by Sean Stone
"Well it's hardly fair the way it is," Nick said. He appeared behind Victor. Nick grabbed Victor's head and twisted it, breaking the old vampire's neck. Victor fell down. Luckily it was a death he could return from. Nothing permanent. Nick was a meter or so away from Richie. Richie charged and the others followed his lead. Nick didn't disappear this time. He stood his ground. Each person that attacked him he fought off. His speed was faster than theirs. His strength was greater too. Bodies were dropping around him and he didn't show any signs of slowing. Those he didn't kill he hurt badly enough that they wouldn't get up for some time. Then Richie saw his opening. Nick had his back to him. He was preoccupied with one of the remaining wolves. Richie picked up a knife and ran forwards. At the last second, Nick turned and smashed Richie into the ground.
"I'm surprised to see you here, Richie, after I granted you your life not so long ago," Nick said, looming over him.
"Well, you know me. I can't resist a good fight," Richie replied. He jumped up, aiming the knife for Nick's heart but Nick grabbed his wrist. His strength was phenomenal. Richie added his other hand to the fight and pushed against Nick. Trying to drive the knife forwards.
"But this? This Richie? This half-arsed attempt at killing me? I'm more disappointed than angry. I want you to know that before I kill you." Nick twisted Richie's wrist and Richie screamed as his bone snapped and the knife fell to the floor.
Nick held Richie by the throat with one hand and with the other he punched through Richie's ribcage and took hold of his heart as it beat away in his chest. The feeling of fingers around his vital organ was the most alien experience he had ever felt but it wasn't the first time. Richie shook aggressively under Nick's grip. Sweat poured off him.
"Am I the only one getting a sense of de ja vu?" Nick said with glee. "It's a shame you no longer have a daughter to threaten."
"Shut your fucking mouth," Richie hissed. Spit flew over Nick's face but he seemed not to notice.
"I literally hold your life in my hands. How does that feel?" Nick asked. He spoke in a sickening whisper.
"Pretty fucking perverted," Richie replied. He tried to smile but the pain was too great.
"You've always got a witty one-liner, haven't you? I'll miss that." Nick went to rip his heart out but Richie grabbed this forearm and stopped him.
"Wait," he gasped. Nick stopped.
"Is the great Richie Morgan going to beg for his life?" Nick mocked. "Because I already gave it back to you once."
"I need to know something before you kill me. Just tell me. Did you order Jamal to kill William?" Richie said. If he was going to die then he'd accept it like a man, but he couldn't go without knowing the full truth.
"I told Jamal to do whatever he had to. To kill whoever he had to. So yes, I suppose I did," Nick replied.
"Thanks," Richie said. Not that he was particularly thankful.
"Goodbye, Richie. I'd say it's been a pleasure but we both know it hasn't." Nick tensed up to finish the job and then his hand released Richie's heart and the immortal was sent flying into a nearby tree. Richie fell down panting, his hand going straight to his rapidly healing chest. He looked up and saw Clara storming into the park with the coven right behind her. The cavalry had finally arrived.
*
Clara wasted no time. She marched through the remaining vampires and wolves, straight to the fallen Nick. The sorcerers who were with her circled around him, blocking any escape Nick might attempt. He got back up and was face to face with Clara in the circle of sorcerers.
"Clara Winters. Here we are again," he said confidently but Clara could see that he not as confident as usual.
"You seem nervous, Nick," she said with satisfaction. She'd waited for this day.
"You're misreading me, love." Nick sent a blast of magic her way but with the combined force of the coven, she neutralised it before it hit her. "Looks like the fight's really taken it out of you."
"I"m not done yet," he said and blasted again. This time, Clara let the power hit her. The coven cast their own spell to protect her from harm whilst Nick's attack drain the last of his magic from him. Katrina had told Clara to hold off until the end. By the time she faced Nick he would be weak and unable to fight. Some might call it cowardly but Clara called it smart. As predicted, the last bit of magic was used and Nick's attack disappeared. His face creased with concern when he realised what had happened. He looked around and realised that he was finished. Clara thrust her hand out and sent him to his knees. That one move was the most satisfying thing she'd done in months.
"How does it feel, Clara, to finally have me beat?" he asked.
"Amazing," she replied. "Bring it through!" she shouted. The sorcerers behind Nick stepped said and Zander and Cassie carried the Horus Sarcophagus through. They placed it on the ground and then left, the sorcerers closing the circle once more.
"The Horus Sarcophagus," Nick said as his eyes saw the thing that was soon going to become his home. "I've been looking of this." He spoke casually as he climbed back to his feet. He opened his palm and beam of pure black energy shot at Clara. She copied the gesture and a golden beam flew out to meet his. Sparks flew off the two beams as they collided, lighting the park up like it was Christmas.
"Clara, I know what you're thinking. You're going to try and get my into that box, but ask yourself this: do you really think it will hold me?" Nick shouted above the roar of magic.
"Desperate words from a desperate man," Clara called back. She gave her magic an extra boost and Nick was forced to take a step back. His magic failed again, the beam disappeared and the power from Clara hit him full force in the chest, laying him out flat on the grass. Richie and Victor sped into the circle, iron chains in hand. They wrapped the chains around Nick's wrists before he could recover, then they looped them round his chest, tying them completely, stopping his power and his movements. He remained on his knees looking about at all his enemies who'd come to see him off. Then he laughed.
"What's so funny?" Clara asked.
"This! All of you working together to stop me. Everything you've done to create peace and some sort of union has failed catastrophically. But look at you now. Everyone united. Because of me. You should be thanking me really," Nick said. He tried to shrug but the chains restricted his movement.
"You'll have plenty of time to think about your accomplishment from inside that thing," Richie said, nodding at the sarcophagus.
"This is for all the people you've murdered and hurt. Including my father," Clara said. She brought her hand up to give the signal to put Nick away.
"I can bring him back," Nick said quickly, making her stop.
"What?"
"Clara do not listen to him," Richie said. "Do not trust his vulgar promises."
"I can resurrect your father. That's what all this has been about. Getting the power to raise the dead. Release me now and I will give you your father back," Nick offered. His words hit her exactly as he intended. It was an offer that was too good to turn down. She'd give anything to have her father back. And all she had to do was release him. It was an easy deal. But then, her father had made a deal with Nick too. And look how it ended for him.
"No deal," she said quietly, already regretting her choice.
"Then how about this," he said. He was no longer smiling, his face was dark, dangerous. "Tonight you've beaten me. That much is obvious. But tonight I was weak. I have already fought and defeated two divine beings. Two of the most powerful beings in the world. Those fights took a lot of power out of me. But that power will return. Power from sorcerers. Power from jinn. Power from ancients. Power from creatures that don't even have names. All of it is inside me. And it will regenerate. This box cannot hold me forever. So ask yourself, do you want to spend the rest of your days wondering when I'm going to come for you? Or do you want to walk away and go to bed at night knowing that you did beat me but because you let me go I'm not going to come back and kill you? Because I will come back. And I will kill you." He turned to everyone els
e in the park. "All of you."
His words hit Clara in exactly the right way. She did not want to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder. But she would not let her fear rob her of the victory she had waited so long to have. "Go fuck yourself," Clara said and gave the signal. This time, Eric stepped forwards. He heaved Nick up and dumped him in the sarcophagus.
"Clara!" he screamed. His face filled with rage and that was the last thing Clara saw before the lid swung shut on him, sealing him inside. It was over. She had won.
There was a long moment of silence before the entire park erupted in cheers. Clara had never seen such a celebration. She had to admit it felt pretty amazing to have finally come out on top. She'd got her revenge and despite everything she'd been told it did feel good. She did feel fulfilled. Her father had been avenged. All the wrongs Nick had done her were finally paid back.
"Let's get that somewhere safe," Phil said, and then he, Clara and the team lifted the sarcophagus off the ground and carried their new prisoner away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
When the events of the night were concluded and the sarcophagus was tucked safely away Clara returned to HQ. She knew what she had to do. Looking on the security feed she saw that the disciples were awake. Each of them had been placed in their own cage up in the holding cells. A magical glass box would be their prison for the rest of their days. She hoped so anyway, but ultimately MI5 would decide that. Clara tried her best to control her shaking and then she made her way into the holding room. As she passed the occupied cells she touched them briefly, turning the glass black and the blocking the prisoners' view. The only one she left clear was Jamal's. She stopped before his cell and looked in, trying to keep her expression blank. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor staring down at the white tiles. There was no furniture in the cages. Not even a bed. She might have felt bad for the prisoners if they'd been anyone else but these twelve worked for Blackwood. When she came to Jamal's cell he looked up. He looked sad but that could just be an act. He'd been lying to her from the beginning so how could she tell the difference?
"I knew you were going to figure it out," he said. "I didn't expect you to do it so quickly."
"I had help. Kayla told me the truth."
Jamal's head whipped up, and the fear was clear on his face. It wasn't for himself, though. He was frightened for Nick. Clara laughed sourly.
"Don't worry, she didn't do anything to Nick. But I did," she enjoyed telling Jamal that. She enjoyed saying out loud that she had defeated Nickolas Blackwood. Her first major accomplishment. Hopefully not her last.
"What did you do to Nick?" Jamal asked. He stood up.
"Locked him away. Soon he'll be somewhere no-one will ever be able to find him." She'd discussed options with Phil. They'd agreed that Sidney would take charge of the disciples, but there was no way they were going to hand Nick over to MI5. He was their prisoner and they would not risk losing him. If he got out then everybody in Cedarstone would die. He wouldn't be as weak if they faced him again. There were no ancients left to weaken him. Except Set, but he was little more than a myth at this point. Nobody knew where he was.
"Clara, you need my help. Wherever you've locked Nick up won't be enough. Eventually, he will get out. And he will kill you and everyone else who was involved," Jamal implored.
"If he gets out I'll take him down again," Clara said, putting on as much confidence as she could.
Jamal exhaled angrily as he stood up and came to the front of his cage. "Don't be so stupid. The Nick you've seen so far has been restrained. He's been careful. When he comes out of that cage you've put him in, he will not be restrained. He will be lethal and he will be angry. You won't stand a chance. If you let me out of here I can help you."
"I've had enough of your help, Jamal," she replied. Her voice was not as even as it had been. His words had shaken her, but she would not be swayed. "You lied to me."
"I didn't lie." He shrugged. "I just didn't tell you the truth."
"You pretended to be my friend. You pretended to help me. You were inhibiting my magic!"
"How did you…"
"Yeah, Kayla told me that too. She fixed it so don't worry my magic's working fine now."
"I never wanted to harm you. I never would have," Jamal assured her.
"You have hurt me. You made me trust you. You made me…" She could put everything that had happened between them into words. "All the time you were working for Nick."
"It wasn't like that. I helped you more than you know."
"Oh really? And how's that?"
"Nick wanted to kill you. I talked him out of it. Persuaded him to let you live."
"You didn't seem to have any trouble killing William," she shot back at him.
He turned his back on her and ran his hands through his hair. "I had to. I didn't want to."
"He'd been your friend for eight years and you killed him to stop yourself from getting caught."
"I've been friends with Nick for far longer." He said as if that was a good enough reason to kill a man. He turned back to face her. "But I didn't kill you. Nick told me to kill you and I said no. I convinced him to let you live. I did that because I love you, Clara," he said the last bit softly. Trying to engage with her more compassionate side. It wouldn't work.
"And I very nearly loved you too. But you destroyed everything we could have had. Let me ask you something; if you'd been forced to choose between me and Nick, who would you have picked?" Clara knew he'd lie to try and get free but she had to ask all the same.
Jamal turned away again. When he turned back his eyes were red. "I was in such a bad place when Nick found me. He rescued me. He helped me. I owe him my life. But I love you."
"That isn't an answer."
"I don't have an answer because I don't know. I don't. And I'm not going to lie to you, Clara."
"Why not? It wouldn't be the first time."
"I'm sorry for everything I've done. Just please. Give me a chance to make it up to you. Can you honestly say that everything you felt for me is just gone?"
"No," Clara said quietly. "It's not gone. But it's changed. All the good things I felt about you are covered in hatred for what you have done. It's possible that I might love you, Jamal. I don't know. But I promise you this; if you ever get out of this cage I will kill you." The words had the desired effect and Jamal stepped away looking horrified. Before he could figure out that she was bluffing, Clara turned on her heel and marched out of the room, wiping at her eyes as she went.
When Clara got home she found Katrina waiting in the living room. She was sitting in what was once Arthur's favourite armchair, under a blanket with the television on.
"I trust that everything went according to plan?" she asked. Her voice was faint.
"It did," Clara replied. She entered the room and sat down on the sofa that was next to Katrina's chair. "Nick is locked away in the sarcophagus. The disciples are in holding cells."
Katrina smiled. Her skin looked pallid. "It is a small consolation that the man who took my eyes from me is now suffering in far greater ways. Remember, that no matter how brief a victory lasts it is a victory nonetheless."
"What do you mean by that?" Clara asked. Was she suggesting that Nick would be out soon?
"Nothing that matters now," she said. Her head sagged and quickly snapped it up again.
"Are you okay? You seem… unwell," Clara said. There was a certain melancholy to the old woman as well.
"Alistair has got to me. Hit me with a curse without even finding me."
"What? What curse?" Clara said quickly.
"I'm dying. Won't be long now."
"Well, how do we stop it?"
"We don't. It's fine. I've had my time. I've done what I was supposed to do. I'm at peace with my death," she said gently.
"I'm not. Katrina, I need you. If it weren't for you then I would never have beaten Nick," Clara protested.
"Perhaps. But you should learn to stand on your own two feet. Peopl
e will not always be there to rely on. Now, please, I don't want to argue. Accept that I am going. And allow me to tell you one last thing before I go."
"Okay," Clara said sullenly. She didn't want Katrina to go but she didn't seem to have a choice. She could argue but it would only waste Katrina's last moments and then Clara would never hear her message.
"I fled from Alistair because I saw something that I knew he would kill me for seeing if he found out. I saw his most intimate secret. I saw…" Her words trailed off and she placed her hand on her chest and rubbed.
"Are you okay?" Clara asked. "Do you need water?"
"No, no. I'm fine." Katrina waved her concern away. "I saw the thing that Alistair has kept secret for…" Once again she stopped and rubbed her chest, this time, more vigorously. "I saw—" She cried out loud and clutched both hands to her heart. Clara rushed over and took hold of her.
"Here, let me try and heal you." Clara placed her hands over the seer's chest and concentrated. She felt her power flow into the woman, but something blocked it. Another power; one far greater than her own. Alistair's.
"You can't heal me," Katrina gasped. "This is his doing. Just know I have seen his end." Katrina smiled and then she died. Only her lifeless body remained in the armchair, a satisfied smile sitting beneath her pain filled eyes.
*
Richie returned to his chambers alone. The others were all celebrating in the club upstairs, but he wanted some time to think. He'd trapped Nick before and it had only brought him fifty-odd years of peace. How long would he get this time? He'd tried to take control of the sarcophagus himself, in order to ensure that Nick did not escape but SIT would not allow it and he did not want to rupture the new found peace in town. He already needed to get them to hand over Jamal, he had enough to deal with. When he arrived in his sitting room he found Lydia waiting for him.
"Congratulations on your victory," she said, standing up to greet him. "Personally, I didn't think Nick was all that bad. But I suppose you knew him in other ways."