Cursed and Crazed

by Sophia Stafford

  Thornton reached for her hand and squeezed it tight. “Don’t worry, we’re gonna get out of here.”

  She knew that but just how close she had come to be shot terrified her. And it brought her back to her main question.

  Why the hell where they being shot at?

  She heard footsteps followed by heavy breathing as Caleb came rushing back. “The shooters in the opposite building, second row from the top, third window from the left.”

  “Right. Jaycen, Thornton, when I say start crawling this way, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Okay.”

  “Now.”

  Both she and Thornton filliped on their front and started making their way through the glass-covered floor. She could see Benedict and Caleb still standing in the doorway, Benedict looked like he was getting ready, his hands were twitching and his face blank. Then he moved from behind the wall in front of a now open window and shot out a spell, his movement fluid and fast. Then everything fell silent.

  “Is it done? Is that it?” She still didn’t dare stand, just in case the shooter was still out there.

  “Yes, I got them.” Benedict turned away from the window to help Jaycen to her feet, Thornton stood behind. “You okay?”

  Was she okay? No. So she said, “I wasn’t shot,” instead.

  He nodded, before turning back to Caleb who still stood in the doorway. “Caleb come with me. You two stay here.”

  Jaycen and Thornton just stood there as they left.

  “I think I am actually in shock now,” Jaycen said when they were alone and stared at the bullets in the wall. Bullets that could have been in her, or worse, Thornton. She shuddered and turned to him, he was also looking at the bullet-riddled wall, and he looked mad as hell.

  “We should get out of here.” He took her hand and pulled her out of the room and into the sitting area where Iris stood waiting for them, nervously massaging her temples.

  “You have both been killed.” She looked up, tears in her eyes, and her lips quivering. “Someone wants to kill you.”

  Thornton let go of her hand and took a seat in the single armchair, his hand going into his hair and rubbing his scalp. “Were you not at the hospital?”

  He hadn’t meant to be funny, but Jaycen laughed all the same, and sobered up very quickly, “So you think they were aiming for me?”

  No one spoke, which spoke volumes.

  People had wanted to kill her before, and she’d survived. But it was still odd to think, that someone she most likely had never met, hated her that much that they wanted to kill her. Would they still hate her this much when they found out she no longer had her powers?

  The front door of the flat swung open, followed quickly by Benedict and Caleb dragging two bloodied men. They threw them on the floor, slamming the door shut behind them.

  “These are the shooters,” Thornton stated, jumping to his feet and marching towards the two men on their knees.

  Caleb grabbed him before he got too close. “Hold on there friend, beating them to a pulp isn’t going to get any answers.”

  “Shame. I was looking forward to seeing a Krull actually get his hands dirty?” Shooter one laughed, spitting out blood on the floor and grinned showing bloodied teeth.

  Benedict moved around the room, kicking away chairs and tables, so they had more room. “Tell us what we want to know, and we’ll let you go.”

  Shooter two lifted his bloodied head, looking directly at Thornton with swollen eyes. “We’re not telling you a thing. So, do your worst.”

  With the furniture far enough away Benedict stood in front of the shooters, his arms crossed as he said, “I’m not going to play games; you’re going to tell me what I want to know or I’ll kill you. It’s as simple as that. So my one question is this, do you want to die?”

  The room fell silent as the two men eyed up Benedict. If they knew who Thornton was then they sure as hell knew Benedict. Everyone knew him, and they also knew he wasn’t the joking kind.

  Shooter one spoke first. “We don’t know who hired us. A mystery payer and a name.” He nodded at Jaycen. “Her name.”

  Benedict shook his head. “I know you’re lying. Tell me the truth.”

  Shooter two shook his head, blood still pouring from a wound hidden by his hair. “We are telling you the truth. Why would we need the guy’s name when I have his money?”

  “So it’s a man?” Thornton pressed, looking more on edge than Benedict and Caleb. Clearly, this was his first interrogation.

  “Yeah.” Shooter two shrugged.

  “Okay.” Benedict looked down at the men as he uncrossed his arms. Something about the way his face softened and shoulders eased made the shooters seem hopeful. “We’ll kill them here and move the bodies after.”

  “No, no, no, please. We don’t know anything.”

  “You can’t kill us.”

  Benedict was already in the kitchen, pulling out a sharp knife from the kitchen drawers, taking his time as he inspected each one.

  Shooter one was openly sobbing, while shooter two was watching Benedict very closely. Almost disbelievingly.

  “Want me to get some bags? If we put them on the floor it would save a lot of cleaning,” Caleb assessed the room and kicked away the rug.

  “Possibly,” Benedict called back.

  This wasn’t actually going to happen, was it? Jaycen looked around the room, and while Benedict and Caleb were either moving rugs or finding the perfect murder weapon, Iris was still rubbing her temples with her eyes closed tight. Thornton, on the other hand, was just staring at the two men like he wanted to kill them himself. Oh, God. This might actually happen.

  Benedict walked from the kitchen with a knife in his hand, his eyes bouncing between shooter one and two.

  “What are you going to do? Stab them?” Jaycen squeaked out as she bit the inside of her mouth. Yes, these men tried to kill her, but that didn’t mean she wanted Benedict to stab them to death.

  “Slitting their throats would be easier,” Caleb shouted out.

  “That is very true.” Benedict took note of Jaycen’s horrified expression and said, “You’ve been attacked twice now. This time I’m sending out a message. A message that says if you come after Jaycen Reece, you’ll come to me. And it won’t be pleasant.” He twisted the blade in his hand like an expert blade master.

  Jaycen moved to stand beside him. “Can I talk to you for a second? Please?”

  Benedict shook his head. “I don’t want you to see this. Take Iris and go into one of the bedrooms.”

  Oh, God. Oh, God.

  She ran to stand in front of the two kneeling men. “You can’t kill them! Please. They need to be arrested or something.”

  “Jaycen, you don’t get to decide this. So get out of the room, or watch. It’s up to you,” Benedict gritted out and help up the knife, just in case she needed a reminder of just what was about to happen.

  “But, but, you’re Benedict Ravensmith, you can’t just kill us. You’re, you’re meant to protect all witches and warlocks. You’re supposed to be honorable,” Shooter one stuttered out.

  “Wrong again. And now you’re running out of time.”

  Benedict was about to kill these men and there was nothing she could do about it, especially without her magic.

  “I’m not going to let you touch them. It’s not right.” In fact, it was really messed up, but she kept that part to herself.

  And with her back to the shooters, she didn’t notice when shooter two jumped to his feet and grabbed her by her hair, pulling her back against him, his hand holding her head and jaw.

  “Don’t come near us or I swear I’ll snap her neck.”

  Only Thornton stepped forward. “Get off her.”

  “And die anyway?” Shooter snorted in her ear. “At least now my mission will be complete, and this abomination will be dead. For all that is good and right, she must die.”

  Benedict flung the knife at the shooter, the blade missing Jaycen’s head by
inches and slicing his ear right off. The shooter fell back, screaming in pain, giving Jaycen enough room to pull away and turn to face him.

  He held his bleeding head where his ear used to be in his hands, his body shaking. Yet he still looked at her in disgust. “You have to die. It’s the only way.”

  “Step away, Jaycen, come on. Leave him to Benedict.” Thornton tried to tug her away gently, she shrugged off his arms and reared back, punching the guy in his already messed up face.

  “Screw you.”

  She turned away from him as Benedict muttered a spell, making the two shooters fall to the ground, unconscious.

  “Couldn’t we have just done that in the first place?” Jaycen asked, looking at everyone.

  “No, because we needed to know who sent them. Which, might I add, we still don’t know.” Caleb cursed and turned away, rubbing his face in frustration.

  “Yeah, we do.” Benedict walked over to pick up the kitchen knife and wiped it cleaned on shooter two’s jacket. “For all that is good and right she must die, I’ve heard that before from the protesters outside The Cure.”

  “I’ve heard it too, from that guy that attacked me at The Cure. He said it just as he was pulled away.” Jaycen took a seat next to Iris and eased back. Her medication now wearing off and the pain from the wound getting worse.

  “So, it was The Cure?” Thornton asked, clearly unsure.

  “No, just a group of witches and warlocks that have banded together called the freedom movement, that phrase is one of their chants.”

  They had chants about her. “And who exactly are The freedom movement?”

  “The Cure have been keeping an eye on them for the past few months. They are a group of radical Witches and Warlocks that believe only the top magical families should rule. They also think you are a,” he winced before saying the rest, “an abomination.”

  Caleb scrunched up his face and snorted. “Now that I find weird. They’re a group that’s into power. Ancient power. Jaycen is literally that power reincarnated, why aren’t they into that? They should be eating that crap up.”

  “Because she was made, not born in the traditional sense. They don’t see her power as legitimate, in fact, they almost see her as stealing the power. They are big believers in her being stripped of it.”

  Now Jaycen snorted. “Well, they got their wish, didn’t they?”

  “Maybe we should tell them the truth then. Tell them that Jaycen’s power is no more. Otherwise, this will continue. They will keep coming back again and again until they kill her.” Thornton wasn’t looking at anyone but the two sleeping bodies that lay on the floor, his feature a mask of fury.

  Benedict shook his head. “No, no one can know about her. Having her powers stripped won’t be enough. They’ll want her life. Just to ensure that it’s final.”

  “So what you’re telling me is that I can’t live with my powers and I can’t live without them?” she shook her head in complete amazement. “What do these people want?”

  “Your life.” Caleb shrugged easily.

  “And they won’t get it,” Thornton spat his promise.

  And yet it still didn’t calm her nerves.

  “You’re right, they won’t. But we’re going to make them think they have.” Benedict scratched his beard as he spoke, frowning deeply. Then, as if he had just confirmed his own plan in his head, he nodded to himself in confirmation. “Yeah, that’s definitely what we’re going to do.”

  Jaycen waited for him to actually tell her his plan, which he didn’t. Instead, he started dragging the shooters around the room by their feet.

  “Is anyone else wondering what the hell is going on?” Thornton stepped out of the way as Benedict came back to drag body number two.

  “No, that’s exactly what I’m wondering,” Jaycen confirmed, not taking her eyes away from Benedict.

  “Trust me, you don’t want to know what he’s thinking.” Caleb shook his head as he walked over to Iris, he brought her to his feet and pressed a kiss to her head.

  “What? What is his plan? To keep dragging these men around and making an oil painting with his blood?” Jaycen shrieked, kicking the streak of blood on the floor left by the unconscious man without an ear.

  “No, they are going to think they killed you. And so will everyone else.”

  The straight way he said it stopped Jaycen in her tracks, until eventually, she said, “What?”

  “We, Jaycen, are going to fake your death to save your life.”

  Chapter 14

  The spell was simple enough. Or it was to Benedict anyway. To anyone else, it was a huge undertaking, one that would have normally taken days, if not weeks to prepare. But Benedict was Benedict, so it only took three hours and the help of Caleb.

  They were still in the flat, the two men still unconscious as Benedict and Caleb prepared with Thornton’s help. All Jaycen could do was watch, but not too closely. There was no point now, no point in trying to learn. Iris had sat with her for a bit, trying to make small talk, she quickly gave up after ten minutes.

  “So, run this plan by me again?” she called out, even though she now knew this plan better than her own head.

  And Benedict knew that, yet he still repeated himself. “I will place a few select memories in their heads. I will also create an illusion of you, dead on the floor. They will put their memories, and your dead body together, we’ll put on a little show. And boom. You’re dead.”

  Dead. Great.

  “So how is this different from the spell you did at the hospital? To the other attacker?”

  “That spell was more like a suggestion, it was weak, and if prodded and poked it would shatter. This spell is strong, stronger than most ordinary memories. And that coupled with your dead body it’s almost unbreakable.”

  “Right. Then I go into hiding, for what? Forever?” She snorted but that reality wasn’t so unsure. There would be nothing left for her in the magical word without her powers.

  “No, just long enough, for us to make it safe for you.”

  “Okay, whatever you say. Let’s just get this show on the road.”

  He walked over to her, a small blade in his hand. “I just need something from you first.”

  Her eyes shifted from his face to the knife. “Will it hurt?”

  Benedict reached for her hair, snipping off a piece. “Not at all.”

  Horrified, Jaycen snatched back the strand, “Oh my God, you can’t just go around cutting off people’s hair.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, it was only a small piece.”

  “Still.”

  She watched him assess the room, then drop her hair in the middle, he turned to look at her and said, “You might want to step back.”

  “Do you think the owner of this place will mind that he’s vandalising it?” Iris nudged her arm with Jaycen’s and nodded in Caleb’s directions. For the first time, she took notice of what Caleb was doing as he walked around the room, carving markings on the wooden floor in various places with a knife from the kitchen. Each one precise and no larger than the palm of his hand. A day ago, that had been her dream, to know magic like that. To really understand it, and for it to come so easily to her. Now she just wanted to live.

  “Think that should do it.” Caleb rubbed the wooden floor where his newly carved symbol sat.

  “Good, everyone get ready.” Benedict rubbed his hands together and closed his eyes.

  She watched in awe as he performed the spell, Caleb and Thornton at his side.

  Then it happened, the air in the room changed, and everything became dull and thick as if you were looking at it through a dirty lens.

  Shooter one woke first. “Oh my God.” He looked around the empty room, not seeing Benedict, Caleb and Thornton stood there but something else, something not real. Shooter one leaned over and shook the second, and still bleeding shooter until he woke up.

  “Goddamn it man, wake up.”

  Shooter two finally sat up, holding his head. “Jesus
, what the hell happened?” He too looked around.

  “Benedict’s spell backfired, knocked us all out.”

  Shooter two stumbled to his feet and spun around. “Where is he? Where is Benedict?”

  “Over there with Thornton, still unconscious. I don’t even know, maybe dead. God this whole thing has gone to hell.” He pointed to an empty space on the floor, making Jaycen wish she could see what he was seeing.

  Shooter two winced as he touched his head. “Yeah, but she’s dead. That’s all that’s matters. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  Shooter one rubbed his face. “No, we need to take back evidence, proof to say we did it.”

  “Then take a goddamn picture and let’s get out of here.”

  The first shooter snorted. “I’m not going to take a photo of a dead young girl.” Instead, he pulled out a knife and walked over to an empty place of the floor, his steps slowing before he knelt and made a cutting motion. Jaycen stopped breathing as he picked up her discarded piece of hair, she prayed it would work.

  “This will do.” The shooter nodded to himself, shoving the hair in his pocket and jumped to his feet, “Let’s go.”

  With one more look at the room, the shooters fled, leaving the door wide open and the room completely silent.

  Jaycen waited until she was sure the shooters couldn’t hear her before she said, “So, that’s it? They think I’m dead?”

  Benedict nodded. “That’s it. Now they spread the news.”

  “And we act accordingly,” Caleb said as if he was speaking to everyone, but his eyes were on Thornton. “A lot of eyes are going to be on us, we can’t give anyone any room for doubt. We can’t put Jaycen in danger.”

  Thornton snorted. “You don’t need to tell me that.”

  Benedict walked across the living room and closed the door. “Good. Then everyone needs to gather their belongings. Jaycen can’t stay here for long, I’ll take her to another safe house.”

  Caleb shook his head. “It’ll be noticed that you’re not at The Cure. Too many people will talk, you don’t need that kind of attention right now.”