by JN Moon
Orion’s spell would be broken once Mabel became powerless. I knew with myself and Sabian and his pack, we could detain Orion easily enough.
And we still had to keep our promise to Althea, Kyle, and the others and get back to their time. What concerned me, in doing this, in helping them would that effect the future? Either way a promise was a promise. I just hoped we would all make it back to my normal reality in one piece. Without them we would have died, or worse been captured.
Damien broke my silence. “You really loved her, didn’t you?”
“That’s very perceptive of you. Yes, and I still do. I’d appreciate it if you kept that to yourself.”
Damien tilted his head and smiled. “So, you’ll need a plan then?”
Squinting, I looked at him questioningly. Apparently, he could also read my mind now, too.
“Well, you’re going to save her, so we’ll need to change her, you know once we’ve banished the evil from her,” he whispered.
Nodding I answered, “I’d appreciate it if you kept this from the others for now until I know what to do.”
To Save Souls
Anthony
Marcus and Damien left mysteriously, but I had a hunch Damien had unlocked something. Going into the living room where he had performed the ceremony, I shuddered as an icy chill blew over me. It was refreshing, as if someone had just decluttered the room, cleaned it, and left it to air. Grabbing some logs from the wood basket, I placed them on the dying embers of the fire.
“I wonder what happened?” Rebecca asked.
Glancing up, I saw Stuart and Rebecca steal another quick glance at each other. They were sitting next to each other and their attraction was obvious, though Rebecca tried to hide it.
“Pandora’s box, I should think,” Claude answered. “Think about it for a minute; it’s not hard to figure out. Mabel is a human and look at the power she’s amassed. Now take Damien, a hybrid. Half vampire, half demon. Practising magic, the consequences are great indeed.” His smile lit up his whole face. “Ladies, gentleman, I think we have just encountered our first supernatural warlock! To think...” He grinned and plonked himself most uncharacteristically into a chair next to the roaring fire.
“Can we drink the blood that’s left do you think?” Eliza had picked up the chalice and was smelling it.
“Marcus’s blood is in there. Maybe,” I said jumping over to her. I put my hand on hers to stop her as she moved it to her lips. As our skin touched a quiver ran through me. Looking up, our eyes fixed on each other. I gulped. “Wait! Traditionally blood of a nephilim will kill a vampire, scorching their insides like liquid flames. But...maybe you’ll be alright. My blood is mixed in with another more powerful than any of us.”
As my words stumbled out, Sabian shifted, as did the others. “Whose blood is yours mixed with?” He looked to Nathaniel and Rachel. Before I could answer tactfully, Nathaniel answered him.
Nathaniel sauntered over to me, and mocking the situation he stood behind me, his hands on my shoulders, whispering in my ear. “Anthony was chosen by Emidius. Emidius is a demi-god, the most powerful creature that we know of. But...that happened over a year now, so who knows if her blood that pumped through his veins is still potent. I could try if you like, Anthony?” He grinned, did a mock bow to Sabian, and went to the other corner to pick up one of the small bowls containing all our blood before returning to his seat.
“But what if it makes us stronger?” William asked. “Who would be willing to try it? I think we must if we’re to succeed.”
Rachel looked around, but didn’t offer. There was no point for her to try. She, like Damien, was a hybrid now. Sabian furrowed his brows, not keen on the idea, but I could see he thought it over.
“Very well, I’ll try it then.” Nathaniel laughed. “Just a drop. If I fail, Anthony, I’m counting on you and Rachel.”
Rachel smirked. Asking her to help him was like the Devil himself to make a pact; they had a bad history together.
Dipping his long finger in slowly, he examined the blood on it. Like crushed cherries and gleaming, thick it sat there and slowly he raised his finger to his mouth and placed it on his tongue. Closing his eyes and sitting back, he looked languid and sensual. His head rolled slightly as he soaked up the experience and he stayed like this for some time. We all watched him expectantly, me wondering if he would suddenly be gripped by seizures from the fiery blood. It had happened to him before, but I had saved him. That was a long time ago.
Eventually, he opened his eyes and took a sip. “This is good.” He stretched out the last word. Eliza went to move the chalice, and I realised I still held my hand on top of hers. Our eyes locked and my heart sped up. Taking my hand away, I tried to brush this off and moved away, aware that everyone watched.
Sabian broke the silence, and the awkwardness of the situation. “I say we each try a little and if no harm comes, we share it. Of course we need to leave some for Marcus and our new warlock friend.” He laughed lightly.
Tentatively, we each took a drop of the enchanted blood. I wondered what effect it would bring. For me, at least it was delicious and sent shivers down my body, but I felt no great difference.
But Sabian and his men, it was stronger and they each started to shift into their animal forms. Claude and his friends looked on anxiously, but I found it fascinating.
Tim started shaking and flung involuntarily to the floor, wailing and I watched as his body started to morph into something else. Sabian had told us that they were not all wolves. Tim yelled a spine chilling call and limbs, body, and head groaned as they stretched and transformed from human to something in-between. It was incredible to watch. His back split open, muscle and sinew pushed out, his hands ripping as new flesh seemed to burst forth. His face though, extraordinary. Bone and muscles jutted out, a jaw squeezed out his whole face violently ripped and reshaped itself. Writhing around, it happened fast and within minutes, I was face to face with a full size black jaguar. He roared out, instinctively pawing at me. Against my nature, I crouched down to eye level and smiled. Warmth emanated from me, and wonder.
“That is incredible!” I said shaking my head at the miracle before me. I wanted to touch him, to feel that silky cat hair.
All around me, the shifters were turning. Sabian into a massive wolf, Craig a slightly smaller wolf along with Stuart. But Luke, Luke Philips was a dragon shifter and it was at that point the blood hit me and I felt woozy from drinking it whilst worrying whether Luke had the space to turn, or would he burst through the walls.
Stumbling backwards from the effects of the magical blood, I looked up and there in front of me crouched a coiled green serpent, his wings folded, slowly opening up. His head was massive, and he snorted which blew over me, sending me further back. Luckily the room was huge, but still his wings thrashed and threw furniture everywhere as he unwrapped. So surreal, and exhilarating, I’d never forget this day.
Sabian in his massive wolf form, stalked over and nudged Luke with his muzzle. Blinking and wiping the sweat from my brows, I looked for the others. Eliza and the vampires were pinned to the walls in fear. Rebecca and Eliza hissed in response to the threat. Nathaniel with tears of laughter and shock running down his face, gestured with his arm across them, giggling hysterically. “It’s alright, they’re one of us!”
As I looked back over to the lycans and the shifters they were morphing back to their human forms and sighing in relief, I let my body slump on the floor.
That was enough for one day. I let myself sleep where I was.
Warlock and Angels
Damien
I felt on fire, literally. Energy surged through me like a power-line as Marcus and I walked to the park, and it took an effort of restraint not to hold out my hands and create flames. Excitement coursed through me along with fear that I’d end up a burning inferno, but playing with fire in the pitch black, that was exciting.
Being in my home town though, 150 years before my time, was something I’d never get us
ed to. Marcus had secured us a place in a cleaner area, but people seemed to fall into two groups—reserved or louts. There weren’t many drunks where we were, but the Victorian person seemed so aloof it was constricting. People walked differently, their posture elegant but so restrained. I felt very alien in this place, even though it’s always been my home. My paranormal mind worked faster than humans and seemed to accept more, which was helpful as I seemed bombarded with crazy new stuff constantly.
I couldn’t wait to get back to my own time, my own flat, and have some consistency, to be honest. Feeling safe, familiar was something every species craved, animal, human or supernatural.
But for now, fire! We found a secluded spot, which proved fairly easy. There were so few gas lamps that hardly a soul would venture here at night. Complete darkness encased us. We could see, but a human wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Come, Damien, relax and control your thoughts but don’t force them. Let it be like breathing.” Marcus spoke as softly as possible for one whose voice usually reverberates through the whole place.
“How do you know so much, yet you say you know nothing?” I quizzed him.
“I’m winging it. I’m just saying what I think you need to hear.” He laughed, admitting his secret. “I think you just need a friend to guide you. I’m older, give or take a century, I’ve seen more and I’ve come across magic a few times. I’ve watched others. They always seem in control. Focused, not strained.”
I couldn’t help but grin. He was right, of course, this new power had me to put a lot of faith in him even though I hardly knew him.
Holding my hands out, palms up, I breathed deeply and focused on a thin whip of fire pouring out of my left palm and into my right palm, making an arch higher than my head.
It worked. The searing heat from the string of flame came scarily close, almost scorching my nose, yet my hands felt only warm. I tried now to direct the string outwards and back to my other hand. It fell and disappeared, but I was too excited to give up now. I held one hand out in front, the other outstretched behind me, and concentrated on making a circle of fire. The circle started, waned. I relaxed and focused and bingo! I had it.
“Marcus, come stand next to me!”
“I’m not sure, Damien, my wings!”
“Trust me!” I said and hoped I wouldn’t turn my friend to cinders.
He wandered over muttering under his breath. “If you kill me, I will haunt you forever, understand?” He smirked.
“No worries Marcus, if I kill you we’ll both go up. On the bright side at least, we won’t be stuck in this stinky time.”
He slapped me on the back for my lame joke.
I stopped, settling my feet to feel grounded. Holding out both hands together, I focused on a large circle of fire around us, growing larger, protecting us.
At first, I shut my eyes to find the image in my mind, but as the heat grew, and no protest from Marcus I opened them just a slit, then more. A loop of fire had formed but the searing heat was oppressive. Cooler, cooler again. Incredible, I changed it to ice, jagged arctic blue ice that was so cold I could feel its danger a foot away from me.
“Change it back,” Marcus whispered.
Making Marcus’s voice actually quiet would be a trick worthy of a warlock, I thought but I didn’t say it. He could never be quiet even when he wanted.
I felt fire, fire changed from ice. I felt ice, ice came through. Water, water from ice proved easy. Wind, wind spun around us like a mini hurricane but in a loop. We were in a hoop of wind, fast, deadly to any who wanted to enter that circle.
“I’m done,” I said at last.
Marcus and I turned to leave. Again, he patted me on the back and said, “No, you’ve only just begun.”
Back at the house as we stood outside, Marcus tentatively put the key in the door, and I didn’t have to ask why. I felt it, too, an immense energy surged out from the place, chaotic and feral, I could almost grab it. He opened the door and we leapt up the stairs, opening the door to find the others exhausted looking like they had fought in war!
“What happened?” Marcus blurted, looking around at the ruins of the room and them, sprawled about.
“We each tasted some of the blood from the chalice, since it was infused with magic. We’ve had quite an experience. How about you?”
I looked at Marcus, his face had dropped, but then his eyes widened in question as to whether that blood had been safe to drink.
Nodding, I answered, “It should be fine, but it was potent. That doesn’t explain the wreckage though.”
Sabian answered me. “We shifted unintentionally, after drinking the blood. Some of us are larger than others. How about you? We are all curious why you both sped off after the ceremony. What happened?”
I sat down. “When I did the ritual something happened to me.” They all stared at me expectantly. Rachel’s eyes were wide with worry.
“It seems I can create fire now. And ice and wind and water. As Marcus told me, using magic when you’re a hybrid is more powerful and has awakened, or instilled, a stronger energy in me. We left because I was pretty freaked out, and I need to harness this quickly. Not knowing how fire is spewing from your hands would be a constant worry.” The last two words I said laughing and they shifted around in their seats. Catching Rachel’s eyes, I smiled again and she looked more reassured that I hadn’t turned into a zombie or something from the magic.
“So, we really do have a warlock on our side,” Anthony commented. “This is great. We need to make a plan now to rescue Orion. Do you think you can bewitch him so we can get him home?” Anthony sat up on the floor, having been laying there when we arrived.
“I think her spell has already been broken after the ritual, but I had to learn to wield this magic. During the banishing ritual, flames leapt from my hands! I’m just glad that Marcus was with me to calm me down. I can’t promise that I can bewitch him, but I’ll have a go!”
“Well, we should go. We need to destroy Mabel. I’m sorry, Marcus, but your ex is clearly dangerous and insane! It would be unwise for the safety of others to leave her as she is!” Anthony quickly added.
“The time loop!” Luke blurted out. “If her power has gone then so did the time loop. For these resident vampires that means an ending of their trapped existence, but how the hell will we get back? No offence to you Victorian vampires, but I do not want to stay in this time. I want to get back to my own!”
Marcus spoke, calm and with authority. “There’s been a change of plan actually. No one is killing Mabel. The reason she is like this is because of me, of what I did to her, and so I will help her and no one is to interfere. I am clear on this and I am prepared for any consequences.”
The room fell silent and nobody dared to look at one another. Anthony broke the silence first. “Are you sure you can do this? And if you fail, what then? We don’t need to know your past, what happened, that’s not our business. But what is our business, is the future. You need to have a backup plan, Marcus. It’s essential to let us know how we can help.”
“If Damien’s spell has worked, she should be rendered without power by now. I am more concerned with Orion’s actions. I will go alone and talk to her, see if there is any shred of understanding, any willingness of redemption. I know there may be none, my heart’s heavy at the thought of it. But I have to try at least.”
“You certainly won’t go alone,” Claude piped up. “We will all go. I think I speak for us all. Of course, you must speak to her in private to see if you can shed any light, but it would be foolish to go there alone, nephilim or no. Who knows what else dwells there!”
“Claude’s right,” Sabian interjected. “But I also think a few of us should stay behind, as a backup.”
“But who?” Luke asked. “I don’t want to. I want to get Orion and get this problem sorted. I do have another life, and one that I’m needed in. I’m not sorry to say it, I don’t want to spend weeks here when I could be living my life, and spending time with my fam
ily. I respect you Sabian, I do, but this paranormal world shouldn’t interfere with our lives so much. Let’s just get the boy and get back. Let Marcus do what he will, I’m not waiting. The major problem everyone seems to have forgotten in the last few minutes is this; what about the time loop? If it’s closed how the heck will we get back? Some of us need to solve that.”
An uncomfortable energy hung around the room, almost tangible, like you could cut through it. Luke was right, he like many paranormals had jobs, other lives to live and family. I knew that he and some from Sabian’s pack ran a café in Wells, it was more than a coffee shop though, it provided a meeting place for shifters. A refuge for some.
“I have the talisman from Jamie. I tried to contact him when I first went through the loop, but it didn’t work. With Damien’s help, maybe we can get it open? We should at least check to see. We’ll have to wait till tomorrow though, we’ve missed it now. It’s almost morning. Let’s get some rest. Tomorrow we’ll get up, eat, and check the time loop and figure that out. There’s no point in rescuing Orion if we can’t get him back through. Once we’ve done that, then we can save him, and maybe Marcus can save Mabel.” Anthony finished talking, got up, and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Marcus. Just because you’re immortal doesn’t mean you’re infallible or know what to do.”