Reunion

by Sean Stone

  “What’s your point?” Clara asked. Her voice was barely more than a squeak. She could feel the blood draining away from her face. This was supposed to be her moment to gloat not whatever this was. His words were affecting her badly. Fear was starting to creep up.

  “The link we Thirteen share allows us to communicate with each other. We’ve been doing so since Nick’s presence returned. Our bond can be used for many other things as well. We used it to help Nick the night he killed Osiris. Nick draws on our power when he needs to. And in extreme situations he allows us to draw on his.” Jamal placed his hand on the glass. “And when we do so, we’re too strong to be held in these cages.” Usually it would have repelled him but this time a crack formed in its surface.

  “No,” Clara mumbled. She took a step away from the cage. The other cages were starting to clear revealing the other disciples all copying Jamal’s gesture. The glass surrounding Jamal shattered and fell to the floor. Clara wanted to move but she was rooted to the spot.

  “He’s here, Clara,” Jamal said.

  “No,” she said again and the word stuck in her throat.

  Jamal grabbed her shoulders and she felt his spell take effect. Her limbs became rigid as paralysis took hold. She tried to fight it but she wasn’t able. “He is here and he is furious. But because I love you and I do love you, despite what you think, I will not let him hurt you. This spell is not an attack it’s to protect you.”

  As Clara’s body turned completely rigid Jamal lowered her onto the floor. The other cages were shattering around her and she could hear the disciples walking free. She opened her mouth to scream but who would hear her? Her colleagues were all several floors below. She tried again to counteract his spell but she couldn’t. It was too strong and she didn’t know how.

  “I’m sorry for everything, Clara. Just know that I wish things could have been different. And if you do care for me at all then please do not come after us because I am certain that this is the last time I will be able to convince Nick to spare you.” Jamal kissed his fingers and then pressed them to her lips. Clara tried to turn her head away to reject his sentiment but she was unable. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. She needed to get up. She need to fight.

  Jamal stood up and led the others away from the cages. Each of them stepped over her as they left. Kristen looked down as she passed and waved with a filthy smile on her face. The last person to pass was Elias. Clara wondered if their deal still stood now that he was free anyway. His loyalty to Nick had broken so why not his loyalty to her. He waited for the others to get farther away and then he knelt down.

  “I would release you from his spell but you’re better off here. Don’t worry, I’ll make good on my promise. Find your way to us and when you arrive you’ll have an ally. Just don’t fuck it up,” he whispered. He gave her sly wink and then headed off after the others.

  Clara didn’t know how long she was paralysed for but it felt like hours. When the spell finally wore off she got up and ran for the lift. She was downstairs in seconds but when she arrived she wished that she hadn’t. The entire room was coated with blood. Limbs and body organs were discarded about like trash. As she walked through the office her legs shook more and grew weaker as she took in each of the faces of the dead.

  “No, no, no,” she sobbed quietly to herself. Everybody was dead. Cassie, Zander and all the recruits. Every one of Sidney’s own MI5 agents were dead. Phil’s body was lying in a pool of his own blood; his head was elsewhere. He’d been a dick to her these last few weeks but he didn’t deserve this. Sidney was lying across the remains of a broke desk. His glasses were snapped and hanging on one ear. His usually pristine hair was a tumbled mess. His suit was ripped and shabby looking. Even the room was a shambles. The walls were cracked and splattered with blood. The ceiling panels were broken and several were missing. Wires were dangling, sparking from the ceiling. One wall had been smashed to pieces and a new tunnel now led to the exit passage. Clara assumed that the magical protection on the headquarters was now void.

  She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. It worked better than she thought it would. Without SIT she was fucked. She was alone and had twelve angry warlocks to stop. She sunk to the floor next to Sidney’s body, her head in her hands. The Thirteen was not her only problem. With Sidney dead, MI5 would enact the termination protocol. Agents would be arriving to kill every supernatural being in town. She had to… She didn’t know what she had to do. What could she do? Panic started to rise again. She started to hyperventilate. She was more fucked than she could even comprehend. Most of the town’s population would be exterminated like rats. Nobody would help her now. Her only option was to run. Leave town and never look back.

  Sidney took a sharp intake of breath and sat up bolt upright. Clara screamed like a child and turned to him. His eyes were wide and bulging. He had no idea where he was by the looks of things. He opened his mouth but rather than speak he coughed a phlegmy lump of blood all over her face. Then he fell back down again. She wiped the blood from her face as best she could and then checked his pulse. It was there but barely. She had to save his life. If she failed then everybody was going to die.

  18

  James stopped at the lift and grabbed Kristen’s arm. “I’ll catch you up,” he said and turned back to the cages.

  “Where are you going?’ Kristen asked, giving him a confused look.

  “My son is in there. I have to get him out,” James explained.

  She nodded. “Alright. Come find us when you’re done. I’ll let you know where we are.” She gave him a sultry smile and then skipped off with the others.

  As he returned to the room with the cages he saw Elias knelt by Clara’s side. He was just standing up when James arrived. What was he up to? James wondered.

  “Nothing beats a good gloat,” he said as he passed James and followed the others. James glanced down and saw the terror on Clara’s face. He did feel sorry for the girl but she only had herself to blame. She’d been warned so many times by so many people to stay out of these things. Whatever happened next was all on her.

  There was a massive thudding noise all around him and the entire room — probably the whole building — shook. Bits of plaster fell from the ceiling and the remaining glass cages shattered. James guessed that Nick had just broken the magical protection on the place.

  “Dean, are you alright?” he asked as he stepped into he remains of his son’s cage. Dean had been thrown onto his back by the blast.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said. He stood up and brushed his jeans down. “I guess this is the rescue party?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

  “More like a murder party. Come on, let’s go.” James held his hand out to his son.

  “I’m a bit old for hand holding,” he said looking at James’ hand like it was an alien object.

  “I’m going to teleport us out of here.” James wiggled his hand and Dean took hold of it. “You’re probably going to feel a bit sick after this.”

  “I’ve got a strong stomach.”

  With a small pop, James whisked them out of the holding area confirming that the magical protection had been destroyed. They reappeared in the living room of their family home. Dean turned, doubled over and threw up all over the carpet.

  “Strong stomach?” James asked.

  Dean held a finger up to silence him. “Shut up,” he said as he straightened up and wiped his mouth. “That was the most vile feeling I’ve ever had.”

  “You get used to it.”

  Dean shook his head. “I’d rather not. Next time I’ll walk.” Dean took a minute to catch his breath. “Was that the plan all along?”

  “We knew Nick would come, just not when. We could have escaped earlier. Every time they took us out of the cages we could have escaped. The iron cuffs they used are too weak to block our magic,” James explained. “The only way to block our magic is to get pure iron into the blood stream.”

  “Why didn’t you escape then?”


  “There was no need. All the time Nick was locked up we had nowhere to be. Nothing to do. We were hoping that eventually Clara would slip up and tell us where Nick was, then we could escape and rescue him.”

  “And did she?”

  “Nope. Set let Nick out and Nick told us himself. He told us to sit and wait for him. So we did.”

  Dean nodded thoughtfully. “Who’s Set?”

  “Long story. Not really important because he’s dead.”

  “What will happen to Clara now?” Dean asked.

  “Nothing. Jamal kept her out of the way. The rest of SIT are going to die, if they’re not already dead.”

  “Jesus.” Dean sighed and turned away. “They don’t deserve that,” he said.

  “I know. There’s nothing I can do about it, though,” James said. He wished he shared his son’s sympathy for the agents currently being massacred but honestly, he didn’t really care. He didn’t know most of them and the ones he did know were never nice to him. Not that he deserved their kindness. He’d done some pretty garish things in the past.

  “You haven’t taken part in it, that’s the main thing,” Dean said. He turned back to James and gave a small grimace.

  “I promised I wouldn’t kill any more innocent people. I mean to stick to that,” James said. He’d led a rather dishonourable life so far, but now that Dean was back he was going to try to be better for him.

  “So, what now?” asked Dean.

  “I have to meet them. We need to finish what we started.”

  “Which is?”

  “We’re going to resurrect Nick’s girlfriend, or wife. I’m not really sure which,” James said. He saw no harm in telling Dean the truth considering there was no way anybody could stop Nick now. James had felt Nick’s power and there was nothing stronger. Not that he knew of anyway. And besides, why would anybody want to stop Nick? It was really none of their business.

  “You’re kidding? All of this is about a girl?” Dean said. He laughed. “Wow. Even all-powerful immortals have girl troubles.” James wondered how Nick would react if he heard Dean say that.

  “Yeah. So, I need you to lay low until this is over.”

  “When will that be?”

  “No more than a week. We have everything we need now. Stay out of trouble.” James said.

  Dean smiled. “Always do. Just don’t disappear again.”

  “I’ll try not to,” James said and then disappeared.

  James found the others in the mess that was formerly the SIT headquarters. The room was awash with blood and dismembered corpses. It would no longer be a suitable venue for anything. Not that there was anyone left to try and use it. Except Clara, but she surely wouldn’t continue the work of SIT after this.

  His fellow disciples were stood around their returned leader. All them were splattered with the blood of the dead. The only one who seemed to be showing any concern was Jamal. He’d worked with some of these people for eight years. He probably thought of some of them as friends.

  “Good of you to join us, James,” Nick said casually. Then he returned his attention to the conglomerate. “I’ve dealt with the coven. The vampires are tearing themselves apart, so I can leave them for now. The werewolves… Well I think I’ve killed enough of them. Eric was only trying to avenge the murder of his grandfather which I am responsible for. So, fair’s fair.”

  “You killed Clara’s dad as well but you don’t think it’s fair for her to have trapped you,” Jamal argued. James had never seen Jamal speak back to Nick before. Judging by the shocked expressions around the group James deduced that nobody had.

  Nick looked at him but he didn’t seem angry. “I killed Arthur because he betrayed our deal. Waylon Royce did no such thing. Arthur deserved to die, Waylon did not. Therefore, Eric was right to seek revenge, Clara was not. However, I have agreed yet again not to kill her. So long as she stays out of our affairs. I think I’ve been more than fair to you.”

  “I know,” Jamal said nodding. He was far from pleased.

  “I know you feel for her, Jamal and I have no intention of stopping you from being with her. Just honour your vow to me. Help me bring back Olivia and then you can leave me forever. Settle down with Clara Winters if that’s what you want,” Nick said softly.

  “How long until we can bring Olivia back?” Kristen asked.

  “The sooner the better. I’m through with waiting. This town is a naturally magical place. That makes it an ideal place for this ritual. I need you all searching the town for a place where the barrier between the realms of the living and the dead is weakest. Once the location is found we can begin,” Nick said.

  “Where would we find that place?” James asked.

  “I would start by searching the graveyards. Stick with Kristen, she’ll teach you how to gauge this sort of thing.”

  Kristen beckoned James to her and the two of them went off to find what they needed.

  James and Kristen did not immediately get to work. First, they found a quiet place to have sex and then they went about their search on foot. Teleporting was handy but sometimes it was nice to feel the ground under your feet, plus it gave them the opportunity to talk.

  “How’s your son?” she asked as they walked. He wondered if she cared or if she was just asking because she felt she had to.

  “He’s fine. Laying low until all this is over,” said James.

  “Then what?”

  “Then we get the hell out of this rotten town,” James said. He had no plans of ever returning.

  “I never thought I’d be saying these words in this context ever again but; what about us?” she said. She looked at him and he could see the look of awkwardness in them. The very thought of this conversation made her uncomfortable. It had the same effect on him.

  “What? I thought… I mean…” He stopped walking. “What do you want?”

  “I don’t know. I thought this was just some fun but then…”

  “Things changed,” he finished for her. He knew what she meant. They’d been fooling around and then those other feelings crept up. He’d kept his mouth shut because he thought he was the only one who felt that way. He never imagined that a centuries old murderous warlock could actually have romantic feelings for someone, least of all him.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “What do you want to do when this is done. I mean what has Nick offered you?” James asked. She hadn’t shared that secret with him yet. He wasn’t sure she ever would. Even though they’d grown close she kept a lot to her chest.

  “Alright, it’s about time I told someone this story.” She resumed on walking and told him all about the man who had killed her child and how all she wanted was to put that man through unending agony day after day after day.

  “I see,” James said quietly. He didn’t know how else to respond to that. It was a frightening concept.

  “But things are different now. I would rather have something else,” she said. “Is it just your son you want to go with you?”

  “No,” James said at once. “I want you to come too.”

  He thought she was about to smile but instead she punched him in the chest and not that gently. “Well why didn’t you say so?”

  “I thought you didn’t want to,” he said loudly, rubbing his chest. She punched hard for such a small person.

  “You should have said anyway. So it’s settled. Once Nick’s got his girl back we’re leaving with your boy. Right?”

  James nodded slowly. “Right.” He smiled. “Right.”

  “Where will we go?” she asked.

  “I don’t know but if you ever hit me again I’ll hit you back,” he said with a small laugh.

  “Can’t wait,” she replied.

  19

  Eric put his phone back in his pocket and smiled. He ran up the stairs two at a time and found Natalie in their bedroom. She’d managed to accept what she’d done a bit more but now she was moping over the impending war with the coven. Luckily Eric had good news.

  “I
t’s over!” he said loudly as he bounded into the room. “Eleanor’s dead. The coven doesn’t want you anymore.” They didn’t want anything anymore. With no leader, the sorcerers were all hiding away. Once word spread he imagined that most of the town would be.

  She looked at him but there was no joy in her expression. “Did you kill her?” she asked. When did she develop such a low opinion of him? Probably when he murdered his won mother.

  “No. I didn’t need to,” he said. “Nick’s back.”

  “What?” She stood up abruptly.

  “He got free somehow and murdered loads of sorcerers,” Eric said as if it was nothing. To him it was nothing. Dead sorcerers meant nothing unless his wolves did it.

  “Aren’t you worried?”

  “Why should I be?” he asked.

  “You helped lock him up. He’ll come for you,” she said it like he was an idiot.

  “I think if he was coming he would’ve come already.”

  “You’re not thinking at all. That’s your problem, Eric, you don’t think,” she snapped.

  “You sound like my mother,” he replied. It disturbed him how much she did actually sound like Serena.

  “Your mother was a horrible woman but sometimes she was right. We need to leave,” Natalie stood up.

  “Nat, no. We’re not leaving. The pack is here. My pack. Why do you want to leave and don’t say it’s Nick because that’s bullshit? Tell me the truth,” Eric said.

  She sighed and sat back down. “This place is so… so full of shit. Every day a new drama starts like some sort of paranormal EastEnders.”