Midnight Rain

by Cecily Magnon

  Wanda pushed up from his seat, shuffling slowly toward the dais.

  “Wandalerius has agreed to help us break the spell cast over the city.”

  The High Guardians looked to each other, some tension easing off of their collective energies.

  “But.” Wanda raised a thin arm. “I will need time. The spell is extremely powerful and complicated. Breaking it correctly will require a lot of work.”

  “You are the Grand Sorcerer.” Caleb spoke up.

  “Even I have my limits, High Guardian.” Wanda responded. “If I do not break this enchantment correctly, I risk the lives of millions of people. They will no longer be in a walking dream. The humans will simply be dead.”

  “A fail safe.” Caleb affirmed.

  “By the demons, yes. Our actions were anticipated. Dead humans mean nothing to the hordes. Dead humans mean more essences they can feed on.”

  “What do you need us to do?” Kingston asked, his sight focused on Wanda.

  “To continue what you are doing. Keep fighting. Keep the demons at bay. To protect as many of the humans as possible. The hordes will escalate the destruction once they know their spell is being tampered with.”

  Kingston stood from his seat, squared his broad shoulders, and addressed the High Mother. “The teams are struggling. Even now, Kash and his men have been called out to help. The demons are moving further out. Attacking more neighboring districts.”

  Isabel gave the weary warrior a shallow nod, “I understand our troubles Kingston, but there is no choice in this.”

  “The civilians are nowhere near ready. We do not have enough resources. Chase, Kimmer, and Brooks are all injured. We are losing out there.” Like a good leader, Kingston was making a plea for the guardians. Will understood. The men and women of The Order were running on empty.

  Wanda took a deep breath. From the front of the room, Wanda held Will’s gaze, his eyes clear and bright. “I am afraid, we must add another great feat upon all of you.”

  Kingston sat hesitantly, allowing the old man to speak.

  “We have another mission. One just as important.” Wanda swept his gaze to Sarah. “We have to restore Elysa.”

  Sarah bolted up from her seat. “Do you know how?”

  Will could hear the desperation in Sarah’s voice. She had been searching for answers. Searching for Ellie. All the while, trying to make sense of what happened to their one and only child.

  “There is a passage in Grim from an old friend of mine. It speaks of a soul catcher. The Ancient Anakim, Phoebe...” His eyes twinkled as he looked at them all. “Phoebe also spoke of a soul catcher with Isabel.”

  Sarah looked at Will. Happiness making her glow where she stood. Her angelic form manifesting its graceful, beautiful glory. Her energy snuffing the tension from the room.

  “Lady Isabel told me of Phoebe’s brief time here at the estate. That she helped contain our Elysa.” The old man paused and studied everyone in the room. “The Ancient told Isabel that a soul catcher was needed to replace Elysa’s soul back in her vessel.”

  “A soul catcher?” Jarron stood from his seat. The broody warrior had been quiet, though Will felt the man’s pulse instantly increase the moment his daughter’s name was uttered.

  Wanda cleared his throat, “Yes.”

  “Wanda, please go on.” Will encouraged.

  “Demons consume human essence like food or a drug.” Wanda shivered and rubbed his hands up and down his arm, his wrinkled face blanching before he started again. “I’ve seen it.” He was shaking his head absently. “It is a dark and baleful thing to witness. The human essence does not lose its consciousness though it leaves the body. The essence becomes more aware, more awake, gaining instant connection to all the world around him. The essence’s experience is magnified as only energy can be magnified.” The small man sniffed. “Human essence is indescribable in its beauty. To see it, is to see the hand of the Creator at its best.” Wanda cupped his hands together. “Now imagine this thing of beauty, and of full awareness, being literally eaten by the foulest and darkest of beings.”

  Katcher’s energy turned dark causing Will to immediately watch the Death Rider. She looked away as if hearing Wanda’s story pained her. Her grip on the sword tightening.

  “The terror. The screams. The essence’s suffering is incomprehensible. Beyond what I could explain in human terms. The slow death that eventually comes is a mercy.” Wanda’s voice was near a whisper.

  Sarah had also noticed the change in Katcher. She moved closer to the woman.

  “But the essence can also be kept alive. To be controlled. Making a spawn out of the once independent being.” Wanda sniffed and straightened, “Only the strongest demon can accomplish this.”

  “Baal.” Jarron growled.

  Wanda nodded. “Yes. And now we must undo the evil that Baal has done to Elysa. A soul catcher can replace her essence back into her body.”

  “William Koraki,” Katcher leveled her gaze upon him “Name the demon.” Her energy was ice-cold. Vengeful. “His dark soul will be yours.”

  Katcher had asked him to be her handler. He’d thought about saying yes, simply because he wanted to give her the name. He’d thought about how easy it would be to unleash death on the demon king. But each time he was tempted, he knew the decision would be wrong. Even now, to hear the Death Rider make a public offer, he knew without a doubt, accepting the offer would have devastating consequences.

  The whole room quieted waiting for him to respond.

  “No.” He held Katcher in his gaze--feeling her energy. She was hurting. Pained by emotions she’d never had to deal with before. Vengeance was not the answer. “No. I will not be your handler.” His voice lowered, an apology embedded in the tone for what he knew he couldn’t deliver.

  Kingston stepped forward. “Will. You can end this right now.”

  Will shook his head. “It’s never that easy.” He looked to every person in the room. He understood their pain, their fears, their worries.

  “There is no easy way out of our situation,” Isabel spoke up.

  Wanda called for attention. “We each have a role in this war. You each have powers and abilities that will be needed. We are all pieces of a puzzle. Each one fitting together in just the right order, and in just the right instances.”

  Seline reached for her mentor’s hand. The young woman was looking more nervous. “We should not do this!” she pleaded.

  Wanda closed his eyes, his frame wilting. “Even if we were to find a soul catcher, this being would need to be able to get to Baal. Sort through hundreds, maybe thousands of consumed essences. And then cast a dark spell,” Wanda concluded.

  “Getting to Baal is impossible. To cast the spell will be extremely dangerous,” Seline added quickly. “He’s the king. And...” She was hesitating. “We have not been able to find Elysa.”

  Will’s heart wretched. He’d been unable to find his daughter. For all his powers, he couldn’t find her. He was reliving his worst nightmare. When Sarah had been taken and hidden away by the demons, he had been unable to get to her. He couldn’t free her. She suffered because he couldn’t protect her. Now it was happening all over again to their daughter.

  Wanda’s voice cut through his thoughts. “The essence must be immediately returned to its vessel once it has been extracted with the spell, or the essence will detach, become lost and...”

  Will held a breath anticipating what Wanda would say.

  “…the vessel will die as will the essence”

  “Elysa must be found,” Isabel commanded. “She is important in this war looming ahead of us. And more importantly she is one of us. Family. We do not leave behind our own.”

  Will turned to the High Guardians. “We need The Order.”

  Jarron clasped his arm, their bond having grown in recent days. “You have us.” The man’s heterochromic eyes were burning with intensity as he gave his promise.

  “We will need a miracle to accomplish all that must be
done.” Wanda rubbed his forehead. ”The city must be protected. The spell must be lifted. Elysa has to be found. A soul catcher is needed.”

  Seline whimpered next to her mentor.

  Kingston walked towards Wanda. The big man loomed, heat radiating from his pores. “The Guardians will protect the city. We will do what is needed to buy you time. But the demons get hungrier by the day.

  “I will do my best the break this dark illusion, High Guardian.” Wanda vowed. The usual smile was absent. In its place was the look of complete determination.

  “Kingston, take heed. Activities will escalate as Wanda gets closer to a solution.” The High Mother warned. Isabel then turned to the Death Rider. “Katcher. I humbly ask for your assistance in defending the city.”

  Kingston turned to the death rider. “It would be an honor to have you alongside the guardians.”

  Katcher narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping between Isabel and the big warrior. Will detected a small smile before she gave her answer. “You have my allegiance.” She gave the High Mother and Kingston a deep, deliberate bow.

  “We will persevere. Our resources will be divided. Gather those you need and may the Great Angels watch over all of you.” Isabel excused the group.

  Chapter Thirty Three

  January 30th, The Order’s estate

  Mary, The Order’s healer finally released Chase from the infirmary, saying that his healing had gone much faster than she anticipated. She said his brain was back to ‘normal’, teasing him there were just some things that were beyond her abilities. She returned his things in a weaved basket. His clothes had been washed and neatly folded. His guns and cell phones lay supported in carved blocks of stiff foam to keep them from slipping. He reached in, almost pulling his hand back when he saw Missed Call flash brightly on his secured cell from the Bureau.

  The General would be asking about his team’s progress on the Seraphim Project. The General had wanted him to gather intel on the existence of the Anakim, as well as the Others living in the city. The General had no clue that Chase and Kimmer were Anakim.

  Chase had no allegiance to the pompous general. He agreed to the assignment to stay close and get ahead of a project intent on revealing his people’s existence. He took the phone, his grip clenching around the device as he dialed the General’s number.

  “Sommer.” The raspy voice answered. “Progress report.”

  “Sir. There hasn’t been any activity except for the demons making nice.” He lied. It’s what he would have experienced were he human. It’s what was all over the news. “The Project is a bust, Sir. We have not identified any supernaturals besides the demons, Sir.”

  “Have you made contact with the demons?” the General asked.

  “No, Sir. You said purely recon.”

  The General cleared his throat, “Good Sommer, good. There’s been a change of plans.” The line quieted. “I am not in a place where I can provide you details.”

  “Sir,” he affirmed. Change of plans? What the hell was the General up to?

  “Next time I call, answer the damned phone!” General Mitchell growled then hung up abruptly.

  Kimmer and Jackson, his men, were coming. He could feel their energies approaching. Jackson came to his side, clasping his shoulder. Jackson was human and had been unaware of the supernatural world until Chase pulled him in. His friend seemed to be finally adjusting. Though ‘finally’ wasn’t a fair word. What could possibly be considered normal in this situation? Recent events weren’t normal, even for him.

  Kimmer, was an Air Strong guardian. It wasn’t until recently that Kimmer had revealed his nature to Chase. The whole time they worked together at the FBI, he had never suspected Kimmer to be anything but human. Being with The Order had been a blessing for Kimmer. I’m finally with my kind. Kimmer said it often, like he couldn’t believe it himself. It was as if he was home for the first time in his life. His friend radiated a different kind of calm since coming to The Order.

  Chase stood from his bed, feeling stiff from no activity.

  “Hey,” a sweet familiar voice grabbed his full attention. “The guys sprang you from your sickbed?” she teased, taking a step closer.

  He wanted to grab her around the waist. Pull her into a kiss her until she could no longer breathe. He cleared his throat. “No. I was legitimately released. Thanks to you.”

  Her perfectly arched brow raised. “Oh?”

  “Yeah. Apparently whatever you did, worked.” Naisa had been visiting him since he’d been grounded in the infirmary. Between Jarron and Naisa and of course, Mary’s care, there was no question, he would get better.

  She turned to Kimmer, “And you seem better as well?”

  “Back to 100%.” Kimmer smiled. “The Order’s infirmary is better than any hospital.”

  “What have I missed?” He was looking to his team just as Caleb approached.

  Caleb stopped, his expression serious, his blue eyes lit up. Chase couldn’t read him, but Caleb was reading him. He could feel Caleb’s power scanning his entire body, more specifically his injuries. He couldn’t block Caleb even if he tried, not anymore. He waited, his mouth twisting in annoyance. As unnecessary as the scanning was, arguing with Caleb would be waste of time.

  The scan receded.

  “Satisfied?” He hit his big brother on the shoulder.

  “Yeah.” Caleb ran his fingers through his dark hair and let down some of his guard.

  “What’s going on?” Chase asked, hoping Caleb would fill him in.

  “Things just got a lot more complicated. Protecting the city is still a priority, but finding Elysa just got elevated.” Caleb swept his gaze between all of them, even Naisa. He knew how Caleb felt about Naisa;he didn’t trust her, despite the good things she’d done since being at the estate. But his brother let it go, his thoughts obviously heavy on other things.

  “Kingston will fill you in.” Caleb started walking away, but called over his shoulder, “Make sure you check in with Sirius. He’s got an update on your project.”

  “Where are you going?” Chase called out to Caleb.

  Caleb waved, but didn’t respond as he headed toward the garage bay.

  “What is going on?” He looked to his friends again.

  Naisa spoke up first. “There’s a new plan. Elysa needs to be found.”

  His stomach dropped. “What about the city?”

  “We’re still needed out there.” Kimmer added quickly. “We’re not abandoning the city. The old man is helping to lift the spell.” Kimmer was shaking his head. “The High Mother has said that she hopes the humans will come to our side.”

  “Who’s supposed to find Ellie? I’m guessing Jarron would take lead on that?”

  “All guardians are assigned to protect the city. The angel will lead the search for Elysa with a small group. Members to be determined.” Naisa added.

  “We don’t have the kind of resources to split up.” Chase’s mind was playing catch up. Too much had happened. “What about the civilians?”

  Jackson was shaking his head. “I’ve been working with the other guardians. We’re training the civis. We’re working as hard as we can.” He stopped and looked at all of them, “The civis are doing their best. But you can’t teach someone to be a soldier or be a cop overnight.” Jackson explained. “That’s what The Order has asked of their people.”

  “Will they be ready?” Chase asked.

  “I don’t know.” Jackson looked solemn.

  “Did we mention the witches bailed?” Kimmer added.

  Chase looked to Naisa. She spent most of her time with Anya and Gina and would have firsthand knowledge of the situation with the Sisters.

  “It’s true. The Council of Elders is broken. Only a handful of the Sisters stayed. Corvidae Coven is still on board,” Naisa confirmed.

  He took a deep breath. It was as good a time as any, to add to the bad news. “General Mitchell made contact.”

  “Oh shit.” Jackson cursed.

  �
�He says plans have changed,” he added.

  “There seems to be a lot of that going around lately.” Kimmer looked as frustrated as he felt.

  Chase turned to Naisa. “When you were with the queen, did she ever talk about plans?” Naisa had provided a lot of good information to The Order. Nest locations, patterns, leaders, portal strong holds, all the things that she witnessed before she escaped the queen’s enslavement.

  Maybe the demons knew about the Seraphim Project. They were slowly learning the demons had been orchestrating this coming-out party for decades. Using influential and powerful humans to help them, like the media. Strategically, it was a perfect plan. He’d often wondered if General Mitchell was one of those influential humans?

  “Yeah. At times.” Naisa shrugged. “It was mostly when she was talking to herself.”

  “What?” Chase asked confused.

  “The queen is a little crazy. I was her slave, not her confidante. Most plans I overheard by snooping,” she admitted. “Seraphim Project?” Naisa was shaking her head. “I don’t... No... I would remember something like that.” She was still searching, her mind working to recall information, “but, did you just say General Mitchell?”

  He noticed Kimmer and Jackson shift. Their focus leveled on Naisa. “Yes, General Solomon Mitchell,” Chase confirmed the name. “Do you know him?”

  “Yes.” Naisa swallowed, her face turning pale. “He’s the queen’s consort.”

  Both Kimmer and Jackson bristled on the spot. Their jaws twitching with tension. “The mother fucker’s been messing with us,” Jackson snarled.

  It made complete sense. How else could General Mitchell have known about the Anakim? Why else wasn’t he panicked about demons being in San Francisco? General Mitchell was in cahoots with the demons. Chase turned to Naisa. “I need you to try and remember anything you can about General Mitchell and the queen. Conversations, locations, meeting places. Anything could be important. Don’t leave anything out.” He needed to get ahead of General Mitchell.