Cursed and Crazed

by Sophia Stafford

“I couldn’t ask you, we couldn’t speak to each other. I didn’t even go that far back. I was just trying to figure out what was happening in your head, so maybe I could help. And I think I can.”

  The waitress came over then, smiling and ready to take their orders.

  “We’ll both have the burger,” Thornton said without even taking his eyes of Jaycen.

  She hung around for a few more beats before finally leaving.

  “Help me how?” Jaycen finally asked, her curiosity overriding her anger.

  “The woman you were seeing, Isabella? Did you know she lost her mind? They say her magic sent her crazy. Her coven ended up killing her. Yet, when you read up on her they say she died in her bed. They rewrote history, covered it up.”

  Jaycen nodded quickly. “I had a vision once and saw her die. I didn’t even know what it was at first, but I swear to you that I saw it.”

  Thornton leaned even more forward, his eyes wide. “I think it’s the magic. Whatever she was dealing with is connected to you through that. Maybe some kind of mental illness?”

  “She started speaking to me. Isabella, I mean. At first, I was convinced I was just seeing things, but then it got more and more real. It doesn’t happen every day or even every few days. But when I see her now, I see her so much clearer. It’s like she’s actually here.”

  Thornton reached over, taking her hand in his and squeezing tight. “Maybe she is real.”

  “Something happened, back in Scotland. Lilliah was trying to help me grieve and thought speaking to my mother might help me. I couldn’t believe that was an actual option, but something went wrong and Isabella called me up to Heaven instead. I knew there was something she wanted to tell me. Something important. But I had to choose, her or my mother.” Her eyes filled with tears as she pressed her lips together, trying to stop the words she dreaded from spilling out. “I chose wrong, I chose selfishly.”

  Thornton moved to kneel at her side. “You went with your heart. That’s okay, Jaycen.”

  “No, it’s not. She could have told me anything. She could have helped in so many ways, she said she was trying to help me, and I chose wrong.” Jaycen tried to get her breathing under control as her tears fell.

  Thornton stroked her tears away. “She might not have told you anything.”

  “But…”

  “You need to stop holding yourself to such high standards, Jaycen. You’re allowed to be young and make mistakes. You’re allowed to miss your mom. It’s okay.”

  “Is it though?”

  Thornton stood, pulling Jaycen up with him. “Yes. And if there really was something important that you need to know, we’ll find it out.”

  “I feel like I was given a lifeline and I passed it up,” she admitted with a shudder.

  “You don’t know what you passed up, and that’s the truth. But I can promise you, we will find out. Okay? You need to trust me with this Jaycen. Together we will find out.”

  And she believed him with everything she had, and so smiled and said, “Together. Okay.”

  Thornton went back to his seat, and they ate their food, laughing and enjoying their date. They stayed at their table for hours, talking about nothing and everything.

  The waitress eventually came over as the restaurant was closing, telling them it was time to leave.

  “That was a very good first date.” Jaycen smiled, snuggling into Thornton’s side as he led the way to his room.

  “It was, wasn’t it? Even if it was in a terrible restaurant.”

  Jaycen rolled her eyes as the phone buzzed in her pocket. She reached in, slowing her walk when she realised which phone was ringing.

  “It’s Benedict.”

  Chapter 31

  Benedict

  Finally, after driving for a few hours, Benedict pulled up outside an abandoned baseball stadium, checking the address one more time. Not only was it a terrible idea to meet up while they had a serial killer on the loose, but their venue was simply a hazard. What were they thinking?

  He got out his car, seeing the light at the entrance immediately, and headed for that direction. They hadn’t even put a clocking spell on the area, masking the sound and light from strangers. This community was easy picking, Benedict just hoped Darius hadn’t realised that yet.

  Benedict followed the noise down the dark corridor, trying to guess just how many people were ahead of him, one hundred, one hundred and fifty? Far too many in his opinion.

  He walked into the arena, staying out of sight and watching the crowd debate each other.

  “I say we attack first. We have the numbers, and we could have the element of surprise,” one man said, his voice rising above the rest.

  “That’s stupid, we don’t know their numbers,” a woman said, a woman that Benedict recognised as Samantha Grenadier, a woman Jaycen and Gemma had stayed with the night before, and whose daughter was still with them. She and her family’s file still sat on the front seat of the car.

  He headed down the steps, towards the unsuspecting group below. “I agree with Samantha.” His voice echoed around the stadium.

  The group of around one hundred started to break up, all of them reacting differently to seeing him there. Some took defensive stances, ready to use their magic for defence. Others were backing away, eyeing the other exits, and ready to bolt.

  “How do you know my name?” Samantha asked, her eyes hardening as she watched him walk down the steps until he was on the same level as she was.

  Benedict shook his head slowly. “My ward was staying with you. There would never be a doubt that I wouldn’t check on you or your family.”

  “You’re not welcome here.” A woman stepped forward and spat, her hands fisted at her side.

  Benedict remained clam, but he could feel the tension in the room.

  “It wasn’t a smart idea to meet like this. You’re too exposed,” Benedict told Samantha.

  “We don’t follow The Cure or their rules. You have no power here.” Samantha lifted her chin in defiance.

  Benedict shook his head, checking the time on his phone. “No. I’m the only one here with power.”

  His words flared anger as many of the gathering crowd cast their spells, all of them aiming at him.

  Benedict braced, deflecting every single spell without breaking a sweat.

  The ease of movements wasn’t missed, and panic started to set in as the realisation dawned on them just how much more powerful Benedict Ravensmith actually was.

  “Save your magic. All of you. I am not your enemy here,” he shouted out, making sure everyone in the arena could hear him. “I’m trying to help you.”

  “When has a Ravensmith ever cared about us? Huh? We’ve been dying for years, and no one from The Cure has ever offered help, you only care about your own bloodlines. Nothing more.”

  “I don’t work for The Cure, I run a school.”

  “Yeah, a school my kids can’t go to,” an anonymous voice yelled from somewhere in the mass of faces.

  Benedict pressed his lips together and took a long, deep breath. His patience was running out as was their time.

  “Look, I’m not perfect. The school isn’t perfect, and we will do better. But right now, we need to leave. Meeting here, was stupid. You are all exposed and we need to leave.”

  “We’re not that stupid, Ravensmith. We have two groups of lookouts and scouts who are making sure we are safe.” Samantha folded her arms over her chest in annoyance. “But please, share your wisdom with us. Where exactly should we go? Wha-”

  Benedict held up a hand, stopping her talking, his mind already two steps ahead. “Darius is here.”

  Fear gripped the room as Benedict started chanting a protection spell as fast as he could.

  “Then you brought him here. You led him to us.” Samantha backed away; her son close by her side.

  “We should leave now.”

  “Where do we go?”

  Benedict ignored the panic, and once he was sure his spell was in place he made
quick work on all the doors, closing and locking them all.

  That just made the panic intensify.

  “Why are you locking us in? Are you working with Darius? Is that it?”

  Benedict didn’t notice who was talking, and he didn’t care: what he was focused on then was securing the building as much as he could while also trying to call for backup, cursing when his phone showed no signal.

  “I walked right in here, I saw no one and no one tried to stop me. Your scouts are either dead or taken hostage. I’m sorry but you need to listen to me. We are in danger. No one, and I mean no one, should go near those doors. Does everyone understand?”

  A woman fell to her knees, screaming out, “No. My husband is out there. We need to help him.”

  Other flocked to surround and comfort her, her screams only getting worse.

  “Does anybody have a phone that’s working?” Benedict called out. A chorus of No’s answered back.

  “What’s your plan? There are children here, we can’t fight, we can’t.” Sampson, Samantha’s son, panicked.

  “We might not have to; we just need to last until backup arrives.” Benedict tried his phone again, cursing when he saw the lack of signal. The truth was, he wasn’t sure how they were going to get out of this.

  “By now I suppose you know you’re trapped,” Darius’s rich smooth voice filled the room through a megaphone from outside. Everyone fell silent.

  “And you should know we have your scouts. They’re alive, for now. So surrender, and they’ll stay that way.”

  “We have to go out. They’ll kill them.” The woman who had been on her knees moments earlier screamed out, her tears still streaming down her face.

  “If we leave, they’ll kill us all,” an older man noted solemnly, understanding the meaning behind his words.

  The woman and a few others all broke down crying. Their wails echoing around the large space.

  “The only way we can even try to save the people outside is to get out of here alive. Right now, we are only safe in this space. My spell won’t last forever. We need a plan, who has magic left?” Benedict asked the crowd, only a handful of the hundred gathered raised a hand. “Those with magic, create a circle around those without it? Your job is to fight for as long as you can. Okay? Only cast when you have a clear shot. Use immobilising spells and if they get close enough to use physical force.”

  They all nodded, doing as he asked but all of them looking petrified as they did it.

  Benedict circled the groups, the children cowering in the middle as they were held by the older members.

  These people weren’t soldiers, they were barely trained in their magic at all. He knew he was asking a lot of them, but he also knew this was the only way they were going to get through this.

  “Come out, come out,” Darius’s taunting voice rang out again.

  “Everyone get ready; they’ll be coming in soon.” Benedict closed his eyes, rolling his neck from side to side, hearing Darius’s men enter the stadium. The bangs of them blowing down door after door sounding like a war drum. “Prepare yourself,” Benedict called, holding his hand in the air as he placed himself in front of the main doors.

  He could feel the intruders pushing against his magic, testing it, trying to break it. And they would break through, any minute now.

  In one last-ditch attempt to protect the group, Benedict muttered a spell, and with a flick of his hand, an enchanted fire circled the group, protecting all those inside.

  “No matter what, do not leave this circle. Do you understand?” He could feel them breaking through the defences of his spells. one by one he felt them fall and Darius get closer. Soon, the enchantment surrounding them with their own magic would be their only defence.

  “They are coming, those with magic get ready.”

  All sets of doors blew open, soldiers emerging through the smoke with guns ready and pointing at the circle.

  “Fire!” Benedict ordered.

  The group gave everything they had. The intruders fell one by one, their own spells disintegrating in the flames of the circle.

  For a moment, a small moment, Benedict had hoped they could get through this.

  That was before he saw the captured scouts, all of them being led into the arena by Darius and a smirking other man. A man who could only be Darius’ other son, McKenzie.

  A woman, the same crying woman from earlier, rushed past them all and through the flamed circle before Benedict could reach out and stop her.

  The flames fell, their protection going with it.

  Darius’ men reacted faster and shot first.

  Benedict managed to stop the bullets mid-air, sweat dripping down his face as his hands shook. They were surrounded.

  McKenzie smiled at him, then, before Benedict could move reached for a gun and shot it into the crowd. The bullet piercing a man from the crowd in his gut.

  “Everyone lift your gun, and fire when I say.” McKenzie didn’t look away from Benedict.

  They both knew Benedict could not stop every bullet.

  McKenzie smiled. “Aim for the children.”

  “No.” Benedict held up his hands, every fiber in his soul telling him to fight back, but his brain knew he was out of choices. He couldn’t let these people die. “Let these people go and take me.”

  McKenzie weaved in and out of the soldiers until he was face to face with Benedict. “Maybe I’ll just take you all.”

  And Benedict’s world went black.

  **********

  Jaycen

  Jaycen answered the phone with a smile. “Two conversations in one night? I’m honoured.”

  “A daughter should always be honoured to speak to her father,” Darius’s rich tones sent chills down her spine. “You’re going to come to me, Jaycen, right now. Or I will kill Benedict Ravensmith and the other hundred or so clear bloods I found him with. I’ll send you the address.”

  Chapter 32

  Jaycen and Thornton had been driving for over an hour before they pulled up in front of an abandoned stadium.

  “Are we sure this is it?” Thornton leaned forward to get a better look at the dark stadium, “This whole place is about to be knocked down. I’m surprised it hasn’t been already.”

  Then it was the perfect place for a meeting like this, Jaycen thought, getting out of the car, the silence putting the fear of God in her. Jaycen and Thornton both knew how limited their choices were. No one could get hold of Azrael. And everyone from The Cure were too far away to reach them in time, although Caleb and Lilliah had sworn they’d make it.

  “We’re leaving now. We’ll be with you within two hours.”

  Two hours would be too late.

  They both knew it was better that they didn’t get Gemma or Suzie involved, knowing how deadly this situation could become. So it only left the two of them with very limited options.

  “He only said me.” Jaycen tried for the last time as they headed for the gate, a buzz building in her stomach. She could feel her magic, it was close, and she wasn’t sure if that excited or petrified her.

  Thornton reached down, linking his hand with hers. “I’m not leaving you. We’re in this together. Okay?”

  Jaycen took deep, calming breaths as they walked into the pitch-black stadium, knowing how the night might end, and coming to terms with it. She knew what she would have to do to protect the ones she loved.

  They both saw it, the magical wall that was just in front of them, of course, the place was charmed, she thought walking through. The dark hallway now illuminated with a rich light, the magic protecting it from the outside, shielding it. The shouts and scream of Darius’s prisoners echoing around the otherwise empty halls. This was it.

  Jaycen leaned up, pressing a quick kiss to Thornton’s cheek, and he performed the spell, muttering words over and over until an illusion of Jaycen appeared next to him. The mirror image of her looked fuzzy, but it would pass for long enough for the real Jaycen to slip in to blind them. This was their plan
, the only one they had, and it needed to work.

  “Be safe,” Thornton told her as him and the illusion walked around, Jaycen went around, peering around each corner until she came across the door she needed.

  McKenzie’s voice ringing out into the hall.

  “There you are. Finally,” he shouted as Jaycen slipped into the arena, keeping as low as she could while Thornton and the illusion walked in opposite.

  Jaycen scaled down the steps, everyone’s attention now focused ahead at Thornton. There were guards everywhere, all of them holding guns. She had been so worried about their magic that she hadn’t even considered mortal weapons.

  “We told you to come alone.” McKenzie pointed to Thornton, the blade with Jaycen’s magic held tightly in his hand.

  Her body was buzzing, her magic trying to pull her forward. She peered out as much as she could without being seen and spotted Benedict and Darius immediately. They were both at the far side of the arena, Benedict’s head bent and swaying slightly from left to right. Bile rose in her throat when she realised he’d been drugged or under some sort of spell. She should have guessed that, there was no way Benedict could have been kept a prisoner. He’d have fought to the death.

  In front of them were many other prisoners, their heads bent, just like Benedict’s. Jaycen could pick out Sampson and his mother, she was sure Deacon was in there somewhere. She knew without a doubt that Darius and McKenzie would kill them all without a second thought.

  She gulped down her fear, the stakes of their mission rising immensely.

  “I go where she goes,” Thornton replied, both him and the illusion standing still.

  McKenzie smiled. “Of course you do. Why don’t you both come down here? Let’s chat.”

  “Let these people go and I’ll think about it,” Jaycen said, moving around the arena until she was now closer to Darius and Benedict, ducking when she thought a guard had seen her.

  She waited a second, hearing them walk towards her. Closing her eyes and focusing, Jaycen took a long deep breath, and then she lunged. He was caught off guard, stumbling backward as Jaycen hit out, one punch to the head, another to the chest. She grabbed his gun as he fell to the ground.