Against All Odds (Kaliss Book 3)

by Cree Storm

  “But I don’t understand. You don’t want me to use my magic, because you don’t like it, but I am magic. I was created by magic. Me, Nelson, Arlo… all from Saturnalia are pure magic. How can you love me if you don’t like magic?” Helio asked, still not understanding.

  “It isn’t magic we don’t like… well it is, but it isn’t. Damn it, Jael help me out here,” Sabien said in frustration.

  “Do you remember when you spoke of the time the dragon butterflies came to the human realm to help the vampire?” Jael asked.

  Nodding, Helio softly replied, “Yes.”

  “Ever since that time, the vampire have always struggled with magic. It isn’t that we don’t like it, but we don’t like it used on us… not that we don’t like it used at all. I can tell you, if it wasn’t for Kerrick and his mate’s assistance with their magic, we never would have had Kaliss prepared for the competitions we just held,” Jael explained.

  Helio thought a moment, then said, “So what you’re saying is that it isn’t the magic you don’t like, just magic directed at you?”

  Nodding, Sabien and Jael both said, “Yes.”

  “So, you don’t trust that I would never hurt you with my magic?” Helio asked.

  Sabien looked uncomfortable and Jael didn’t look him in the eyes, as he muttered, “We didn’t say that.”

  “Uh huh. If that’s how you want to be. I will honor your request.” Helio said, waving his hand once more and both his mates were naked yet again.

  “Hey!” Both Jael and Sabien shouted.

  Helio walked to the door, saying, “I’ll see you when you finish dressing. I’m going to talk with Kondra.”

  Helio didn’t want to waste any more time getting to his friend. He had to talk to Kondra and find his other friends. He’d figure out all this magic crap excuse bullshit his mates were giving him later. “Good luck finding your clothes.” Helio muttered, then snapped his fingers.

  * * * *

  Helio appeared at Kondra’s bedside. Arlo, Ringo, Digi, and Kilo were sitting in chairs surrounding his bed and Kondra’s eyes were closed. A man he never met before was checking Kondra’s IV. When he was done, he smiled at Helio. “You must be Helio.”

  Nodding, Helio replied, “Yes. Who are you and what are you doing?”

  The man smirked. “A protector of friends and I bet, family. Very honorable trait. It is to be respected.”

  “You can respect me later. For now you need to answer my question,” Helio demanded. He was in no mood for another vampire giving him shit.

  “I’m Jarius. I’m the nurse that works with Doctor Coulter and I was making sure your friend here has plenty of fluids to help rehydrate him. His time in captivity has left him seriously lacking,” Jarius explained.

  Helio remembered Tango mentioning his nurse and let it go at that. Nodding, Helio said, “Thank you.”

  Smiling Jarius replied, “You’re very welcome. I’ll leave you all alone to visit. Just don’t wake him. He needs his rest.”

  Once Jarius was gone, Kilo whispered, “He just fell back to sleep a few minutes ago.”

  “Well craptastic. Did he say how he ended up here?” Helio asked.

  Shaking his head, Digi replied, “He only said he needed you.”

  “He said that?” Helio asked, “But why?”

  Shrugging, Arlo mimicked. “Helio. Helio. Need Helio.”

  Sighing, Helio sat on the edge of the bed, taking Kondra’s hand. “I’m here, Kondra.”

  Kondra didn’t move, nor did his eyes open.

  “I don’t get why he isn’t healing quicker. We’re fucking magic for goddess’ sake,” Digi hissed out in frustration.

  Helio snorted, “Don’t remind me.”

  “What’s wrong, Helio? You look like someone burned down your house, killed your dog, and your momma died in the process,” Ringo said.

  Helio turned to Ringo. “I’m not a country song, Ringo. And how the hell is it that you guys know about country songs and nothing about cell phones?”

  Shrugging, Kilo replied, “Jensen would always sing to us, remember? Well, I asked him once what it was and he said it was a country song. When I asked him what a country song was, he said that some people would say its songs about burned down houses, dead moms, and dogs.”

  “And drinking. Don’t forget the drinking. I want to try the drinking thing before I leave this realm. Maybe my friend will have one of those beer things with me when I find him,” Arlo said.

  “My mates don’t like my magic,” Helio said, with a sniffle.

  Digi and the others looked confused as hell. Jumping from the bed, Helio tossed his arms in the air. “I know, I don’t get it either. They knew I was a magic creation when they mated me and…”

  “Helio, tell us what happened. Maybe we can help figure it out,” Digi suggested.

  “After Arlo left, Sabien said we needed to hurry and find out what Kondra wanted with me. So, I waved my hand and we were all dressed. I just figured that we could save some time. Well, you would have thought I’d put poison ivy down their pants or something.” Helio stopped, then grinned. “Maybe later.”

  Pacing the room, Helio continued to explain everything that happened with his mates, then let them know their bullshit excuse. Once he was finished, Helio said, “So, the way I see it, they don’t trust me.”

  “And hiding their clothes with magic is going to help that situation how?” Arlo asked.

  Helio pursed his lips, saying, “I was pissed, okay? Besides, I didn’t use my magic on them, I used it on their clothes instead. Big difference.”

  Digi muttered, “I don’t get it. What was the big deal? It isn’t like you put them in a dress and heels.” Digi quickly looked up. “Did you?”

  Rolling his eyes, Helio said, “Of course I didn’t.”

  “I get it,” Arlo said quietly, from the other side of the room.

  Helio scoffed, “Then please, oh wise one, explain it to me, because I have no damn clue, but the one I told you. They don’t trust me.”

  “It isn’t you they don’t trust, Helio, it’s the magic. Can you blame them? From what the goddess said, many lives were lost on both sides of the war as well as the battle with the vampire and mage. The mage had to have been tossing spell after spell on them, killing them off one by one, two by two, and so on. I imagine when they returned to their leader and told them what happened and the story got out that their family was dead and this was how, then of course, they told their children and the cycle continued, so trusting magic might be a bit hard,” Arlo replied.

  “But, I’m their mate. I would never hurt them,” Helio insisted.

  “And they know that, but you have to remember, they have known you for just a very short time and this fear has been embedded into them. Just give them time and they’ll come around, Helio. It isn’t lack of trust in you, it’s lack of trust in magic all together,” Arlo stated firmly.

  Helio felt hope returning to his heart. “You really think so?”

  “Yes we do,” Sabien said, from behind Helio.

  Turning Helio gave his mates a sheepish look. “I’m sorry.”

  Jael and Sabien came to him and he soon found himself wrapped in their arms. Sabien kissed the top of his head, saying, “We’re sorry too, baby. Just don’t go running off like that. When any of us are upset with each other, we have to talk about it. Now I admit, Jael and I could have handled the situation differently.”

  “And we promise to work on our unease with magic. We only ask that you be patient with us,” Jael softly said.

  Nodding, Helio replied, “I can do that, but you have to remember as well that I’ve been using magic my entire life. I’ve never had a closet, because I never had clothes to put in one. I’ve always just conjured them up, and I don’t normally walk places, I just snap my fingers, or wave my hand and I’m there.”

  “Well, then we are going to have to take you shopping and you are going to learn different modes of transportation, because you might be able to ge
t away with your way of getting around in Kaliss and other covens, but when it comes to other locations, we can’t take the chance that when you poof that humans that don’t know about paranormals aren’t right there to see you,” Jael stated.

  Kondra’s moan had the three men separating and Helio rushed to his friend’s side. “Kondra? It’s Helio.”

  Kondra’s eyes blinked a few times before finally opening. The second he saw Helio, he hoarsely whispered, “The others? Did you find the others?”

  Shaking his head, Helio said, “No, we were hoping you might know what happened to them.”

  Jarius returned to Kondra’s side and used a flashlight to look into his friend’s eyes, then checked his pulse and listened to his heart. “Welcome back again. Don’t tire yourself out and if you’d like some water you can have it, but small sips. Otherwise you might get sick.”

  Kondra nodded and Helio waited for the nurse to leave before he asked, “Kondra, where are the others? Were they with you here and were sent away, or…”

  “Vegas. The last time I saw them… cages… Vegas,” Kondra rasped, before Helio could finish.

  “You were taken when you got to Las Vegas?” Helio asked.

  Digi brought over a cup of water with a straw. Kondra drank deeply then took a minute to gather himself. Finally he explained as best he could. “We followed Lochas’s magic trail. We saw a sign that said, ‘Welcome to Vegas’. Ianis got a lock on the magic trail again and we found ourselves in a place like Vegas, but not as full…”

  “Please tell me you didn’t go to The Tomb,” Helio practically begged.

  Nodding, Kondra replied, “Yes, that was the one. We entered and the next thing I remember is waking up in a cage and the others were around me in cages of their own. One guy said, ‘This one’s awake.’ And then they shot me with something and I woke up where you found me.”

  Kondra gripped Helio’s arm tightly. “Helio, you have to find them. You have to save them and bring them home. But not Saturnalia. They are trying to find its location, Helio. No one is safe there. No one!”

  CHAPTER 12

  “We need to contact Jewel so he can use his link to Ezra and let him know what’s going on,” Nelson said, as he flopped down into the couch in the main room of Heskel’s coven house.

  “I agree with you, mate,” Orion replied, as he sat behind Heskel’s desk. “This place is even more fucked up than we imagined. We need him to send more men to guard this coven and take over until Ezra can appoint a new Scion.”

  “And what about my friends, Orion? I know you need me here and Briar back in Kaliss, but I just can’t stand here and do nothing when I know they’re out there somewhere suffering. I need to go look for them,” Helio said.

  “I understand that, Helio, which is why Nelson and I want to get a message to Ezra right away and have him send more guards. I was also thinking of calling on Jewel’s brother Kerrick and asking if his mate Dain could join us in your stead. We need someone with some serious magic here to help us,” Orion replied.

  Nelson sat up straight and glared at his mate as he threw his hands in the air in frustration. “And what the hell am I, chopped liver?”

  Orion immediately stood and went to Nelson’s side, then scooped him up into his arms and sat, placing Nelson on his lap. “You are never chopped liver, baby. You are amazing and your magic is astounding. I would just like another heavy hitter here with us, because of all this crap with Heskel. More eyes and all. If we all have to stick together in one group it will take us a lot longer to get things done, as you already know. Having you and Helio here, so we can split up has helped cut through all this shit faster.”

  “Then, there’s also the fact that we have to figure out how that asswipe Regal… Remus was his name? We need to find out how he got out of his cell, who killed him, how they got him in the ceiling, and why?” Jael added.

  “That’s because I put him there,” Manchester announced as he entered the room carrying a tray with a porcelain tea set and an overflowing plate of cookies.

  “Excuse me. Did you just say that you put Remus in the ceiling?” Orion asked, dumbstruck as he moved Nelson from his lap.

  Manchester placed the tray on the table and replied, “Yes, sir, that is what I said.”

  Sabien moved closer and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder as he straightened. “Manchester, do you realize what you’re saying?”

  Manchester gave him a sad smile as he replied, “Yes, Sabien, I do. I got Remus out of his cell, took him to the central office, killed him, then put him in the ceiling. I was hoping he would hold there long enough until you all left, but…” he shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “It happened sooner than I expected. I thought for sure that the rails in that ceiling were stronger and that no one would go into the central office. I assumed you all would go right to Scion Heskel’s office.”

  “Why did you kill him?” Nelson questioned.

  As Jael asked at the same time, “How did you get him out of his cell while it was being guarded?”

  Manchester turned to look at them and replied, “Scion Heskel insisted each cell in the dungeon have a hidden door, so that he could get into each cell whenever he wanted. I know about them, because I was always sent by the Scion to clean and prepare the cells.”

  “Okay, so that explains the how, but what about the why?” Nelson asked.

  Suddenly Manchester’s eyes filled with sadness, but it didn’t stay long. Soon those eyes were glowering with anger and hatred. “That bastard raped my daughter, my sweet angel. He took her against her will and said it was his right as Regal to take whoever he wanted as his plaything. I tried to stop him, but the guards held me back, then threw me in one of the dungeons for a week. When I was released, I went home to find that my precious daughter, Petra, was dead. She killed herself,” he finished the last part in a near whisper.

  Nelson and Helio each gasped, then Nelson went to the man and took one of his hands. “That is awful. Why… how… Sorry, those are stupid questions.”

  Manchester gave Nelson a friendly smile as he replied, “Not at all. Of course you would want to know. My Petra was my only child. It had been just me and her for so long. When her mother… my Sue, was taken from me when Petra was a small child, I didn’t want to go on anymore without my Sue, but one look at my little girl and I knew I had to go on for her. She became my whole world, my life, then he took her from me.” The last words came out cold and full of fury and only got more intense as he went on. “When those bastards Lysander and Marius came to my home after I called them, they laughed. They actually laughed and said she was too weak to keep up with Remus’s stamina and dark needs. Then they took great pleasure in telling me how he beat her and abused her every day that week, doing unspeakable things to her. Then that very morning when I was to be released, he sent Petra home to wait for me. In the two hours between him sending her home and then Scion Heskel releasing me, my beautiful girl took her own life, and it was all because of him. After that, they took my home and said seeing as I no longer had a family that I was to be put in the coven house with the other singles and made to be one of the coven keepers.”

  Nelson put an arm over the man’s shoulders in comfort. “I am so sorry for everything you have had to endure, Manchester. I don’t even know what to say. Gods, how awful.”

  “A coven keeper? What does that mean?” Orion asked.

  Sabien cleared his throat, then replied, “They made all the singles over a certain age their slaves. Manchester and the others living in the original coven house had to do everything for them. Cook, clean, take care of the house and grounds, do laundry. You name it and they had to do it.”

  “So, not coven keepers, but coven slaves. Damn it, how deep does Heskel’s depravities go? Does the man have no morals, no empathy?” Orion hissed angrily, as he paced the floor.

  “No,” Manchester, Strife, and Sabien all responded together.

  Orion turned to face Manchester, then moved across the room to
stand in front of him as his face softened. “Words cannot express how sorry I am for what has been done to you and your family, for the depth of your pain and loss. I can only tell you that we are here now to make sure these things never happen to anyone ever again in this coven. I wish we had known of these things sooner, so that maybe we could have made a difference for you, but unfortunately we have come too late.”

  “I understand, Regal. I know it is not your fault, or the Re’s. I have never blamed any of you, but I am relieved that you are all finally here, so as you have said, no one else will have to go through the horrors that those pigs have put us all through.”

  Orion placed a hand on Manchester’s shoulder as his eyes filled with pain and guilt. “I’m sorry to say that even though I understand why you did what you did, and please know that I would have done the same if I were in your shoes, but…”

  Manchester gave a slight smile as he finished Orion’s thoughts, “But, as Regal to the Re, you still need to arrest me, so that I may be punished for my crimes. I understand, Regal.”

  Nelson’s eyes went wide and filled with horror as he gasped, “What? No! Orion, we cannot punish Manchester for what he did. Killing that piece of crap was a good thing and Manchester should be rewarded.”

  Orion turned to his mate and pulled Nelson into his arms. “I agree with you, sweetness, but as Regal to the Re, I am sworn to uphold our laws. We will bring Manchester back to Kaliss and Ezra will speak to him, then decide what punishment, if any, he will get. Please trust in Ezra.”

  Nelson sighed heavily as he leaned into Orion, cuddling against his chest. “You’re right, mate, and I do trust in Ezra, completely, but this still sucks.”

  “Keir, take Manchester into custody and bring him back to Kaliss. Put him in our cells there until Ezra can meet with him. Until then, he is to be treated with respect and not like a criminal,” Orion ordered.

  “Yes, Regal,” Keir said as he bowed his head, then moved closer.