"I just know I'll be able to feel if what I'm doing is working. I don't know how, but I'll just be able to feel it. And right now...nothing."
She tried again, for another hour, picturing a sort of glass bubble surrounding Seth that would deflect any influence or mind-control from Victor. But still nothing. She said she wanted to try some more, so Emily and I left her alone again. But when we crept back in to the meeting cabin to check on her again about a half hour later, we could tell she was getting seriously frustrated, and we told her to take a break.
She tried again that evening, making a few different attempts using new imagery, but still no luck. When Emily, Sarah, Jasmine, and I visited her to tell her goodnight, she apologized three different times.
"I mean...I'm really sorry, guys. I know the clock is ticking. This just isn't turning out to be as easy as I thought it would be, I guess."
I gave her a little smile. "Don't be sorry. This is only your first day trying. Things will go better tomorrow."
But things didn't go better the next day. Or the next. Or the next after that. Alex just seemed to be getting more and more frustrated and flustered, which only seemed to make things worse.
But on Friday, she did manage to accidentally levitate an enormous brown-spotted orange leaf onto Calvin's head, causing her, Emily, and I to have a fit of giggles, all of us cracking jokes and complimenting him on the attractiveness of his new "hat."
And shortly after, Alex had a breakthrough.
"Something's happening; I can feel it. I've gathered that Victor has to will Seth to be hypnotized almost continuously, and I'm blocking him from doing that by imagining a protective glass wall between him and Seth. And I haven't completely broken Victor's mind-control just yet...but it's lifting. I can feel it. What I'm doing is finally starting to work. And by Monday, I'll have Seth completely un-hypnotized before Victor can make him hurt anyone."
Just then, Aaron came running up the path that led from the forest to the cabins. He, Samuel, and Andrew had been hunting in bear form. He crossed the yard, heading to where Alex, Emily, and I sat under a cluster of sycamore trees.
I stood, smiling. "Guess what? It's working! Alex is starting to un-hypnotize Seth, and by Monday, she'll be able to have him completely free from Victor's mind control."
Aaron came to a stop just in front of us, his deep green eyes troubled. "We don't have until Monday anymore. And we can't wait for Victor to come to us any longer. We have to attack him. Now."
CHAPTER EIGHT
I sprang to my feet, gasping. "What's going on? Why do we have to attack Victor? And why immediately?"
Alex and Emily sprang to their feet as well, echoing my thoughts.
Aaron furrowed his dark brows. "Cole and Lucas have been doing a bit of surveillance around the mansion where Victor and Alistair are keeping Seth."
Alex had told us all exactly where the mansion was located, which was in a densely wooded area about a mile south of Houghton.
Aaron continued. "They've been doing some eavesdropping on the conversations inside the house. They just caught up with Andrew, Samuel, and me out hunting. And they just reported some pretty disturbing things." Aaron took a deep breath. "Victor plans to take Seth out on a rape and murder spree in Houghton tonight. Just because he's bored. And just because he's sure he can get away with it."
Emily's hand flew to her mouth.
I couldn't even speak for a second or two. "You mean...he's going to have Seth...."
"Yes. He plans to mind-control Seth into being an active participant in the rapes and murders, not just a bystander."
I closed my eyes briefly, a wave of nausea washing over me.
"He thinks this will be amusing, to have Seth rape and murder completely against his will. And obviously, we cannot let this happen. I know Seth would literally rather die than commit these crimes."
Emily's gray eyes suddenly filled with tears. "So, you mean...are you going to kill him before Victor can mind-control him into doing them?"
"I'm going to try like hell to avoid that. I'm going to try my absolute damnedest. But of course, when we attack, if Seth really does possess increased strength at this point, and if it appears that he may actually kill any of us, I'll do what I have to do as leader of this family to protect us all. Because I know that's what Seth would want. But like I said, I'm going to try my absolute damnedest to avoid that. That will be the last resort of all last resorts."
Alex stepped between me and Emily. "It won't come to that. Let me come with you all to attack Victor. Like Kyla told you, I'm starting to be able to use my magic to shield Seth from Victor hypnotizing him. It's starting to work. And maybe if I can get a little closer to Seth and Victor, if I can be right there, I can break Victor's mind-control spell completely."
Aaron nodded. "I was hoping you'd be willing to come along. We'd definitely appreciate your help."
Just then, Calvin came out of his and Emily's cabin, followed by Sarah and Jasmine emerging from the communal meeting cabin, and Aaron briefly explained to them all what was going on.
"Cole, Lucas, Samuel, and Andrew are all headed to the mansion right now. And if you all are ready for this, we'll leave to join them soon."
Everyone said they were ready, and Calvin asked what the game plan was. Aaron appeared to be thinking or deciding something for a few moments.
"Those of us who are shifters should arrive in bear form, ready to fight. I'll take Kyla on my back if you can take Alex. Once we arrive, we'll circle the mansion covertly and get a feel for what's happening inside. Then we'll all position ourselves to block Victor from escaping. We'll give Alex a chance to fully free Seth from Victor's mind control. We'll take a little time. But if that doesn't work, we'll storm the house and attempt to kill Victor before he has the chance to turn Seth loose on us as his shifter killing machine. I expect Victor will use magic to try to defend himself, and we have no way of knowing how powerful that magic will be. But no matter what spells or powers he uses, we'll all just have to try our best to take him down regardless, through physical attack. All the while keeping a close eye on Seth and possibly defending ourselves from him. I'm nearly certain that once Victor is killed and his mind destroyed, Seth will immediately come out of his hypnotized state. But until then, he will be very, very dangerous, especially if Victor has indeed managed some sort of spell or magic to increase his physical strength. Oh. And also...though he seems quite feeble, at least one of us should keep Alistair under watch at all times. We have no way to tell what he might possibly attempt or do. Alex, does your grandfather own guns, and if so, do you think he's physically capable of using one?"
She nodded. "Yes, and yes. He keeps a loaded shotgun in the back of his car at all times, and the car is at the house. And he's still able to drive the car and he does so regularly, so I'm sure he probably still has the strength needed to hold the shotgun and shoot."
Aaron dipped his head in a nod. "All right, then." He turned his gaze to Calvin, Emily, Sarah, and Jasmine. "Definitely one or two of you need to be on Alistair at all times."
Jasmine and Sarah said they would do it.
Aaron nodded again. "We're almost set, then. Kyla, why don't you go grab your gun. You may need to shoot Seth with it to temporarily stun him."
"Okay, and I can try to shoot Victor, too."
"We may need to you to do that as well, and of course do if he's immediately about to harm anyone. But first, before you try to shoot him, I'd like to try to deal with him myself. After all the trouble he's caused us, and for what terrible crimes he'd have Seth commit, his death should be very personal and perhaps not instant."
Soon Aaron, Calvin, Emily, Jasmine, and Sarah shifted into bear form, and we all began the five mile or so trek through the wilds to the woodland mansion a mile south of Houghton. I rode on Aaron's back, and Alex rode on Calvin's, which Alex had asked Emily permission to do, being that Calvin was Emily's husband and all, but Emily told her she needn't even have asked. Both Alex and I wore backpacks
stuffed with clothes that everyone who was a shifter would need to change into after shifting back into human form after whatever happened at the mansion happened. The backpacks were sturdy, camping-type ones with thick straps that secured them on our backs with no slipping, tipping, or falling whatsoever, which was good. Because soon, Alex and I were hanging on to Calvin and Aaron's fur so tight as they tore through the woods with the other shifters that we wouldn't have been able to even spare a single finger to readjust a sliding backpack. The trees in the forest became a yellow-and-orange blur.
It didn't take us long at all to reach the edge of the forest surrounding the somewhat dilapidated Victorian mansion where Victor and Alistair had Seth. It had been built by a copper mine owner in the late eighteen-hundreds and hadn't been kept up very well. I surveyed its massive breadth and two stories, all of it covered in peeling gray paint, glad it was isolated enough that no one in Houghton would hear me firing my gun.
Samuel, Cole, Andrew, and Lucas had been waiting for us in the woods, and when our group stopped alongside them, Alex and I hopped down from Calvin and Aaron's furry, broad backs. Led by Aaron, we all began creeping towards the back of the house, keeping behind a line of evergreens in the backyard, trying to conceal our approach as best we could. But we didn't even get within forty or so feet from the house before a shotgun blast rang out.
Calvin, who was directly behind Aaron, fell to the ground, not dead, although stunned. Aaron moved in front of me, shielding me with his massive bear form, a low growl rumbling in his chest. I peeked between the trees.
Victor emerged from the side of the house, holding a shotgun, probably Alistair's. "Surprise, everyone! Yes, I see you all there hiding amongst the evergreens. Just decided to take a little prowl around the house, and I'm very glad I did. Saw you all coming a mile away. Now, let me tell you all, I'm really enjoying this shotgun. I'm feeling very American. So let's have a little fun with this. Let's pretend we're in the wild, wild, west. So without further ado...yee-haw!"
He cocked the shotgun with one hand, aimed, and fired at us again. Jasmine dropped to the ground, blood already matting the dark fur at her throat. I dumped my backpack on the ground, took my gun out of the waistband of my jeans, and fired at Victor through a gap in the trees.
He ducked, the bullet missing him. "Oh, my. Kyla, that was a little too close for my comfort."
He cocked the shotgun, aimed it, and fired. Aaron rose up on his hind legs, shielding me. But the bullet didn't even get too close to me. It hit Sarah, who stood next at Alex at the end of the line of trees.
Victor glanced behind him and called out. "Oh, yoo-hoo! Oh, Seth!"
Seth emerged from the side of the house in bear form, his light sandy-colored fur gleaming in the sunshine. But his hazel eyes were dark. Even in bear form, his expression resembled a human look of anger or hatred. Victor's expression suddenly became the same.
"Kill them all."
Seth began charging over to the trees, and Aaron, Samuel, Lucas, Andrew, and Cole charged out to meet him. It all happened so fast that I couldn't even get a shot off at Seth to stun him. So I shot at Victor again, but missed. To my surprise, he tossed the shotgun over his shoulder and then pointed a finger in the direction of Emily, Alex, and me in the trees. Suddenly, they all crackled and zapped, as if electrified.
Alex, who'd hand her hand on a branch, screamed, pulling it away. "Away from the trees! Get away, Kyla and Emily!"
The three of us stepped out into the backyard, where it appeared that Seth had somehow already knocked Lucas, Andrew, and Cole unconscious. They all lay motionless on the ground, all three with large patches of their fur bloody. Aaron roared at Seth, the sound so loud and powerful that vibrations from it literally rippled through the ground beneath my feet. Seth roared in response and pounced on Aaron's back. But Aaron flipped him off like a rag doll, snarling. Roaring, Seth got up and suddenly turned his attention to Samuel, who flanked Aaron. Samuel made an attempt to slash Seth with a claw, but before he even completed the action, Seth clamped his teeth onto Samuel's throat, picked him up, and slammed him to the ground, knocking him unconscious. Aaron froze momentarily, seeming to be stunned at this display of extreme strength.
Victor, who still stood near the side of the house, cupped his hands around his mouth. "Now finish them off, Seth, you dummy! Are you even mentally listening to me?"
I raised my gun and fired at Victor, but the shot went wide. He pointed a finger at me, electrifying the ground beneath my feet, making me yelp and scamper a few paces away. Aaron charged at Seth, growling. The two soon became a roaring tangle of fur and limbs. Emily, as tiny a bear as she was a human, looked from them to Victor with her gray eyes wide, appearing to be deciding if she should attack and who she should go for. Alex whimpered at my side.
"I'm so sorry, Kyla. I can't block Victor's mind control of Seth like this."
Seth slashed Aaron across the face, drawing blood. Victor yelled again.
"Now claw his chest open and bite him right in the heart!"
Seth flipped Aaron over, onto his back, seeming like he was going to do just what Victor had commanded. I took my chance. I lifted my gun and aimed. Almost simultaneously, it flew out of my hands, probably the result of some magic trick from Victor. It flew out of my hands and sailed across the yard. But not before I got a shot off. A shot that hit Seth directly between the eyes.
He fell on top of Aaron, and Aaron immediately flipped him off and charged straight at Victor. His face suddenly a mask of horror, Victor pointed at the ground in front of him, presumably electrifying it, but Aaron didn't even slow. I turned my back a split second before he reached Victor, not wanting to see the absolute carnage I knew was about to ensue. Alex and Emily followed suit. Within a second, we heard Aaron roar and then a series of screams that turned my blood to ice even though they were Victor's. With her nose, Emily began nudging me and Alex back into the evergreens. Once behind them, she shifted back into human form, got clothes from my backpack, and threw them on while the last of Victor's screams tapered off into a gurgling noise and then silence.
Emily knelt beside Calvin, who lay on the ground near Jasmine and Sarah, and spoke to me and Alex. "They're all fine, just stunned."
Just then, Calvin opened one eye, and Emily kissed his furry head, smiling. "Shift, sweetie, and get dressed."
Alex and I stepped back in front of the evergreens just in time to see Aaron dragging Victor's body into the forest near the side of the house, Victor's ankle clamped between his jaws. I couldn't see a single inch of Victor that wasn't covered in blood. Alex and I turned away, both of us gasping. Soon Calvin emerged from the trees, dressed and in human form, with Emily. Blood from a wound on his leg seeped through his jeans, though he seemed to be walking just fine
Before long, Jasmine and Sarah emerged from the trees, dressed and in human form. At the same time, Samuel, Lucas, Cole, and Andrew came to, and lumbered into the trees to shift and dress after Emily told them that everything was resolved.
Just as they disappeared behind the trees, Alistair hobbled out from the front of the house and took a look at Seth, who still lay on his back on the ground in bear form, blood oozing from his head. Alistair paled, his eyes widening.
Emily smirked. "Yup. And your sorcerer is dead. For good."
Alistair's wrinkled face paled even further, and he turned and began hobbling away to the front of the house, dragging his cane behind him.
"Oh, hell with this. Hell with you all!"
We soon heard his car start and drive away.
Emily, Calvin, Jasmine, Emily, Alex, and I knelt down beside Seth, and soon Aaron joined us, dressed and in human form, his face blood-splattered. Seth made an attempt to open his eyes, a feeble growl in his chest, and Aaron covered him with a blanket.
"Time to shift now, Seth."
Seth opened one eye, slowly, and did as he was told, turning from bear form to human within the blink of an eye. After a second or two, he seemed to suddenly come to fully
and raised his head, looking around, clearly in a daze. "What happened to the conference room? How did we get out of the office? Where are we?"
Aaron told him to just relax and try to rest, but Seth didn't even seem to hear him. He'd noticed Alex kneeling beside him and focused his gaze on her.
"Your grandfather shouldn't talk to you that way. You're far too sweet and beautiful to ever be spoken to that way. And if he ever does it again, I'll take you somewhere far, far away where he never can again."
Her big blue eyes suddenly filling with tears, Alex nodded. "Thank you. But I don't think my grandfather will ever get the chance to speak to me in a disrespectful way ever again. I don't plan on ever being near him or even contacting him ever again."
Seth nodded, his hazel eyes closing. "Good. Good." He laid his head back down and appeared to fall asleep, but several seconds later, he popped his eyes back open, focusing on Alex. "Will you let me take you on a walk through the woods sometime? I'd like to pick you some wildflowers. I'd like to pick you a whole armful of them."
Her Bear Protector Trilogy Page 19