Cursed and Crazed

by Sophia Stafford

  He parked the car a few feet away from a large plane, it’s crew standing in a line, all smiling at them through the window of the car.

  “This plane will take you to Scotland, once you land there will a car waiting to pick you up and take you to another safe house.”

  “I feel like I’ll being passed around like a dirty secret.”

  Azrael looked over at her. “You don’t pass around a dirty secret, you forget it. Bury it.”

  Oh. What the hell did she say to that?

  “Grab your stuff. The plane is ready to take off.”

  Grabbing her things from the back seat, Jaycen and Azrael left the car. While the plane staff greeted him Jaycen stared up at the open door of the plane. She was leaving America, and she was not sure when she would be back again.

  “I have to leave now Jaycen. We’ll meet again soon though,” Azrael informed her, pulling on the cuffs of his black shirt and smiling down at her. “Just try and stay out of trouble for a few days, okay?”

  “To be fair to me, I don’t go looking for trouble.”

  “And yet it finds you all the same.” With a wink, he turned and got back in his car. Jaycen watched him as he pulled away and drove out of the airfield.

  “Miss, the plane is ready for take-off if you’d like to board?” A man, who she assumed was the pilot said, holding out his arm to the plane’s steps.

  Smiling she zipped up her jacket and walked onto the plane, dropped her bag in an empty seat as she passed. She didn’t have her passport, but then again no one asked for it. Instead, the two air stewardesses offered her drinks as she took her seat, one even offered her a pillow.

  She took both the drink and the pillow, pushing her feet under her in the large leather seat. The plain was unlike any other plane that Jaycen had ever seen. It was crammed with seats, row after row. But was spread out nicely, with large cream leather sofas and tables.

  “Oh to be rich,” she thought as the plane prepared to take off and the stewardesses took their seats.

  The engines of the plane started as they rolled forward, preparing to take off.

  And that was when it happened. One minute Jaycen was on the plane, the next she was in an old warehouse. Her body feeling like it was being ripped apart.

  “Holy cra–” She grabbed the material of her top and twisted it, her eyes watering with pain. “Help me.”

  “It’s not working.” A frustrated scream came from beside her. She turned slowly, still clutching her stomach in pain. A body lay on the floor, blood pooled around it. A figure stood over the body, a blade in hand as he screamed, not in pain, but in frustration. McKenzie.

  “Why. Isn't. It. Working!” He dropped to his knees and stabbed the unmoving corpse again, straight through the chest, he pulled the knife back and did it again and again. Screaming each time the knife pierced the flesh.

  Was this real? Either way, Jaycen had to look away, the bloodied body too much for her stomach to take.

  Breathing heavy, McKenzie dropped to the floor, dropping the knife next to him as he fisted his messy hair in hands and groaned.

  Tentatively, she walked over. The blade on the ground beckoning her like a siren’s song. She wanted to touch it. To pick it up and never let it go. McKenzie gave no hint that he would see her. Instead, he focused on the floor, his shoulder rising and falling with every uneven breath he took, Jaycen could even have sworn he was crying.

  Gulping back her fear she rounded the body, now only a few feet away from McKenzie and the blade. If only she could touch it. That was all she wanted to do, touch it for a while, and hold it close. She wasn’t even sure if it was possible, but she was willing to try.

  Slowly and quietly she lowered herself to her knees, aware that if she wanted to, she could lean forward just an inch and blow into her brothers’ ear. It was tempting, but not half as tempting as the knife in front of her. She reached out, running her finger over the detailed steel, her body coming alive. The blade started to glow, slow at first, like a small flame. But it grew, getting bright and brighter the more she touched it until finally, she grasped the hilt with one hand.

  Like electricity racing through her, Jaycen could feel something as it covered her skin cells, centering on her stomach.

  McKenzie turned his head, and instead of looking at her, looked at the blade as it glowed on the floor. Even as Jaycen tried she couldn’t lift it, the weight too much.

  Frowning, McKenzie learned over grabbing the hilt of her blade, his hand going over Jaycen’s. His eyes widened with shock as both their eyes collided. Neither moving, neither speaking.

  McKenzie’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Jaycen did nothing but stare back, the blade rattling on the floor between them. Until finally, she pulled her hand back. And with a blink, she was back on the plane that was now fully in the air.

  She shot to her feet, her breathing shaking as she paced up and down the aisle.

  What had just happened?

  “Miss, are you okay?” One of the stewardesses rounded the curtain at the far end of the cabin.

  “Yeah, yeah I’m good,” she assured, her hand hovering over her wound. Slowly, she lifted her top and pulled back the bloodied bandage. No longer was there a fresh, angry wound, but smooth, blemish-free skin.

  “Oh my gosh.” Jaycen fell back, letting a nearby chair take her weight. The blade had somehow healed her. No, she knew it in her soul, it wasn’t the blade but the magic inside. Her magic. It was still there, Darius or McKenzie hadn’t taken it, but he had seen her.

  Chapter 19

  Jaycen had no idea how long she had been out, but an hour after her vision the plane landed. Again, the crew all came out to say goodbye, hoping that she had a good trip. She didn’t tell them she couldn’t remember most of it, instead, she smiled and said, “It was the best trip.”

  She’d walked onto the plane with stitches in her stomach and a pain that was constant, now she felt like she could do a long jump. She might not be able to do it physically, but she felt like she could do it mentally. Her entire body was buzzing.

  She walked down the steps of the plane to a silver Range Rover waiting a few meters away. She slowly made her way to it, praying that it was for her. How embarrassing would it have been if it wasn’t?

  Luckily when she got close enough a door opened, and Lilliah Daniels, Azrael’s wife stepped out. Her light blonde hair dancing in the wind as she smiled.

  “Do you need help with your bags?”

  Beauty was, of course, subjective. But Jaycen couldn’t imagine anyone denying Lilliah’s beauty. She had the kind of face that should be on the front of magazines.

  Suddenly very self-conscious of her messy hair that she had kept from her face in a messy bun and her wrinkled clothes. Oh yeah, she should have made more of an effort.

  “No, I just have this.” She raised the shoulder the bag was on.

  Lilliah smiled and opened the back door of the car. “Great. Let’s get going then.”

  Jaycen got in the back of the car, a little shocked there was another woman in the front.

  “Oh, hey.”

  The woman, a dark-haired beauty with a wide smile turned to her. “Hey, I’m Rebecca. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “Oh yeah, same.” Jaycen had no idea who this woman was, it just felt like the right thing to say. Lilliah got in the driver's side and pulled away from the parked plane.

  The Scottish weather was like Jaycen remembered it to be, cold and damp. It wasn’t raining currently, but it definitely had been recently as everything was wet. She and her mother had lived in Scotland for a year or so before she had started at The Cure academy, and it had been okay. She hadn’t practically made many friends, but the place had been nice enough. And now she was back.

  “Benedict wants to speak to you,” Lilliah said from the front seat of the car. “The house that we’re dropping you off at should have a phone and a number programmed in. As soon as you get in call it and then take the battery out immediately,
okay?”

  She nodded looking out of the window at the green hills. “Got it.”

  They drove the rest of the way without Jaycen speaking. Lilliah and Rebecca, however, were chatting away in front seats, talking about shows they had been watching, or trips they had been planning on taking. Lilliah had mentioned that she and Azrael were going to take a trip to Brazil, somewhere she had always wanted to go but never had.

  Jaycen didn’t even try to suppress her smile, the thought of Azrael on a beach? Did he tan? Did he need sun lotion? How did that work?

  Eventually, they pulled onto a street, the houses big but not big enough to be gated. The house that Lilliah stopped at was white and well-kept, its front garden decorated with small ornaments and birdbaths.

  “Does someone live here?” Jaycen asked, stepping out and pulling her bag along with her.

  “Not anymore, no. Azrael owns a lot of property all over the world. He owns this whole street in fact. An older couple used to live here, but when one of them passed their daughter decided to move them to a care home,” Lilliah shared happily, making her way to the door and letting herself in.

  Jaycen’s step faulted as she looked around the front of the house. “Oh.” God, she hoped they hadn’t died in the house. She had no idea if ghosts existed, but since Angels, Demons, and Vampires were all real, it wasn’t completely outside the realm of possibilities. And the last thing Jaycen needed was a haunting.

  Rebecca laughed as she passed Jaycen on the path leading to the front door. “Oh come on. It’s just a house.”

  “I know,” she returned quickly and followed her in. The hall was nice and clean, but it also looked like it had been decorated in the late eighties. The carpet was a brown and dark red pattern, the walls were what once would have been white, but had yellowed over time. Jaycen walked into the living room and dropped her bag on a dark green sofa. Thinking that at one point in time, someone had looked at a dark green sofa and thought it was a good idea.

  “There’s food and drink in the kitchen, and I made a bed upstairs for you,” Lilliah told her as she walked through the house, either drawing back curtains or opening windows.

  “This is really great. Are either of you two staying close?”

  Rebecca leaned again the doorframe between the living room and kitchen. “Yeah we’re staying next door. We wanted to stay close by enough in case you needed us but not too close that we got under your feet.”

  And thank the Lord for that, Jaycen thought, taking a deep breath for the first time since she had landed. The help was appreciated; the constant company would have got annoying very fast. She didn’t voice these thoughts though. Instead, she said, “There’s a house free next door too? Jeez, a lot of deaths in this street huh?”

  Rebecca snorted. “Or maybe they just moved?”

  Lilliah appeared then from the kitchen. “Oh no. It was a single woman she had, died last month.”

  Rebecca lost her smile. “That is weird.”

  Rolling her eyes Lilliah focused on Jaycen. “We’ll leave you to rest, you’ve done a lot of traveling today. I bet you want a nice bath and bed huh?”

  “To be fair, I look awful when I travel. Dark bags under my eyes, oiling skin the whole works. But you look great,” Rebecca noted walking over to a side table and picked up an older model phone, passing it to Jaycen.

  “Yeah, I feel good.” She took it and started pressing buttons until she saw Benedict’s number saved.

  “We’ll come around if you need us, or just want to hang out?” Lilliah edged, slowly making her way to the door.

  Rebecca followed Lilliah, snorting loudly. “Hang? What are you twelve?” She turned around to face Jaycen as Lilliah opened the front door. “By “hang” she means binge watch Netflix. Because that is all we are going to be doing. If you want to you can join us.”

  “Thanks, I think I might just stay in for tonight though. Just chill out.”

  Both Lilliah and Rebecca smiled.

  “Okay, well we’re next door if you need us.”

  Jaycen watched them leave and closed the door behind them. As soon as the latch was on she dialed Benedict’s number.

  He answered immediately. “Hi.”

  “Hey, it’s me. Jaycen.”

  “Yes, I know, Jaycen. You’re the only one who has this number. How are you? Did you reach Scotland safely?”

  “Oh,” she said lamely, how was she supposed to know that?

  “Jaycen?” Benedict prompted again.

  “Yeah, yeah I’m good. Great, actually.” She bit the inside of her cheek, unsure of how to word what she was about to say.

  “Well, that’s good. I wish I could say things are better here, but they’re not.” She could hear noise from his end that sounded like wind, the sound muffling his words.

  “Where are you? And yeah, I heard about the riots, are they still not under control?”

  “I am currently walking in the middle of a field, hiding away from anyone trying to listen in. We learn from our mistakes. The riots are getting smaller, getting easier to manage. Nothing for you to worry about.”

  Jaycen laughed. “So you were just waiting in a field for me to call?”

  “Pretty much yes. I wanted to speak to you today, a lot has happened over the last twenty-four hours. How’s that wound of yours holding out? Are you looking after it? Bathing it, putting your cream on it?”

  She had cream for her wound? She thought, only now realising that she hadn’t opened the bag that had been packed for her yet. “Well,” Jaycen said instead, taking a seat on one of the awful green sofas, “I have a lot to tell you about that.”

  And she did. She told him all of it. From the voice while she was at the cabin to her odd experience on the plane. Benedict, as always listening to her intensely, not cutting in once.

  “And then, when I checked my wound, I was healed. Like, completely healed. It was crazy.” She finally stopped talking and waited for him to say something. Anything at all. She was met with silence. “Which is a good thing, right?”

  Benedict made a frustrated groaning noise. “But you think he saw you? This McKenzie?”

  “Well, he looked at me,” she corrected, pursing her lips, “but I wasn’t actually there. I was still technically on the plane.”

  “If it was real enough for the blade to heal you, then I believe it was real enough for him to actually see you.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that, and I don’t think it was the blade per se. More like the magic in the blade. My magic. I feel like it’s calling to me, it’s like my magic is alive and it knows I am too. It’s calling me to it.”

  “It would be very handy if it called with directions.”

  Ha. Benedict told a joke. “I think, given time, I would work out where it is. I mean, I know it just happens, I can’t control it. If I could, who knows.”

  Jaycen could tell by the loud sigh that Benedict was not up for that idea. “No. Do not try and mess with this. It’s, well I don’t know what it is exactly. Old magic maybe. Either way, if it happens again let me know straight away. Don’t go looking for it. Understood? It could be linked to the visions and dreams that you put about in your diary.”

  “Interesting thought. Another interesting thought is that I could help with this instead of hiding out in some old people’s house in Scotland, you know?”

  “No, it’s too dangerous Jaycen. He might have an inkling you’re alive, but he doesn’t know for sure, and he sure as hell doesn’t know where to find you. Your magic has made you have visions before, he could think it was something like that. Promise me you won’t try anything stupid.”

  “My plan isn’t stupid. My plan might be able to get some info on the guy. Do you even know who Mackenzie is? Where he was born? Do you know who he killed just now? A name? A location? Anything?”

  Silence. Ha, she had got him there.

  “I am, still waiting to hear back from my sources.”

  They both knew he had nothing.

&nbs
p; “I just want to help,” she tried again, this time making her voice softer.

  He snorted. “Don’t try that with me. I know your game.”

  She huffed but couldn’t help but smile. “Fine. I’ll just sit here, doing nothing apart from reading articles about my death, which is a great pastime by the way. Hey, are you going to cry at my funeral?”

  Benedict laughed down the phone. “No because then they’ll definitely know I’m lying.”

  “I want to see tears, Benedict. Actual tears. How’s Thornton? Will I be able to speak to him at some point?”

  “Thornton is, busy. I’ve barely seen him. But when I do, I’ll let him know you want to speak, we’ll arrange something.”

  “Okay. I just, I just want to tell him I miss him.”

  “It’s been two days. Get a grip. We’ll talk soon.” And those were Benedict’s parting words before he hung up leaving Jaycen with the mental note to never talk to him about her relationship again.

  Chapter 20

  It was Jaycen’s fourth day in Scotland and just like the three days previously, it was raining. And so far she’d actually enjoyed her time in solitude, without anything to do, even if it was slowly driving her crazy. On day two she had decided to unpack the bag that she’d been carrying around, she felt like that was huge progress.

  She could tell immediately that Benedict had packed it. It was full of the essentials: toothbrush and toothpaste, body wash, a pair of plain jeans and a simple black top. It was all great, and none of it Jaycen’s. She could tell he’d been to a nearby shop and just bought everything he thought she needed. And then, randomly, a book. A magic book. She snorted when she’d first found it, flicking through the thick pages. Oh yeah, it was definitely Benedict. It was beautiful, all handwritten in black ink and woven together and then bounded in brown leather. It was old, it was beautiful, and to Jaycen, it was now useless. What use was a book of magic without magical powers? So, she’d put it on the empty bookshelf and hadn’t picked it up since. But she smiled every time she walked past it, knowing that even on the run Benedict still hadn’t wanted her to fall behind on her studies.