Chapter Eight
Predictably, Dean was late for work the following morning. Still, he didn’t rush himself as he glanced up at the clock in his bedroom. The brothers had an understanding with one another. Although they were swamped with work, neither Raul nor Ray was going to reprimand him for being thirty minutes late. Most likely, they both knew that Kate was about to be given the opportunity of a lifetime, one that she had already rejected in the past. They wouldn’t tell him off, but they would do something that amused them much more than complaining to him: tease him. Ray’s innuendos, sexual or not, would drive him crazy until the end of the working day, and sadly, he would not stop there. He would go on for weeks. As much as it annoyed him, however, Dean was not going to yell at him for being a pain as he usually did. Why? Because: he was much too happy to do so. His mate would be starting a career in singing. He could handle a few ribald remarks by his brothers.
Bright sunlight greeted him, as he left his cabin behind him. Monica was outside, basking in the sun, as she pushed baby Helena’s stroller around the yard.
“Good morning,” he said with a grin, as he tipped his head down in a polite manner. “How are you guys doing today?”
“Look who it is, sweetheart. It is Uncle Dean,” Monica made her voice sound sweeter, as she looked down at her daughter. “What do you say we…”
Raul’s mate didn’t have time to finish her sentence. The sound of shattering glass forced her to tear her gaze away from her child. Dean whipped his head to the left, only to discover that the noise had come from Helena’s cabin. The glass on her kitchen window was almost completely gone. A few, jagged edges on the bottom remained. The witch was lying on the ground, among hundreds of tiny shards, with a larger chunk of glass a few feet behind her head.
“Shit!” Dean cried out as he exploded towards her, his adrenaline shooting into the ozone layer. Helena was utterly still, with her arms close to her body, palms facing up. He spotted a deep cut across her forehead, and one more along her left cheek, as his hurried footsteps closed the distance between them. Just when he sped past the workshop, both Raul and Ray ran out of their workplace. Her shut eyes sent his heart into a downward spiral, as his brothers followed behind him. Dean fell to his knees beside her, staring at her lifeless face. A wave of relief washed over him, as his ears picked up her heartbeat. Reaching down, he pushed a few strands of her hair back from her face, as a small drop of blood dripped down her cheek.
“Helena! Helena, can you hear me?” He spoke too fast, unable to keep his panic out of his voice. “Wake up!”
“What the hell happened?” Raul wondered, halting on her left side. “What was it, a gas leak?”
“I don’t think so,” Dean disagreed, gently slapping her on the face. “Her kitchen would be on fire. Her clothes would have been burnt. Come on, Helena!” He urged, raising his tone. At that, the witch parted her lips. Her fingertips nudged his thigh, as she slowly lifted her hand up. Dean took it in his own palm, as her eyelids rolled up. Before anybody could say anything however, Helena opened her eyes wide, as her face contorted with an expression of shock and disbelief. She blinked hard once, and then gazed around her, as her lips began to quiver.
“Talk to us, Helena,” Dean assumed a calmer tone, watching, as tears pooled in her eyes.
“I…” she whispered, swallowing hard, as she squeezed his palm. “I can’t see.”
“What?” Raul asked, his face hardening, as he sat down on his knees.
“I can’t see!” Helena squealed, shifting her gaze to Raul, and then back at Dean, as a tear streamed down her face.
“Ok, ok, please calm down,” He requested, struggling to hide the fear that had swept through him. “What happened? Do you remember?”
“I-I was…” She stuttered, as he gently pulled her up. “I was trying to look into Kate’s future. I saw her in an office, signing a piece of paper, when…” She paused, and sucked in a deep breath. “My orb exploded. I can’t see you, my boys,” her voice cracked, as she pulled her hand out of Dean’s grasp. “I can’t see you,” she added, reaching up to cup his face.
“No…” he gasped, thrusting both of his arms up to his head as he gazed down into her hollow eyes. “This can’t be true.”
“How…?” Raul uttered, his breath heavy, as he shook his head sideways. “How could this have happened? Is it even possible?”
Dean’s heart pounded harder against his chest upon hearing his brother’s questions. Still, in a few seconds, it became clear to all of them that they would not find an answer. Helena tipped her head down, closing her eyes, as more tears streamed down her face. Her gentle weep broke his heart. The almighty witch of Paxton, the maternal figure that had been standing by them throughout their turmoil had been struck down. Dean dragged his gaze away from her, as he sank into despair. He couldn’t stand the sight of the once proud witch, crying hard over her misfortune. Just as he did though, he sensed a light touch on his shoulder, pushing him to the side. It was Kate. Immediately, he scooted over to the left, as his mate seated herself beside her friend. Leaning in, she snaked her arms around her back, and held her near, as Helena’s quiet tears turned into loud sobs.
“Shhhhhh…” Kate hissed, holding her in a tight embrace. “It’s all going to be alright, honey. We’ll get through this,”
“They don’t know, Kate,” Helena sniffled, as her body shook. “They don’t know anything.”
“I’ll talk to them,” Kate assured with a sigh.
“Guys, do not move her,” Monica commanded, as she joined them. “I just called 911. An ambulance is on its way.”
Chapter Nine
Within minutes, Helena was rushed to Shandaken hospital. Concerned about her health, the family followed the ambulance. Still in shock, Dean was unable to stop reliving every dreadful second of the event that had deprived their beloved witch of one of the greatest gifts: her eyesight. He couldn’t fathom the fact that Helena was in so much suffering that she literally collapsed in front of her loved ones. The powerful protector of Paxton did not at all resemble the woman she used to be. In her stead was somebody broken, who didn’t have the heart to speak to her family. In his agony, Dean understood there was something amiss here. Helena had ever been a brave soul, a fighter who had already risked her life too many times in the past, and would gladly do it again. Her courage defined her. It had made her the legend she was. Why would she lose her spirit, over something that could well be temporary? There had to be a deeper reason, one of which neither he, nor his siblings were aware.
The family gathered together in the waiting room while Helena was examined by an ophthalmologist. The tension was so thick one could cut it with a knife. The brothers were pacing up and down the hall, whereas Monica and Melissa had seated themselves on the plastic chairs.
“Kate…” Raul’s baritone tore the silence, as he curled his index finger towards his brother’s mate. “Helena said something like ‘they don’t know’, back in the yard. What did she mean by that?”
“You might want to sit down for this,” Kate advised, pursing her lips.
“Thanks, but I’d rather stand,” Raul stated. “I’m waiting.”
“Look…” Kate paused, as she took a few glances around her. Luckily for them, there were no outsiders in the waiting room. “This is not the time, or the place, ok? Let’s just wait until we hear from the doctors.”
“Tell us, Kate,” Dean spoke, his voice firm, as he stepped ahead of his brother.
“Ok,” She drew in a sharp breath, settling her gaze on him. “Helena needs her eyesight for almost everything she does. Spells, hexes, you name it. Magic is primarily an exercise of the mind. The eyes perceive, feed the image to the brain, and the brain does the rest. The more the exercise, the stronger the witch becomes. If she can’t see anything, she can’t practice magic.”
“Oh, my God,” a sigh of despair left Dean, as he banged his palm against his forehead.
“I’m sorry, Dean, but it gets worse,” Ka
te pointed out, her voice almost bass-deep, as she leaned closer to him. “You know she uses magic to stay young. To do that, she needs to read those spells herself. I can’t do it for her. Without the ability to read, she…” She faltered, clenching her jaw. “She’ll be dead in weeks: a month at most.”
“Not if we can help it,” Monica interjected, her voice steady, as she jumped from her seat. “We can use Braille. It’s a form of engraved writing, specially designed for the blind. It will take her a while to learn how to read it, but she’s smart. She’ll do it. Let’s just hope we don’t have to resort to that.”
“Phew…” Raul sighed in relief, as he tilted his head down.
“That’s why she started crying?” Dean asked, his surprise sending his voice up an octave, as he furrowed his brow. “Because she thought she wouldn’t be able to read those spells?”
“I’m not a mind reader, but I think so, yeah,” Kate replied, nodding at the same time. “I didn’t have a clue about that Braille thing. I doubt she knew anything about it, either.”
“That sounds great, but we still don’t know what caused her orb to blow up like that,” Raul said, his voice filled with confusion, as he raised his gaze to meet Kate’s.
“Magic,” Kate’s response came fast, sending slivers of fear slicing through her mate. “Someone else’s magic. It can’t be anything else.”
“How can you be so sure?” Raul inquired, his tone of voice growing louder as he leaned over towards her.
“Because orbs are nothing more than just clear, spherical glass,” Kate grumbled, casting a fierce glare up at him. “It’s enchanted, but they’re made out of pure glass. They don’t…” she paused; “…spontaneously combust. Somebody wanted her to stop using it,”
“So, we’re dealing with a witch,” Dean concluded, dropping his gaze from her, as he ran his hand through his hair.
“Or a wizard,” Kate added, shrugging her shoulders. “Whichever it is, they’re powerful, maybe even stronger than Helena. She uses a protection spell for all of her stuff, including that ball. Somehow, they were able to break it.”
An image flashed into Dean’s mind, just as she revealed the truth to them. Bill Saunders’s last words, before he stabbed him in the chest.
“My brothers will avenge me. And you won’t even see them coming.”
At last, his statement made sense. It seemed that Damian’s clan had partnered with a mighty practitioner in order to disable the most powerful weapon in the pack’s arsenal. Alas, the vampires had succeeded. Unless the damage in her eyes was reversible, she would never be the same again.
“It’s them, Raul,” Dean emphasized his words as he turned to his older brother. “This is the war Damian spoke about. He warned us. He told us it wouldn’t be typical. Well, it’s not. It’s a dirty war.”
“I don’t know, Dean,” Raul heaved a deep, heavy sigh. “Maybe you’re right. We need to find some evidence, and I don’t have the slightest idea as to how we’re going to get it.”
The Alpha’s brother kept his mouth shut, understanding that his brother had made a valid point. Indeed, they were in the dark. They had lost the only person who could provide a helping hand. Still, the silence in the waiting room was short-lived, as a rather long, tire squeak drew their attention.
“That must be Cliff,” Julia informed them. “I called him on our way over.”
A sea of sadness flooded Dean’s heart as he comprehended what he had to do. He and Monica were the only witnesses of the event. One of them had to handle the grim task of letting him know about the terrible fate that had befallen her. However, as Cliff’s footsteps echoed back at the walls of the corridor, Raul turned around, and moved off towards the sound, sparing him from narrating what had transpired. Nevertheless, Dean was baffled as the police officer’s figure came into view. He wouldn’t slow his strides; his face was twisting in an expression of rage as he charged towards his brother. Cliff lifted his arm, and rotated it in midair. Raul was thrown five feet back across the hall, as Helena’s boyfriend laid a thundering punch to his jaw. His body fell hard to the floor, as he banged his head against a plastic seat. Poor Cliff… he had just made a tragic mistake. But, if Dean wanted him to stay alive, he had to prevent his own brother from making an even bigger one. Raul pressed his hand onto his lip, collecting a drop of his blood, as he rose from the floor. A yellow glow spread over his eyes, as he tossed a ferocious glare over at Cliff. Amazingly enough, Cliff wasn’t done with attacking Dean’s family. Gripping Dean by the shoulder, he attempted to spin him around; but, before he could do that, Melissa leapt onto him, knocking him off balance. A feral snarl, rattling in the Alpha’s throat, compelled Dean to take action. He thrust both arms towards him, placing his hands on his shoulders, as his brother started towards the fallen Cliff.
“You fucking freak!” Helena’s boyfriend cried, thrashing about underneath Melissa. “This is all your fault, you hear me? This is all your goddamn fault!”
“Don’t!” Dean commanded, his face stiff, as he leaned over closer to Raul. “Let it go. Helena will never forgive you if you touch him.”
“Do I need to remind you that you’re in a hospital?” Monica shouted, tossing a nasty glare down at Cliff. “Knock it off: both of you!” She added, shifting her gaze from him to look up at her mate.
“Out of respect to Helena, I’m going to let this slide, just this once,” Raul grumbled as his own gaze still remained fixed on Cliff. “There won’t be a next time. Let him go, Mel.”
“Fine,” Melissa muttered, swinging her leg over Cliff, as a young doctor emerged from the examination room.
“Curtis!” Monica exclaimed, rushing off towards him. “How did it go? Will she able to see again?”
“I’m afraid I have some bad news, Monica,” Curtis announced, clenching his jaw. “Her tests won’t be out until tomorrow, but the damage to both of her ocular nerves is too severe. They’ll only confirm my diagnosis. I’m sorry. Which one of you is Cliff?” He posed a question, glancing around him, as Monica raised both of her hands to cover her mouth.
“That would be me,” Cliff said, as he straightened his shirt.
“She’s asking to see you,” The doctor informed, as Dean felt his entire world tumbling down around him. Helena Lockhart, the closest thing they all had to a mother, had been scarred for life. Just when she had found love, she had to accept that she would never see Cliff’s face again. Still, he knew her. Yes, her inability to see the man she loved would tear her apart, but Helena would essentially have to give up practicing magic, and that would hurt her even more. Witchcraft had been fascinating her all her life. Her powers had kept her loved ones safe. Now, she had to wrap her head around the fact that she would be unable to help them anymore. In other words, she was just a human, in need of their assistance and support.
“Dean…” Kate’s smoky voice snapped him out of his thoughts, as she stepped closer to him. “My appointment is in a little over three hours. Jules and I are leaving for New York.”
“I thought you’d stay,” Dean sighed, focusing his attention on her. “You know, to try and comfort her and all.”
“I’d love to, but I can’t,” Kate spoke, her voice losing its nerve, as she threw a swift glance over at the examination room door. “Besides, she’s got Cliff. I’ll see you tonight, ok?”
Dean merely nodded assent, unwilling to continue this pointless conversation.
“Damn irony,” he thought to himself, as the two friends strode out of the hall. “Helena got blinded, on the same day of my mate’s date with destiny; talk about bittersweet. We’ll always be by your side, Helena. We never turn our back on family, even when their own fortune has turned its back on them.”
Chapter Ten
Kate and Julia set off for the big city, hardly speaking to one another. The tragic incident that had cost Helena her eyesight, had also cast its shadow upon them, and had stolen their will to discuss anything. The day that Kate had been waiting for all her life had been effectively
ruined. All she desired to do was go to New York, sign the contract, and get back to Paxton, in order to stand by her friend. Any standard details, like duration, were of no importance. For her, this was nothing more than an errand, something she would do, out of professional courtesy.
As the Big Apple drew near however, an ugly thought that had been eluding her for hours crossed her mind. With yet another clan of vampires threatening their home and their town alike, the pack would eventually require her assistance. Even though her powers had not peaked yet, she was the only witch in the area that could provide a helping hand. Kate could only perform basic tricks, like moving things around in the house, or teleport from one place to another. She was still a fledgling witch; yet, that simple truth would not make them think twice about asking her help. Sadly for them though, even if she accepted that challenge, Kate didn’t believe that they could rely on her. Helena had been studying and practicing witchcraft for more than eight decades. Kate discovered her heritage, roughly a year ago. She couldn’t become as powerful as her friend, especially within a few months. Dean’s mate needed guidance from Helena, patience, peace of mind, and most of all, time. Under the circumstances, she couldn’t have any of those. The witch of Paxton couldn’t guide her without her vision. She had to be able to read the spells, before incanting them. Kate was never famous for being patient, and her increased stress would worsen that quality. Anxiety would not allow her any peace of mind. Time was quickly running out. Nobody had a clue as to “when” Damian’s clan would strike again, but she suspected it would be soon.
A few minutes before 3pm, she turned left and into the underground parking lot of the massive steel tower that housed “Starlight Records.” The huge space didn’t make any impression on her, but, much to her dislike, as soon as they exited her car, a big smile burst upon Julia’s lips.
“This place is even bigger than my bank’s lot,” she remarked, as the two of them headed towards the elevator.
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