by Vicki Leigh
He held his breath, but it didn’t take long for him to break. He spoke so fast, everything blurred together like they were one word. “Next door. Room five-oh-seven.” He covered his face with his hands.
Trishna glared at Seth as I bulldozed passed her and into the hall. The door to room 507 was cracked open, like people didn’t want to bother with having to get in with a key, just in case. My chest tightened. I took a deep breath and opened the door.
Lian sat on the bed next to her, her black hair tied in a bun, holding a towel to Kayla’s forehead. Bartholomew stood with Ivan and Nolan in the far corner of the room, the three of them speaking in hushed voices. Seeing me enter the room, they broke apart.
“Daniel, how do you feel?” Bartholomew asked. Stubble lined his tanned face, and deep circles framed his brown eyes.
“I’m fine.” My voice was stern, and I moved past him, not wanting anyone else to get in my way of seeing Kayla. Lian stood from the bed, eyeing me with sympathy, and I sat in her place. I touched Kayla’s cheek. It was on fire. This time my voice was weak. “What happened?”
“She was hit, Daniel,” Nolan said.
“Yeah, with a piece of drywall. She shouldn’t be like this.”
“He doesn’t mean like that,” Bartholomew said. “Richard tagged her, probably as the ceiling was collapsing on her.”
“English!”
“There was a wound on her left side,” Lian said, her almond eyes sad. “A burn mark, like a brand. From what Trishna said, it was left there by a spell. A dark spell. Cuīmián. Hypnosis. She thinks the reason she isn’t waking is because Richard connected himself to her. Right now, he’s in her head. He’ll let her go when he either gets what he wants from her, or when…”
I closed my eyes, tears looming behind my lids for the first time in years. I finished her sentence. “Or when she dies.”
For hours, I sat with Kayla, holding her hand, until my heart couldn’t take it anymore. I’d felt all sorts of pain over my two hundred years as a Protector—broken bones, pierced organs, my skin melting off. But all of that combined couldn’t compare to the pain in my chest as I watched Kayla’s pale eyelids flutter, wondering if her next breath would be her last.
No one had been able to crack the hard drive we took from Richard’s house. Not even Nolan, who’d spent most of his life in Richard’s coven. By now, he told us, Richard would know that Nolan had betrayed him. Any communication he used to have with the warlock would be cut off, and any attempt at rekindling it would be dangerous for us. He promised he’d try his best to locate Richard’s preferred hideout, but he’d only ever been there as a child, and since then, he’d been out in the field.
Desperation floored me as I watched Kayla. Sitting here was doing her no good. I needed to be out there. I needed to kill Richard. She was not going to die while I could be doing something.
After setting her hand down gently on the bed, I stormed out of Kayla’s room. The others had left me alone with her; they would all be next door. I barreled into the other room, and they jumped to their feet. All except Nolan, who lay on the bed with his eyes closed.
Seth’s eyes widened. “Oh, no—”
“Please tell me you guys have something. I cannot sit here any longer.”
“My coven is ready to fight as soon as we find him,” Trishna said. “What he’s doing to Kayla, playing with her memories, intruding her thoughts, is the last straw. I know I said a war between Magus would be catastrophic, but we’re past that now.”
“Then where is he?”
Bartholomew held up a hand. “Nolan is working on finding him.”
“Well, tell him to hurry up. I’ve about had it with his—”
Nolan sat up and stared at me. “Dude, you’re ruining my mojo.” He flopped back down onto the bed and covered his eyes with his arm.
“Nolan is attempting to go back into his memories and pull out clues as to where Richard used to take him when he was young,” Trishna explained. “It takes a lot of concentration to revisit the parts of the brain you’ve locked away.”
“And how do we know he’s not just stalling so Richard can kill Kayla? He spent how many years with the guy?”
“Thirteen,” Nolan replied with his eyes still closed.
I glared at him. “My point exactly. So he got Kayla and me out of that place? What if that was Richard’s plan all along, and he’s lying on this bed right now,” I gestured toward him, “laughing on the inside because you’re all bloody morons listening to his bullshit.”
Trishna scrunched her nose. “No, his aura’s off. If he was really evil—”
“He doesn’t have to be evil to be manipulating us!”
Nolan sat up. “True. One doesn’t have to be evil to be a good con man. I mean, I could probably give that Frank Abignale guy a run for his money, but does that make me evil? No.”
My fingers twitched, itching to throttle him. I’d had just about enough of his snark.
“Oh, calm down, Daniel, and pick your wedgie. It’s not you I’m conning. I’ve been after Richard for years. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to figuring out how I can—”
He stopped dead cold, the color draining from his face. The hair on the back of my neck rose on end.
“Nolan?” Trishna said.
Nolan’s eyes squeezed shut. “It’s Richard. He told me where they are, and he has a message for you. He says, ‘I’m waiting.’” He flipped over his left wrist. A black tattoo in the shape of a “G” was branded into his skin.
ou’re linked to him?” Samantha yelled. We all knew the rumors of the Unity spell. Only the most powerful Magus could cast it, but the enchantment gave a coven the ability to communicate solely through their thoughts.
Nolan raised his hands. “I have not been talking to him, I swear. And until now, there’s been radio silence on his end, too.”
Samantha gripped the blade in her belt, but then Trishna grabbed Nolan’s wrist.
Nolan yelped. “God! What the hell was that?”
“You are not of his coven anymore.”
She let go, and Nolan looked at his wrist. The “G” was gone. “You can do the spell?”
Trishna lifted her shirt sleeve to reveal a fancy “T” branded inside her own left wrist. “I am the leader of my coven. Tamesis isn’t the only powerful Magus.”
I fought the smirk that wanted to rise on my face. I liked Trishna more and more with each passing day.
Bartholomew stepped forward. “Nolan, where did Richard say to find him?”
Nolan was still rubbing his now-sore wrist. “Columbus, Ohio. There’s an abandoned factory in the bad part of town. It’s one of his better-known hideouts. Has been for a long time. I didn’t think he’d go there.”
My fists clenched. Richard had been watching Kayla for years. “Well then, let’s go.”
Trishna turned to me. “Now, wait. The five of you Catchers against his coven is suicide.”
“So, what do you suggest?” Ivan asked.
“You’re going to need help. My help.” She looked around the room at us, her face tight in contemplation. Then, finally, she spoke. “I’ve never done this before, but the same rules cannot be followed any longer. Seth, hold out your left arm, please.”
He did as she asked. Trishna turned his arm over so his palm was facing up. Realizing what she was about to do, Bartholomew startled. “Trishna, no. They were made Protectors by the Angels. You can’t unite them to you using dark magic.”
“My coven cannot see Nightmares. Richard is going to have them on leashes like pets. Without the help of the Protectors, my coven won’t make it out of there alive. And your kind cannot battle magic the same way we can. We need each other, and we need to be able to communicate. This is the only way.”
Bartholomew’s mouth opened to protest, but I didn’t care anymore if I wound up in Hell. Richard would not win. I stuck my arm out, palm up. “Unite me.”
The room was so quiet, I could hear someone riding the
ir bike twelve stories below. I’d gone over the Keeper’s head, offering up my eternity. I knew enough about Protector history to know I’d be the first one ever to wind up in Hell. Binding yourself to anyone with demonic blood was strictly forbidden. But my stomach didn’t churn. My heart beat steady. My head was clear. If this was the only way to save Kayla, I would gladly pay the price.
To my surprise, Seth spoke before Trishna could cross the room. “Me too. I’m in.” Then Samantha, Ivan, and Lian followed suit. Only Tabbi and Bartholomew stood silent.
Trishna turned back to Seth. “Are you sure?” He nodded once, then Trishna clasped his wrist, speaking in Latin. “Lunctus nos unum sumos.” She let go when Seth shouted.
“Man, I was not expectin’ that.”
“Yeah, it’s like a cattle prod,” Nolan said.
Nolan went next—most Magus were bound to a coven leader—and, knowing what to expect, didn’t even flinch.
The rest of my team replied with some sort of “ouch,” and then it was my turn. Trishna looked me straight in the eye, grasping my arm tight, her palm against the inside of my wrist. Again, she spoke the Latin words. Red hot pain exploded into my arm, up my shoulder and into my chest. I clenched my jaw to avoid wincing, and when she let go, I looked down. On my wrist was a brand in the shape of a fancy “T.”
“Until you get used to the feel of sending one person a message, do not attempt to try to communicate to the entire group at once. Doing so will result in a terrible headache and will weaken you. But, you should be able to speak directly to each other.” She turned to Seth. “The magic should have worked through you by now. Try. Send a message to someone. Use only your thoughts, and you must focus on directing it to them. Understand?”
Seth nodded before looking directly at me and scrunching his face like he had to take a massive bowel movement. A few seconds later, I heard his voice in my head.
My butt itches.
I couldn’t help myself. I burst out laughing.
While the six of us practiced communicating with each other, Trishna and Bartholomew popped in on her coven to prepare them for battle—and to bring some weapons back for me. The last place I’d seen mine was in Richard’s house before he dragged me to his torture facility. By the time they returned, we were all pretty confident we’d be able to communicate during battle.
Trishna passed out long-sleeved black shirts and black pants, spelled to be body armor against magic. Nightmares and weapons could penetrate the fabric—Magus rarely had to worry about such things—but the outfits could take a few hits from the Magus before we’d be injured.
Bartholomew handed me a weapon belt and blades. “The coven is on their way to Columbus. They should be ready to go within the hour. If I were you, I would take a moment to relax and strategize because once you’re in there, your abilities are going to be limited.”
I nodded, but there was no way anyone would be relaxing. Every muscle in my body was tight, and I had an unbearable urge to run or do jumping jacks. “Within the hour” better mean in the next ten minutes.
Bartholomew grabbed my arm before I could turn away. “And Daniel, be smart. I know you fear for Kayla, but don’t do anything rash. You’re no good to her dead.”
Again, I nodded, not wanting to respond in case my voice gave me away. I wanted to live, to have another day with Kayla, but either Richard was going to die tonight or I was. There’d be no coming back unless I knew Kayla was safe.
I left the room to sit with her until it was time to go. Her face was still ghostly white, and the way they had laid her hands on her stomach already made her look like a corpse. My chest tightened as I sat down. I reached forward and grabbed her cold hand, bringing her fingertips to my lips.
“Hold on just a little longer for me, love. Don’t let go yet,” I whispered.
“You really do love her, don’t you?” Samantha said from the doorway.
I couldn’t reply. My throat was too tight. Instead, I let my newfound gift of telepathy do the talking for me. You should’ve known that by now.
Samantha sat next to me. “I’m sorry, Daniel, for what I said back at the mansion. I hope you know—”
It’s all right, Sam.
She continued anyway. “I hope you know that I’m happy for you. You deserve this, and I’ve been a terrible friend for not saying it sooner.”
I looked up at her. Samantha’s lips were tight, and her eyes glistened. Knowing her as well as I did, this act of selflessness was an effort for her. She never gave up on the things she wanted. Touching her hand, I spoke, my voice tired. “And you deserve someone who cares for you as much as I love Kayla. It’s only a matter of time before you find him.”
Samantha gave me a weak smile, then Trishna’s voice filled our heads. We’re ready.
artholomew and Tabbi stayed behind. Neither were equipped to fight, and Bartholomew needed to keep an eye on Kayla. The rest of us evaporated together to an empty hotel down the road from Richard’s hideout. Trishna’s coven stood in the lobby, dressed in black gear. My pulse quickened when I saw how many there were, especially when about a fourth of them wore daggers at their sides.
Bartholomew had found more Protectors.
Trishna’s coven—Protectors and Magus alike—silenced and listened for her direction.
“You’ve all heard the stories about Tamesis. Tonight we take him down. Nolan, you said you knew how to get in?”
Nolan nodded. “Down the road is an abandoned factory that used to manufacture… well, I don’t know what. But a barbed wire fence surrounds it to keep people out. Once you get inside the factory, though, it’ll be easy to find Richard. The first room is some kind of office or security area or whatever, then there’s a second set of double doors you have to go through. Knowing him, he’ll be waiting right inside those doors.”
“And you said the place is heavily guarded by Nightmares?”
Again, Nolan nodded. “They’re Tamesis’—or, Richard’s—favorite pets. They’ll be infesting the parking lot and surrounding yard. But, he doesn’t let them come inside. He doesn’t want his coven to be feasted on in their sleep.”
“Then, it’s simple,” I said. “We’ll go in first and clear a path for the rest of you. Then, while they’re distracted, you can run into the security area. We can regroup there.”
“No, we’re better if we stick together,” Trishna said.
I shook my head. “You can’t see them. We can. Richard uses these creatures to physically attack people now, not just torture them with evil thoughts. If you get too close to one, they will kill you. We can at least give you a shot at reaching that door in one piece. We’re no good against Richard and his Magus. But we can take down these Nightmares, and then we’ll be ready for any of Giovanni’s followers on the other side.”
Trishna’s eyes fell, but she nodded. It was our only shot at getting most everyone inside. “Protectors, follow Daniel. The rest of us will wait in the shadows for his signal.”
When everyone shouted their affirmation, Trishna held out her hand, signaling it was time for me to lead my team. I shoved down the queasiness in my stomach and stepped outside.
The stench of rotting flesh and sewage floored me. I covered my nose with my arm and gagged. Dead humans lined the street, and fires blazed from every collapsed building, illuminating the night sky with an ominous, orange glow. Richard’s return to Columbus had meant death for this city. It was a good thing Kayla wouldn’t be here to see this.
Soundless, we walked down the decimated street, invisible to the police that ran from building to building, looking for survivors. When we reached the gate to the factory, I held up a hand and paused. At least one hundred Nightmares paced like soldiers in front of the building. Sensing us, they turned, hissing, like someone held up a rattlesnake to a microphone.
“Oh my god,” one of the Protectors said.
“We’ll never make it,” echoed another.
I glanced at the white faces of my comrades. “Yes, we will.
Sprint to the right, drawing them away from the entrance. Then circle up, facing out, and take them down. Stay together.”
My team nodded and stepped so close to each other their arms were touching. I took a deep breath, returning my attention to the Nightmares on the other side of the fence. “On three. Ready? One, two, three!”
We raced through the fence, our invisible bodies passing through the barrier. The Nightmares roared at our arrival. Every now and then, one would reach out for us, but together we hustled forward. To my right, one of my Catchers screamed, and I gripped my daggers tighter. Then finally, we reached our target and formed a circle.
I stepped out enough to give myself room to battle, and when the first Nightmare reached for me, clawing at my face, I sliced its hands off and kicked the creature away. With a cry, the monster ran at me again, black blood oozing from its arms. I waited until the beast leaned in to bite me with its fanged teeth then jammed my blade into its neck. The Nightmare fell to the side with a gurgle.
Before I could breathe, two more lunged at me, one of them missing an eye. I ducked in time to avoid my throat being slashed, but then hot pain whipped my back as a Nightmare clawed my skin. I mule-kicked the one-eyed bastard away from me, then dug my blade under the other’s ribs. With a grunt I jerked up, piercing the creature’s heart. It fell as I turned around, crouching low to the ground. The one-eyed Nightmare swiped at my face and ran into my knives. I shoved the beast away, gutting it.
Before the next Nightmare swung at me, I took a second to glance around the lot. We were down five Protectors, and though we’d taken down many Nightmares, we wouldn’t be able to hold the rest much longer. I disposed of the next Nightmare then shouted at Trishna.
Go now!
Within seconds, Trishna and her coven burst through the chain-link fence, their hands stretched out in front of them.
Protectors, go corporeal now! Trishna yelled.
When we did, all around us, fire lit up the scenery, sometimes hitting a Nightmare, sometimes missing them. The Magus were fighting blind, but damn it, they were still fighting. The Magus ran for the entrance to the factory, one after one slipping through the door Seth held open. We Catchers sprinted after them, surrounding and protecting them from the Nightmares they couldn’t see.