Yeah, she could add that to her list of problems. It seemed brewing hostility was just one more hurdle that they needed to overcome. The witches didn't trust the Feds either. “Oh, I appreciate that. I wouldn’t want to ruin your dress, Artemis.”
The woman laughed. “It looks better on you, so you should keep it,” she offered.
As they exited the building, Elizabeth gasped.
“Are you okay?” Ares questioned.
“Yes sorry. When we went out the door, the cooler air startled me,” she stated, warning the men they were on the move. “I’m good now.”
The men were chattering in her ear, offering her reassurance and love. Ethan was trying to protect her even from far away and was absolutely the strength in her life. Callen was joking around, teasing her, and once more confirming that he was the humor and sweetness that made her smile.
“We’re almost to the woods,” Ares reassuring her.
“I can’t wait,” Elizabeth replied.
“We have you in our sights, Lyzee. We’re entering behind you. No worries, baby. We have your back.”
“You have this, angel.”
Elizabeth had no choice for now. She was off to see some witches.
* * *
Belladonna Leonard loved very few things in her life. One was her only child, and the other was the Goddess. Growing up stifled, she married young and had her little pride and joy. Baby Orion lit up her life in so many ways.
Then her true love died.
Her heart hardened, since the day that he was taken from them. Had he just stayed home that night, instead of running to his family’s beck and call, he would have lived.
She would have lived…
When Belladonna took her son away from the people who caused her husband’s death, she tried to love him with all that was left in her, and she was pretty sure she was successful.
He was a doctor.
Her boy was handsome and very intelligent.
He was an amazing man.
Growing up, he was a joy and easy to manage, until he discovered the opposite sex. It wasn’t like he was girl crazy, but she knew this one day was destined to come.
He would find a wife and not need her anymore.
The last piece of her heart wanted to break. Time passed far too fast in her opinion.
Sitting on the couch, in the house that she had picked just for him, Belladonna watched her son walk towards her, holding the pretty woman’s hand. Yes, she’d used her tarot cards and had seen a blonde woman as his wife, but she’d hoped there was still more time.
All Belladonna wanted was her little boy back.
It just seemed like yesterday…
As they approached, the woman was back to being calm and serene. It irritated her to no end. Belladonna was sure the woman was only with her boy for one reason, and that was the money in his bank account. They were all simply gold diggers, and this one would be just like the rest. Oh well, she’d make sure to uncover the truth and make him see past her pretty exterior. Her boy had a big heart, and would give away his soul if someone asked.
Now it was time to keep him safe.
She watched as they sat down and the woman tucked her legs beneath her. It wasn’t lost on Belladonna that she was wearing her son’s shirt, and from the brush burn on her face, she knew why.
“Mother, let me introduce you to Cyra. She’s my girlfriend.” Chris knew he was drawing the mom bull's-eye on Cyra’s chest by simply using the words. His only hope was that she would be strong enough to hold up under the scrutiny. “We work together for the FBI, and she’s a special agent.”
Cyra leaned against him and held his hand in hers as they both sipped their wine. She wasn’t afraid of the woman, now that she was seeing her without the creepy, giant bug. The woman was still young looking, and had long sandy brown hair. Across her nose was a splattering of freckles and grass green eyes.
“Let’s cut right to it, shall we?” Belladonna began.
Chris stepped in protectively, “Yeah, we should. Why are you here, Mother?”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “The gargoyles told me that there was a new energy here, and I needed to check it out.”
He stared at her and with just a look, wordlessly begged her to stop the craziness in front of Cyra.
“Well they did, Orion. Stop doubting your mother, it’s getting incredibly old.”
Cyra looked at him. “Orion?”
Belladonna grinned as she found the thread to use against the relationship. With a little tug, it would all begin to unravel. “Oh, that’s his birth name. You mean his own girlfriend doesn’t know that Christopher is his middle name, and that he dropped the first one because of embarrassment?”
“No, I wasn’t aware, but we have our lives to find all these things out. Isn’t that what it’s about?” Cyra wasn’t worried or afraid of the witch. She’d faced down killers, been shot at and almost killed a few times.
“Are you Christian?” she asked, watching her son go tense beside the woman.
“I was raised as one.”
She stared at the small, simple gold cross around her throat. “Yet you still practice, since you wear the symbol.”
Cyra’s hand touched the jewelry. “It was my mother’s.” She offered the woman no other explanation.
Chris reassuringly stroked her hand. He could hear the pain in her words. There was that pain for him too, only he didn't know or remember the man who died.
“You’re an agent and kill people?”
“Actually,” she corrected, “I find justice for victims that can’t stand for themselves anymore. There’s a big difference.”
“Do you like children?”
Chris began getting sick. He knew where his mother was taking this. “I think that’s something that Cyra and I can discuss when the time is right, Mother. It’s really none of your business.”
Belladonna stared at the woman, waiting for a reply.
Apparently, the witch wasn’t giving up. “Yes, I do. I have a great love for kids.” Cyra wouldn’t back down. There was nothing this woman could throw out there that would make her run.
“You realize you’ll never touch a penny of his money. There will be an ironclad prenuptial agreement before you ever say ‘I do’. I will make sure of it.”
Chris sat forward angrily. “Mother! Enough!”
Belladonna stared at him in surprise. Never had he used that tone with her. Well, he could be angry. This was in his best interest.
Yeah, his chances with Cyra were slowly ebbing away. It sucked that he had found the one, only to have his mother destroy it in seconds.
Cyra pulled her hand free and placed her wine glass on the table in front of them. She stared into Belladonna’s eyes. “Let me be perfectly frank here. We haven’t discussed marriage and even if we did, I don’t see how your feelings on the matter are relevant. Since you brought up Christopher’s money, I’ll address it. I never even knew about it when I met him and had our first date. I have my own income, my own life, and my own assets. I am insulted that you even think I could be a gold digger. I don’t look at him and see dollar signs. I see a sweet, gentle soul that is worthy of everything that I can bring to the relationship.”
“So, if he gave this all up, you’d still want to be with him?” Belladonna questioned.
Chris wished they were back in Circle Rock. This had been a mistake.
Cyra didn't like how the woman was judging her and didn't hesitate to reply, “Absolutely.”
The older woman laughed. “I’m sure.”
“I’ve walked through so much death to find this path in life. I’ve had to stare at broken bodies, lives, and hearts. I don’t want him for what he can give me, but what we can create together. I believe we’re all made by our parents. How he came from someone so callous, I’ll never know. You may be a witch, and you might even have some magick in you that I’ll never understand, but you are also doing him a disservice by trying to keep him from living.”
“I gave him life. You have no idea what that feels like.”
Cyra stood and Chris stared at her, as he knew in his heart that it was over. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the final blow.
“I get that you hate me, and I accept that. Since Chris is your son and loves you very much, I won’t put him in a position to make a choice. Unlike you, I won’t make him choose.”
Chris stared at her openmouthed, almost wanting to drop to his knees and beg. It was all out of control, and he didn't know how to fix it.
“Since I believe that you’ve said everything that you possibly could to me, I’ll leave.” Cyra headed towards the stairs as she fought the emotion that was devouring her whole. “If it would have mattered Belladonna, I would have signed a prenuptial in a heartbeat for him, had he asked.”
Chris watched her leave and the anger bubbled up. “I don’t even have words for you right now, Belladonna.” He couldn’t even call her mother. The stunt that she had just pulled angered him so much, that he feared the ugly words that would slip effortlessly from his mouth. They would be ones that he could never take back or forget.
“I’m just trying to protect you. She’s just another woman. There will, unfortunately, be more.”
Chris stood and was ready to kick her out of his home. She may have picked it, but he paid for it and decided who stayed and left. “You have no right to even say that to me. I don’t want her to leave. She’s the one I want in life, and I wish you’d respect that!”
“You’re not seeing this clearly. I am.”
As he opened his mouth to spout vile things, he heard her footsteps. Down the stairs she came, and Rex was at her side. Back were the Fed clothes, her hair was pulled back and on her hip was her badge and gun.
Cyra focused on the woman, so as not to weep for the man. “I was in a Wiccan store the other day and I purchased something in anticipation for meeting you. Since this will be our one and only chance, please consider it a hello and goodbye gift,” she stated, handing it to Belladonna. “It was nice meeting you, and I wish you well.” Those words were hard to spit out, but she was a lady and wouldn’t stoop to her level.
Turning towards Chris, she swallowed her emotion and leaned against his body to kiss him softly on the lips. “I called a cab. You can pick me up tomorrow when it’s time to head back to Circle Rock,” she paused and closed her eyes to block out the emotion on his face. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. I won’t stay in a place where I’m hated simply because I have feelings for a very special man.”
She turned to leave.
“Cyra, please,” he whispered as his heart ached.
She didn't turn back. “Rex, let’s go home.”
The word broke him. This was meant to be their place, and now she was abandoning it. When he heard the telltale sound of his front door slam, he stared at his mother.
“She was the best thing that ever happened to me. I started living and feeling alive because of her. You just destroyed my heart, Mother. Not her, but you. I won’t forgive you for this and trust me when I say that I have swallowed a great deal in my life for you.”
“You will thank me one day.”
Chris wanted to throw his wine glass against the fireplace. It was like talking to a brick. His mother was cold and empty. Why had he expected anything more?
Belladonna stared at the box curiously. She figured why not. Opening it, she pulled back the tissue paper and stared at the scarf inside. Her eyes began examining the lettering in a language that she had loved for so long. Then it hit her. “I’ve made a horrible mistake, Orion.”
Chris stared at her incredulously. “You think, Mother?”
Belladonna felt a wave of nausea fill her, as the wording on the white scarf told a tale that she had always feared. “You need to go find her. I was very, very wrong.”
He was going to find her. That had been his plan.
“Go! Stop her, Christopher! You need to do it now. She’s the one. GO!”
His mother had done some kooky things in his life, but now she was acting like a nut.
“Just go stop her!”
Walking towards the door, he made a mental promise to himself to make sure he had the locks changed when he returned. Right after that, he was going to kick his mother out of his life.
Belladonna’s eyes filled with tears, as she held the funeral scarf in her hand. It told a story that terrified her. “Oh, what have I done?” she whispered, as she prayed that it wasn’t too late. She had inadvertently put fate in motion and possibly caused what was left of her own heart to break.
Chris arrived outside just as she closed the car door. He ran down the steps, trying to get to the cab as it began pulling away. As it left his driveway, she didn't turn back to look at him but Rex did.
His heart ached as the taillights disappeared down the road into the night and were swallowed by the darkness.
“Cyra, please come back. I love you!” It came out in a choked sob. “Damn it!” he yelled, heading back into the house to fix the mess his mother had once again created.
Why couldn’t he have a normal life?
Pulling into her driveway, she paid the man, exited the cab and thanked him. Rex remained by her side and watched her anxiously.
“You feel the tension too, huh, Rex-y? Want to go for a run?” she asked, unlocking her door. When she entered the room, she could smell Chris’s aftershave. “God, I miss him,” she whispered as she dropped her things. “Let’s go get changed,” she said, heading to her room for her running clothes. It was getting late, but with Rex by her side, she’d be fine. Plus, she was going to take her gun with her.
Tying her sneakers after fully dressing, she headed for the door. She’d face Chris tomorrow, unsure where they’d take this, but she was aware she couldn’t live with him if he thought she was only after him for his money.
She wanted something so much more valuable and priceless.
His heart.
As they hit the street, she let the run comfort her, calm her and refocus her attention. Rex stayed by her side and kept the pace as she chased away her demons with good old sweat.
Cyra struggled to not think of the witch and her vicious words, but it wasn’t easy. The harder she tried to forget, the more she was wondering if love would be enough.
Circle Rock
Middle of nowhere
As she was led into the opening, she could feel the energy change. They had been walking for a decent amount of time. Maybe it was because she was blindfolded and had to move slowly that it seemed to take forever.
The entire time, Ethan and Callen were reassuring her in the earpiece that they were there and able to see her. While she was blind, they became her eyes. It was just one more thing they did to complete her.
When it came to trusting your partner in the field, there was no doubt these men would always have her back.
“We’re here,” said Artemis.
Ares removed her blindfold and Elizabeth struggled to adjust to the bon fire not far from her. As she scanned the faces around her, she tried to recognize and memorize as many as possible. It was going to be her one shot at it.
“Merry meet my family,” said Artemis. “We welcome Elizabeth into our circle. She has asked to meet with all of you to discuss what is happening in our town.”
“Yes, High Priestess,” they answered.
That intrigued Elizabeth. The woman was more than just a practitioner, but the leader.
“Ares and I ask that you listen to her and allow her to speak freely.”
They all stared at her.
Elizabeth thanked them for allowing her the opportunity before addressing the twenty women and men. “Someone is hunting you. We don’t know why yet, but we will find out. All I ask is if you were with Scarlet Red, Dyana Carlos or Harmony Wilcox, the last nights of their lives that you come to me. Call me, or just slip a note under my hotel door. We need anything at this point to find the one that has done this.”
Ares m
oved forward. “We ask you assist the FBI. We do not wish to lose anyone else.”
“Yes, High Priest,” they all said in response.
She continued, “He’s taking a victim each night that there is a circle. For all we know, he’s going to grab one of you tonight. We need you to stick together. Don’t walk home alone and assume that you can’t be a victim. It’s not true. You can be.”
They murmured to each other and made their plans to travel home in groups. Elizabeth relaxed marginally, since they were taking it serious.
“We believe that he’s making sacrifices to Satan.”
Someone called out from the coven, “We don’t worship him.”
Elizabeth reassured them, “I have no doubt about that, but in his mind, he believes that he is doing just that. I need you to think about anyone that was once part of this group that left. Even if they were your best friend, neighbor, lover or anything. They could be the killer.”
She didn't point out that any of the men sitting there could also be the killer. Elizabeth would let them draw that conclusion on their own.
“We need you to be aware of your surroundings and possibly cancel anymore circles.”
There was a gasp.
Artemis spoke up, “We have been hunted before, Elizabeth, for being witches. This is nothing new to us.”
She stared at her. “Yeah, but he knows you. He watches and stalks you. The killing times were a different situation. None of those innocents were witches. You have a big problem here.”
“We will take what you ask into consideration,” Artemis replied.
“I too, am marked to die,” she offered, hoping that it might sway them to come forward. “I have a vested interest in him failing. He’s already stated two more people here will be killed, and I’m going to be the third. In order to save me, I have to save you. I’m not just coming to you as a Fed. I’m here because I too, have a life. I am a mother and a wife. I need your help before it’s too late.”
Ethan and Callen said nothing. Her words ripped emotion from them and caused their hearts to ache. It was all true. If she could stop him, then she would live. If she couldn’t, it would possibly mean her end too.
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