“What are you two doing?” Jerry asked Celeste and Pam.
“Well, this place is too big for Vic to cloak so we're thinking of going with a glamor instead,” Celeste said.
“Yeah, it's basically a big optical illusion. It'll make the mansion look like a big disused paint factory. We'll put up a few more wards around the parameter fence which should stop hobos and wild teenagers from thinking it's a place to hang out,” Pam explained.
The mental image of a homeless drunk accidentally wondering through the front door and seeing a lavished mansion filled with supernatural creatures made Jerry chuckle a little. It also made Jerry's mind flash to a question that he had been meaning to ask.
“Question. I'm immune to magic, how is Vic able to teleport me?”
Vic just shrugged at that but Celeste seemed to be postulating an answer for him.
“It's not like the transporters on Star Trek Jerry. That magic doesn't technically affect you, it just moves your body from one place to another. Kinda like when I hit you with that hex. It didn't actually change you but it blasted you backwards,” she said reminding him of her first little visit to his house.
“But mages can control the elements right? Does that mean he can still burn me or freeze me or whatever?”
“Obviously. When it comes to the elements, magic is used to harness them, not create them. They already exist all around us. They're natural. Think of it like a gun. They don't create bullets when you fire them, they just make them go where you want them to. He does the same but with elements. Our magic works very differently.”
“Okay,” Jerry shrugged looking at Vic. “Try not to accidentally bury me or anything.”
“Wouldn't worry mate,” Vic smiled, “earth and air aren't me best elements. Pretty good with water though. Fire's me favorite.”
“Okay, well, don't set me of fire by accident.”
Vic just nodded and took another swig of his hip flask. A moment later another witch, Anna who seemed intent on dressing like she worked for Al Capone back in the day. White shirt, black pants, bracers and sometimes even a fedora while constantly smoking Cuban cigars walked over to them. “We've finished the wards around the pool and the library,” she reported. She didn't speak often but her voice was remarkably soft and light. Her big blue eyes fell on Jerry for a second before turning back to her sisters.
“Okay, we're almost done up here.”
They continued drawing invisible symbols into the walls for about another ten minutes before Joe and Goose arrived.
“We just did a weapons check, we're full on...everything. And the parameter is under constant watch, cameras, motion detectors, patrols. We're about as secure as we're gonna get,” he said. “And Wick is drawing some...stuff on the lawn.”
“Well, that would be very comforting if I thought every of that would actually stop her,” Soph sighed.
“It'll buy us more time. I guess it's time to put the coffee on. It's gonna be a long night.”
CHAPTER 19 – BACK TO HOSPITAL
Sioux Falls – South Dakota
Long night was right. True to her word, Celeste cleared the Salem witches out as soon as they'd finished putting up protection and she had refused to tell any of them where they would be going. Obviously Rachel would know but like them, she was extremely tight lipped about the whole thing. No one pestered her for answers though. The Salem witches had always helped them out when they'd needed it so helping them stay hidden was the least they could do in return.
Now, while the thirty plus vampires on Sophinia's team patrolled the mansion grounds, the rest were left to try and figure out a plan of attack, defense or just plane survival. Rachel, who was looking very tired was sat next to the beautiful winged pureblood while Cass and Goose were sat on an adjacent couch in what could be described as the mansions lobby.
It did look a lot like the ground floor of an expensive five star hotel. Plush furnishings and very comfortable seats were there for anyone that was waiting to check into their rooms. Except of course, this wasn't the Hilton. Plasma screen TV's lined the walls but were all turned on to mute while CNN news was the choice of channel.
Close to where Cass and Goose were sitting, Claire and Joe were stood, very close to each other while Wick had a single seat next to a coffee table in the middle with his journal laid out in front of him. Jerry sat silently, slightly away from the group, a glass of scotch in his hand. Everyone else was drinking coffee. He would have normally been a tad bit concerned with just how much he'd been drinking lately but when a mass murdering super demon was after you, alcoholism wasn't exactly the most important issue. Besides, it numbed the pain and he was pretty sure that his liver, angry as it may be, could take it.
Vic, the Irish mage on the other hand had actually passed out on a couch about twenty feet away from the group and was snoozing quietly. Even in his sleep, he was still holding onto that hip flask of his.
“I still like the water pipes idea,” Claire said.
For the last few hours they had been discussing possible ways of trapping Aria in order to perform the exorcism.
“I second that. Carve the binding symbols into the metal then flood the pipes with holy water,” Joe nodded. “You said the water would carry the spell around the mansion.”
“I'm not denying that's a good idea. And I'll admit I never thought of it before, but the problem is containment. You gotta start thinking of this as quarantine.”
Rachel leaned forward. She couldn't read his mind but her brilliant brain had already caught on. “What he's trying to say is that this has to be total lock down. The pipes might not form a complete circle or there could be cracks in it or leaks or whatever.”
“Yes, exactly,” Wick agreed quickly. He seemed pretty impressed by her.
“The binding needs to be in the smallest and most secure space possible,” Rachel reiterated.
“Well, then can't we just graffiti the walls, the roof, the floors of one of the rooms in here and then lead her into that?” Goose asked.
“Same problem,” Wick shrugged. “A crack in the wall, loose floor board, furniture that she can use to smash the sigil to pieces and the whole thing comes apart. I mean, that would work but you'd have to use an empty bank vault or something to do it and I seriously doubt she'd be stupid enough to fall for something like that.”
“Well, Vic could do his cloaking thingy and hide the symbols from her. She wouldn't know they were there,” Goose countered.
“Except that she would know,” Claire sighed. “Back at the Nearly Departed, she knew the entrance was hidden. It was like she could sense the cloak or something.”
“I wouldn't be surprised. She's so attuned to magic that she can sense it from a mile off,” Wick nodded.
“Vic and Celeste can do the same thing,” Rachel added.
“Well, we just coated this place in more magic than freakin' Hogwarts so haven't we just painted a damn bulls eye on our asses?!” Cass yelled.
Her voice caused Jerry to take another large gulp of his drink but Vic didn't even stir from his drink induced nap.
“Yes, she'll be able to pick up on it, doesn't mean she'll have an easy time of getting through it,” Wick said quickly. “Magic or no magic, she'll find Jerry wherever he goes. In that respect, it's better to hide inside a fortress than a paper bag.”
Suddenly the idea of going solo and getting as far away from his friends and family as he could became more appealing. Maybe leading her away would work? Within a heartbeat, Rachel was glaring at him, picking up on the thoughts that had just run through his head. It was a warning. Don't even think about it.
It was the same idea he'd had before when Black Forest were hunting him. But he'd stayed because he knew they'd go after his friends if they couldn't find him. Then, when all hell had broken loose, he'd actually attempted it. Not running away, but trying to pull the threat away from them by making himself a lone target. It hadn't worked and he'd lost a lot of good people.
The same dilemma now applied.
If he stayed, he endangered the people he loved. If he ran, he endangered the people he loved. If he fought, they'd probably all die.
As those thoughts moved through his mind, Rachel continued to stare at him, ignoring, or maybe not, the continuing brain storming session that was happening around her. She seemed much more focused on him though. And then one absent tiny idea shot through his head that made her stand up, looking furious.
She marched right over to him and actually slapped the drink right out of his hand causing all the other to stop and look over with shock but mostly confusion.
“DON'T YOU DARE!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK THAT?!”
“Rach, calm down,” Jerry said, quickly grabbing her arms and steadying her. She was shaking all over. “I didn't mean to...”
“What's going on?” Sophinia asked or rather commanded to know.
“He's thinking of surrendering to her!” Rachel cried, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “To protect us!”
“What?!” Goose spat standing up.
“Jerry!” Joe roared.
“I'm not going to! It was just a stray thought that's all!” Jerry shouted back.
“A stray thought?! You were actually considering offering yourself up in exchange for us!”
“Rachel,” Jerry sighed seeing how upset she was. Before it had always been her curiosity about his blood and the messed up crap with his mind but now it was obvious. The brother/sister relationship they had was much more real to both of them than they had been brave enough to admit.
At some point Rachel had become part of this truly insane supernatural family of theirs.
Still holding her arms, he pulled her into a hug, gently stroking her hair. She began to cry into his chest. It was a strange but awful sight. Rachel had always seemed years older than everyone else, even older than Cass and Claire who had four centuries under their belts. Now she was just a young teenage girl who didn't want to lose someone she cared about. All the power she had seemed temporally gone and she was so vulnerable. Now she was just scared teenager, just like them.
Jerry wanted to punch himself for even thinking about making a deal with Aria. Seeing how sad Rachel was, all the pain-staking work this group were putting into protecting him. How could he have ever thought about giving up? It wasn't just an insult to them, it was practically a betrayal.
“Look, I'm sorry. You know me, after everything we've been through, you know I'd never abandon you, any of you,” he said, his heart suddenly feeling like a lump of lead in his chest. “I'm just...I'm tired. Scratch that, I'm exhausted. I'm pushing sixty hours without sleep here and I'm running on fumes. My brains starting to shut down.”
Rachel, red eyed and wet cheeked looked up at him. “Then get some rest and clear your head! I don't wanna ever hear you think something like that ever again!”
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you,” he said softly before kissing her on the forehead.
She seemed to relax a little seeing that his thoughts were true. Eventually a smile crept onto his face. When had he adopted a little sister? A psychic little sister at that. It didn't matter. Rachel, like Sophinia was a saint. Incredible people that had come out of nowhere offering help and asked nothing in return. Jerry should have realized just how lucky he was a long time ago but for some reason, it hadn't ever properly sunk in until moments like this.
“You do need rest Daniel,” Sophinia said, clearly glad that his moment of insanity had passed. She was still giving the orders though. “Go upstairs and get some sleep. This place is as protected as it can be and we'll at least have warning if she comes here.”
Jerry nodded and slowly pulled away from Rachel, wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. He gave her an honest smile and a quick nod to the other before leaving.
Joe and Goose unfortunately didn't seem as convinced as the rest of them by what Jerry had said and continued to glare daggers at him as he left. The family bonds ran deeper between that trio so to them, this actually was a betrayal. Joe had taught him never to give up, to fight until his dying breath and now, to them it looked as if he'd forgotten that.
He'd have to find a way to reassure them later. Right now he was just about ready to collapse.
And he did. Sleep came without any arguments as soon as he hit the mattress. He didn't even take his cloths off.
Jerry's dreams weren't dreams at all, they were surrealistic nightmares. They were the worst things he could imagine. Blood, screaming, bodies, wings and loneliness.
And then he was back in that hospital. Looking at himself in that bed with his skin so pale it looked like manikin plastic with tubes sticking out of his body. And there she was, sitting in the chair across from his bed, cross legged and studying his near death copy. Her pale white suit made all of her features stand out. That perfect black shoulder length hair, her icy blue eyes, her light skin. It all seemed so real and yet some how larger than life. She was beautiful and powerful.
Why was she always there?
Then, without warning, she turned and look at him. Not the comatose version of Jerry in the bed but the real thing. She actually gave the tiniest smile when she saw him and this time she spoke.
“Not yet, Daniel. You're not ready.”
Jerry burst out of his sleep, yelling and throwing his covers all over the place. His eyes scanned the room while his brain shot into instant treat assessment mode. Enemies, weapons, exits, all of them flooded into him within moments. He was in what could easily be called the Presidential suite. Massive double bed (possible shield), flat screen TV (weapon), comfy sofas (barricade) and mini fridge (possible weapon) only took up part of the enormous room. It had three sections to it, the bedroom, a bathroom on the left and the lounge/entrance which included a small corridor. Everything was elegant and perfectly arranged. The windows were the same anti-UV double pane glass that was used for the rest of the house. He couldn't break through it but they were only six feet away and easily opened. Twenty-four feet to ground level, the drop would be painful but not lethal (Escape route), unless he landed on his head.
Ten seconds after he'd woken the door was practically kicked in as Claire flooded into the room. She was next to him in a heart beat and Jerry instinctively threw a punch at her that was deflected. It amazed him sometimes, just how quick and silent she could be. It made him wonder how he was so successful in killing things like her. But then, they didn't have her training or the discipline or her years.
“Jerry, are you alright?! You were screaming,” she said taking his shaking fist away, not the slightest bit offended that he just tried to hit her. Hers was cold but not completely without life and her eyes wore concern. In fact her skin was slightly warmer than usual. She'd recently fed and been absorbing the body heat of her lover lying next to her.
Speaking of which, Joe followed a few seconds later. He was topless, but just as worried as Claire. They had clearly been in the middle of something he didn't want to know about. Jerry blinked and Cass was at the doorway as well. Like Claire, her supernatural hearing had let her know that something was wrong. It had only felt like moments but Jerry had clearly be out for a while, otherwise his uncle wouldn't have be ready for bed yet. Upon further study, he saw Claire was wearing nothing but track-suits and a thin white tank top (with no bra underneath) indicating that she'd thrown those clothes on in a heartbeat before charging to his room. Cass was still dressed as before, she'd obviously stayed up to keep guard. The others hadn't arrived yet, meaning they'd all decided to take rest as well.
Despite his current panicked state, Jerry was glad that his brain was still working well enough to spot those kind of things. Things that most people would usually overlook.
“Jerry?!” Joe gasped, rushing to his side.
“I saw her...” Jerry gasped, still reeling from the dream. “She spoke to me!”
“Who?” Claire asked.
“The woman in white,” he said, trying to slow his heartbeat.
; Sophinia was beside him, so quick that he never even saw her approach. Maybe it was the results of the dream. He was usually faster than this. He may not be able to match a purebloods speed but he could certainly stand up to it. Soph had gotten past all of his natural defenses and was now less than a foot away.
He wasn't frightened by her being there. In fact he was glad. She was always calm, always calculated, always understanding. She had a way of making everything seem 'alright'. She was Yoda, she was Dumbledore, she was awesome!
“Daniel,” she soothed while taking him into a hug. “It's alright. We're here.”
In that instant her cold body seemed to hold more life than anything else. She was so protective and caring. It made his troubles seem lighter somehow.
“She spoke to me,” Jerry gasped pulling away from her slightly.
Blood Heavy: Ascension Page 20