Warrior's Craft Four Geeks & A Witch

by Cheryl Dragon

  “Fine.” Elvis didn’t want to start a fight with Nolan, and the guy seemed edgy enough. They nudged their way to the front and grabbed some promo pieces and a sampler. Most booths would’ve run out by now with the amount of traffic this one had. Who made this much promo for a convention? Especially for a new game with no following?

  “Here.” Nolan slid a flash drive in Elvis’ pocket.

  “You know they’ll have a downloadable upgrade the second we leave. This is a teaser to get people.” Elvis shook his head.

  “And then these will be collectible.” Nolan got in line to get a picture with the Harem girl.

  The security guard tapped Elvis on the shoulder. “Got some news.”

  “What?” Elvis asked.

  “We’re not supposed to say.” He motioned for Elvis to follow.

  In a quiet corner, the security guard still kept a look out. “One of the guys at the hospital just died. We got the information in case any of his friends find out and spread the word. They don’t want anyone to panic. Nothing looks like a crime. I don’t know if you guys are undercover cops or what, but that guy was supposed to be in the clear and fine two hours ago. Now he’s gone? Someone needs to be looking into this.”

  Elvis nodded. “Thanks. I’ll get my team together and regroup with the news. We’ll keep it quiet.”

  He went back to the booth and found Nolan still in line, looking way too excited about a fan picture with a booth babe. This was clearly an older booth babe, but the men acted like she was young and naked. Her face was covered partly by the veils, but he could tell she wasn’t the normal twenty-something.

  There was also darkness in her eyes he didn’t like at all. He didn’t want to leave Nolan alone with her. When Nolan motioned him over, Elvis pretended to take a phone call. No way was Elvis getting closer to that woman until he knew what she was!

  * * *

  Daphne sat on the bed and focused on the dark sensation. The hotel was big, and there were plenty of not so nice people out there. Hunting for the evil one in a thick crowd was harder than she thought.

  “I can’t focus in with all of the options.” She rubbed her eyes.

  “If she was touching Nolan, can you lock in on him?” Kurt asked.

  She looked at the two guys and smiled. They were a solid pair. “It should be easier since we’re connected, but I’m worried his feelings aren’t real. Something is going on.”

  “The going on has been here. Not before. He was every bit as involved as the rest of us. Whatever evil mojo is on him is toying with the real him.” Julius smiled at her.

  Taking a deep breath, she stretched her arms and tilted her neck side-to-side. She loved him, and that was all that really mattered for picking him out of a crowd. Focusing on Nolan, she felt an odd haze in the way.

  Elvis had to be near him. She turned her attention to finding Elvis in the crowds as she slipped back into deep meditation. Her parents had mocked her for all the pop culture stuff she loved and for sitting in her room doing “nothing.” Meditation looked like nothing, but she had gifts.

  Finding Elvis was easy, and he was worried but safe. She reached out around Elvis and hunted for familiar energy. They all had a different vibration when she was near them. Some called it an aura, but she didn’t see the colors. Nolan’s familiar frequency hit her. It was colder than when in bed, but he was only partially in control of himself.

  “Nolan is in trouble. Something has too much influence over him.” She shivered and moved away from Nolan. She followed the cold invisible hand gripping her man.

  “How do we know how to fight it if we don’t know what it is?” Julius asked. “We’ve got tons of websites up, but the options are endless. Demonic possession?”

  “No, she’s not trying to fully possess him. This entity is female.” She knew it was that cougar from the night before. “It’s the same thing that was draining the life out of the men, engaging them in sex, and sucking their energy.”

  “Female demon sucking energy. Life force?” Kurt asked.

  “Yes, she’s old, really old, but she can look any way she wants. Damn, it’s the harem woman.”

  “Sounds like a succubus.” Kurt sat next to her.

  She broke her connection, and she fell back on the bed.

  “You okay?” Julius lifted her up to a sitting position and sat behind her for support.

  “Yes. I needed to let go of that.” She rubbed her eyes. “Succubus. That sounds right. Good, we can vanquish her. That’s a spell I can do.”

  “How do we get her here without falling under her spell?” Kurt asked.

  “We summon her to us and destroy her with one spell. First we need to get Nolan and Elvis away from her.” She stood up slowly.

  “You’re not okay to go down there,” Julius said.

  “I’m fine. We have to get them away from her. Nolan isn’t totally under her power yet. He’s resisting. We need him and Elvis safe, or she’ll grab them and use them as leverage.” Daphne yanked on her boots and headed for the door.

  Chapter Six

  Julius led the charge as they hunted for Nolan. They were supposed to be investigating, but he suspected that Nolan wanted to be back at that booth with the succubus. Hopefully his energy could put off the evil and bring in his men.

  Finding Elvis first, Julius pulled him close in. “Where is he?”

  “In that line for a picture. It’s insanity. These men are obsessed, and I don’t think it’s the video game.” Elvis pointed out Nolan in the long line.

  “He’s getting closer.” Kurt shook his head. “If she gets her hands on him…”

  Daphne nodded. “That’d be bad. Elvis, drag him out here. Tell him I’m sick, and going to the ER. All three of you go! I’ll hold an elevator so he can’t see me.”

  “Is it that serious?” Elvis asked.

  “She’s a succubus.” Julius pushed Elvis toward the line.

  “Damn, knowing this stuff is real and fighting it are two different things.” Elvis walked over and pulled Nolan out of line.

  “What the hell?” Nolan demanded.

  “Daphne is sick. We need to take her to the ER.” Kurt grabbed Nolan’s other arm.

  Julius brought up the rear. The pull of the succubus was strong, but she had plenty of other men to feed on. What Julius was more worried about was Nolan.

  As they led him away, Nolan fidgeted more and more. He jerked free of Kurt and turned back toward the booth. Julius grabbed Nolan by the throat and flooded him with healing energy. He hadn’t done anything like this since before his grandmother, who’d discovered his gift, passed away.

  Nolan staggered along, practically clinging to Elvis, without any more of a fight after that.

  “What did you do to him?” Elvis asked.

  Kurt smiled. “All that energy has to be good for something.”

  “Exactly.” Julius felt a bit weaker as he followed along to the elevator.

  “You’re okay?” Nolan asked Daphne.

  “Get in.” She hit the close door button. “How are you, Nolan?”

  “Julius made me feel better. It’s weird. What’s wrong?” Nolan sounded confused.

  “Nothing is wrong. You’re safe with us.” Julius rubbed Nolan’s shoulders.

  “I want her. I need to go back.” Nolan reached for the buttons.

  Elvis and Kurt pinned Nolan to the back of the elevator. “Not this time. We need to get upstairs so we can make you feel better for good.”

  “I’m fine! I just need to touch her.” Nolan struggled.

  “Wouldn’t you rather have Daphne?” Julius asked.

  Nolan stared at her and relaxed. “I don’t feel good.”

  “We know. We’re going to fix it.” Elvis held Nolan to him. “We love you.”

  The door opened to their floor, and they piled out. Daphne unlocked their room as the men made sure Nolan didn’t get a chance to slip away. Julius watched Nolan’s every muscle movement. He might feel sick and be confused, but if he ha
d a chance to get back to the succubus, Julius expected Nolan to take it.

  * * *

  Daphne went into overdrive the second they closed the door. Locking every option on the door, she hoped it’d hold Nolan if the succubus got full control of him. She didn’t want Nolan to fully understand that they knew about the succubus yet. He might panic, or if the succubus was truly in constant contact with him, it might trigger an attack.

  “Kurt and Elvis, keep things secure. Don’t let things get out of control. Julius, we need a pentagram on one of the beds,” she said.

  “No. What kind of spell are you doing?” Nolan asked.

  “Do it. He’s blocking all his good pagan training and panicking.” Daphne ignored Nolan and grabbed her laptop. She pulled up a spell from her online spell book that would both summon and vanquish the succubus with the proper focus and tools. Using her Wiccan gifts and knowledge to really help people had always been something she wanted to do. She just never thought she’d be using it to save someone she loved.

  With the spell ready, she dug through her bag of spell candles and found five red. Moving to the bed, she found that Julius had killed her lipstick drawing the pentagram but at least they could toss the sheets in the housekeeping closet, and it’d wash out. “Put books out at the points so these candles stand up safely. Elvis, no matter what, you can’t let Nolan go.”

  She looked Nolan in the eye and saw the shock, but he didn’t move or otherwise react.

  Elvis nodded as Julius worked. The large graphic novels collected as giveaways served a good purpose. She lit each candle. She modified the spell so it rhymed and covered every religious power. Right now, they needed all the help they could get.

  Daph centered herself and pulled in her powers. Focusing on the evil which had touched Nolan, she spoke, “God and Goddess of Heaven and Hell, bring to us this woman fell. Rend from her foul desire that she might perish as a moth to fire.”

  A vaguely human form flickered in the center. The form had a misty quality. Daphne focused on it, willing it to become solid. Instead, it vanished.

  Glaring, Daphne dug deeper. Grabbing Julius’ hand, she repeated the spell. A smoky silhouette appeared, and a loud wail filled the room as it blinked in and out.

  Julius repeated the spell with Daphne and Elvis joined in. The trio chanted together, and finally the energy broke in their favor. Daphne felt the glow and expected a burst of light.

  A naked old woman appeared suspended above the bed in the center of the pentagram. Her silent screaming made Nolan struggle more, but the fight was short-lived. Not being able to hear her cry meant she was fully trapped by Daphne’s power. Once they had her, they kept chanting the spell, and she was theirs. The energy of three trumped even a powerful old succubus. She burned to ash while trapped in the sacred symbol.

  “What are you doing?” Nolan shook his head.

  “Saving your life. One of the men actually died from the attacks.” Elvis hugged Nolan.

  Daphne leaned over and blew out the candles before she sat down. Her energy was drained, but the way Nolan looked at her now she knew she had all of her men back safely. Plus they’d saved all the other men that succubus had been preying on. It was sad that one had died.

  “Too bad we couldn’t save everyone.” Kurt moved the candles and held Daphne.

  She cuddled to him, pulling a little energy to help her even out. “With all the young and very sexual masculine energy around here, if she hadn’t targeted one of my guys, I probably wouldn’t have noticed her. If she was smarter, she’d have sensed me and stayed away from Nolan.”

  “Maybe she wanted a challenge? If she got him, she may have tried to steal all our powers,” Julius said.

  “She wanted to cause destruction and death. One succubus could’ve lived off all the energy around here for years without killing them. But a creature that old probably believed she was invincible.” She moaned as Kurt rubbed her neck.

  “You guys need to back up and explain it all. I feel like I’ve had a hell of a nightmare.” Nolan rested his head on Elvis’ shoulder.

  Chapter Seven

  The sensation of freedom was energizing, but Nolan couldn’t put his finger on what had held him captive. Elvis steered Nolan to the bed without ash and lipstick all over the sheets.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing now.” Daph sat next to him.

  Her touch was like pure joy and happiness. Nolan hadn’t realized he wasn’t happy until that moment. Something had felt off, but his memories were choppy.

  “Tell me. I’m trying to remember, but it’s a haze.” He hugged her tight.

  Julius and Kurt cleaned up the other bed and rolled up the sheets in need of laundering. “That harem chick handing stuff out wasn’t just a cougar.” Julius shook his head.

  “The succubus killed one guy here and drained two others so badly they ended up in the hospital. Don’t you remember this?” Elvis asked.

  Nodding, Nolan did remember it. “It feels like a dream.”

  “I think that game gave the succubus a tether to the men.” Kurt detached the flash drive from Nolan’s laptop.

  “I picked up these at the booth.” Elvis emptied his pockets.

  Daphne held one and shuddered. “Toss them in the trash and dump salt on them just in case. The succubus being destroyed should’ve lifted the spell or glamour she put on them, but you can’t be too careful.”

  “Delete it from the computer, please. I don’t want to see that again.” Nolan saw the naked women dancing and screwing the second he closed his eyes. “The spell is broken, but it’s haunting me.”

  “You need to ground yourself. That succubus was playing games in your mind.” She kissed his cheek.

  Kurt tossed all of the Harem Quest promotional material into the trash and grabbed Daph’s bag of salt. Pouring the salt over them seemed silly to Nolan, but he felt lighter still.

  Julius handed Nolan a bottle of water, and he drank deeply. It helped as well. “I didn’t sleep with her, Daph. I swear.”

  “I know you didn’t. She was going after easier targets at first, but I think she sensed your pagan connection. That maybe you had hidden powers she could drain.” Her fingers squeezed over his chest and shoulders.

  “She should’ve gone after Julius. He’s got the energy jolt.” Nolan turned his head and kissed Elvis. “I didn’t hurt anyone, did I?”

  “No, you’re good.” Elvis hugged him tight.

  Nolan grabbed Daphne’s hand and kissed it. “I’m sorry I ruined the trip.”

  “Oh, stop it. You didn’t ruin anything.” She kissed him on the lips. “Don’t blame yourself.”

  “You sensed something dangerous out there. I didn’t listen.” Nolan had to learn these things if they were going to fight evil.

  “You were trying to help the business. The next hot game would do that. But the succubus is gone so she can’t hurt anyone,” Julius said.

  “This game definitely had some sort of spell to addict people, because it’s terribly boring.” Kurt tapped keys like crazy.

  “Don’t play it!” Nolan insisted.

  “I just wanted to make sure I uninstall the right files.” Kurt smiled at Nolan. “It’s okay. The power is gone. You just need to recharge with some good and loving energy. That hag was a user.”

  “She lied and made me believe it.” Nolan wanted to dig a hole and crawl inside.

  “What do you mean? Did you have a lot of contact with her?” Daphne asked.

  “I don’t know. It was like at night someone was whispering that she loved me more, and I didn’t need all of those men. All I needed was that hag.” Nolan sighed. “I thought it was just weird dreams, anxiety about keeping Daph happy, and all of us sharing a woman.”

  “She played on your real and reasonable doubts to open you. She was trying to lure you in.” Daphne shook her head. “You resisted her, and that takes a lot of strength.”

  “All of you were stronger,” Nolan said.

  Jul
ius chuckled. “No. The succubus wouldn’t want Daphne except to steal her powers. Elvis is too grounded, and I grew up around so many witches that I probably sent off the wrong signals. Of us, that left you and Kurt. You were in contact with that game before we did the first protection spell, right?”

  Nolan nodded. “The game and that harem woman were on day one.”

  She grinned at him. “That’s why you were vulnerable. The other guys had the protection so they had a clear shield that would alert them of danger or evil. You were already linked up with the succubus so we couldn’t fully protect you from that.”

  “Maybe the protection spells made it harder for her to access or drain Nolan?” Julius suggested.

  Shrugging, she snuggled to Nolan. “I’m sorry we didn’t protect you better. I should’ve trusted my instincts more. I thought you weren’t sure about me.”

  Nolan grinned. “Not sure about you? We practically had a live webcam connection for the past few months from your place to ours when you weren’t off at work. How could you think we’d be any different?”

  “I know, but before we could always disconnect if we wanted to. This is real and up close. That succubus didn’t control you, not fully.” She touched his face and neck.

  “No, I was in control when we were together. When I was alone with you guys, I felt connected and safe, just sort of frustrated that I wasn’t getting this other fix. She was pulling at me and trying to get me away from you four. I was weak.” Nolan let the press of her soft curves and Elvis’ hard body turn him on.

  “You weren’t weak! That old crone was strong, and it was bad luck. You’re all the stronger for having resisted her.” Daphne nipped at his neck.

  “I think he needs some convincing,” Elvis said.

  Nolan saw them all exchanging smiles but wasn’t sure what the game was. “How can I be stronger, really?”

  “You can keep studying with me. Learn stuff and not only be interested in the video games and the business.” Daphne tugged Nolan’s shirt off while Elvis worked his pants down.

  Nolan nodded and fell back on the bed as they stripped him. He’d felt vulnerable and watched since he came to the hotel. For the first time now he didn’t feel anything but love surrounding him. Totally safe was how he normally existed, and it felt wonderful to have it back, especially with Daphne.