the toast, which Marcus had also made for himself.

  “Hey, I’m going to head to the station to meet up with Charlotte and see if we can lift all the magic from Claire,” Lucas said as he popped his head around the door.

  “Good luck,” I said, and he nodded as he headed off, opening up a portal in the kitchen.

  He was hopeful this would be the last round of working on it, and that afterwards, it’d be lifted.

  And hopefully, she could give us more answers.

  Ollie struggled to relax as we watched the movie, and he ended up lying on my lap as I played with his hair.

  He closed his eyes, and I knew he was trying to clear his chaotic mind and just focus on the sweet sensations as I caressed his scalp and gently swirled his hair between my fingers.

  He drifted off after a while, unable to remain awake as the rest of us enjoyed the movie.

  Marcus even stayed, despite his desire to work on Nightwood, whereas Skip was immersed in the movie.

  I just wanted everything to go back to normal, for us to have no worries or fears, and where my biggest concern was just handing an assignment in on time.

  Maybe one day. But I doubted it would be any time soon.

  I closed my eyes as the movie ended, Ollie still sleeping peacefully in my lap. At least he was worry free right now, lost in a dreamland escape.

  Too bad I couldn’t feel my left leg at all, and my right was tingling badly.

  Lucas was still working with Charlotte when I checked in, but they were close to finally freeing Claire from the grips of the magic.

  Trish had returned home, giving me a small wave before heading to her room. Considering her messy hair and the way Skip snorted, she’d clearly had fun. This was confirmed when Skip mentally informed me she reeked of sex.

  I glanced over at Marcus and Skip on the opposite lounge. Skip was scrolling through his phone, while Marcus looked to be thinking hard.

  A peek in his mind revealed he was worried about all this stuff with Ollie and the fact we had to find the dagger.

  I was right there with him, unable to shake the uneasiness.

  Ollie stirred in my lap, and I gazed at him as his eyes opened sleepily.

  “Feeling any better?” I asked as I stroked his hair.

  “Still tired,” he admitted as he slowly sat up and stretched his neck.

  I nodded as I traced soft circles on his back, and he relaxed with a soft sigh.

  “I’ve been thinking. Maybe my parents might know something about the legend Pop told us about,” Ollie said as he stretched his neck.

  “How would they know more than Bob?” Skip asked as he looked up from his phone.

  “They have more reach than my pop, friends in high places,” Ollie said softly.

  “Would they tell you?” I asked.

  “I really have no idea. My dad would,” Ollie said with a sigh.

  “Don’t they have some charity dinner and ball thing going on?” Skip pointed out.

  “That’s today?” I asked, frowning. I remembered speaking with Lucas’ mother about it, but I hadn’t realized when it was.

  “Yep,” Ollie said and groaned.

  “Well, this rates as more important than some fundraising. We need to figure out what’s going on with Ollie,” Marcus stated as he rose.

  “Ohhhh, are we crashing their party?” Skip shot to his feet in excitement.

  “We’re not crashing anything. We’ll simply go and see if we can speak with my father,” Ollie grumbled.

  “Should we change into something more appropriate?” I asked, thinking about the fancy dinner and supposed ball.

  Since when did people ever do balls here in Australia? Guess that was rich folk for you.

  “Nope. They’ll suck it up,” Skip said with a smirk, taking delight in the thought of pissing off Ollie’s mother and sister.

  After all they’d put him through, I understood why all my mates weren’t fond of them.

  “Heading out?” Trish asked as she appeared at the doorframe, freshly showered.

  “We’re trying to get answers on Ollie’s other form,” I said, but she gave me a confused look.

  Right. She didn’t know what we’d learned today.

  Skip explained everything to her, and her eyes just widened in shock.

  “So he can turn into some kind of beast? Incredible,” she whistled.

  “We just don’t know what yet,” I said with a sigh.

  “Well, you best go and find out whatever you can,” she said with a firm nod. “I’ll just watch a show or something. Don’t stress about me. Hell, I might even nap, I’m a little drained after today,” she said with a sly smirk and winked at Skip, who rolled his eyes with a knowing smile.

  “Well, let’s get moving. The sooner, the better,” Skip stated as he headed straight out of the lounge room. At least he was wearing a singlet, although I doubted that would meet the dress requirements for one of Ollie’s mother’s events.

  ‘Not even close,’ he grumbled as Marcus followed after Skip with us.

  We were all dressed quite casual, but we didn’t ponder it as we loaded into the cruiser and Ollie sent his dad a text in hopes of hearing from him.

  He didn’t get a response.

  “So this is where you lived?” I whispered as Skip turned up the long concrete driveway
lined with gorgeous, flowering trees and fenced off with white wooden posts. There didn’t appear to be anything in the paddocks, although it was mowed and there was an abundance of flowering bushes that were all neatly trimmed strewn around the place.

  Farther up the drive was the giant white mansion-like house, with an array of vivid gardens surrounding it.

  Off to the side was a carpark, and Skip drove his rumbling beast up, parking alongside all the Mercedes and BMWs. There were a few other expensive looking cars, but Skip’s old green beast stood out like a sore thumb here.

  Ollie’s distress became evident as he slid down in his seat, scowling at his old family home.

  I’d thought Lucas’ house was big, but this was even bigger.

  ‘They’re all about their image,’ Ollie spat.

  I frowned as what appeared to be a greeter in a fancy red uniform spotted us entering the carpark as we passed the big water fountain.

  His expression was not evenly remotely enthused. In fact, he looked like he was planning to chase us off.

  Skip pulled in beside a fancy looking black Mercedes, and we all clambered out as Skip scoffed at the cars around him.

  “Excuse me,” the greeter said as he hurried over. “This is a private event.”

  “Should’ve had someone on the gate then,” Skip stated as he stared up at the huge home.

  “I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the man said as he held his head high. A quick inspection revealed him to be a witch, and he had his brown hair carefully slicked back. He looked extremely polished, and I felt even more out of place here.

  To think the charity dinner was in Ollie’s own home. I’d expected it to be at some fancy venue, but I guess his old home was fancy enough.

  ‘Mom has witch friends who make the dining area and ballroom bigger for them. They can decorate them in a pinch too,’ Ollie murmured as he slunk behind Skip with me.

  “We’re not going anywhere. We’re here on important business,” Skip stated as Marcus stepped forward.

  The greeter flicked his gaze at Marcus, clearly caught off guard by the vampire in his presence, considering the sun was only now setting. He looked only a few years older than us.