by J. Thiele
A light went on in all of them.
“Bingo!” he said, “Let’s roll.”
Andreas and Chelsea began to chant.
“What are they doing?” Ray asked.
The old woman spoke again, “If you leave now you will not return, a fool will rush in, where an angel fears to tread. You must wait. Saligia knows you will come, and she is ready to receive you.”
Chelsea stopped chanting and stealthily walked up to Kara as if in a daze. “YOU must go, face your fears. Victory is yours, hers will be tears.”
“Me? I can’t fight her, she’s too strong. Dominic’s the leader, why can’t he go?” she asked.
“You have the power! You are the power. If she were stronger than you, why didn’t she kill you when she had the chance? You are not alive through luck! You are here because it is fate,” Clarisse told her.
“She’s right Kara. She let you live because she couldn’t kill you,” Dominic agreed, “And now you have the power of two immortals flowing through your veins. Of course we will back you, but I am only a few hundred years old. She is thousands of years older and I am no match for her, even with Sarah’s help. But you…you can finish this Kara.”
Pearce stood to defend her. “Now just wait a cotton pickin’ minute. You saw what that bitch did to her. I’m not risking her getting her hands on Kara again. Bad enough she still has Casey. Fuck knows what the bitch is capable of.”
Kara put her hand on Pearce’s shoulder, “As much as I hate to admit it, and as scared as I am, Clarisse is right. I’m the one who needs to go.”
“I will train her to use her senses,” Dominic vowed.
“I can help her with her shifter side,” Sarah told them, “I know of a pack just outside the city.”
Ray offered to gather as many vampires as he could to create a small army of their own.
Clarisse, Chelsea and Andreas would put protection spells on all of them, and gather the rest of the witches from their lair to create enough energy to weaken Saligia - giving Kara a better chance of victory.
Clarisse knew that if Saligia won the impending battle, it would mean doom for all paranormal, especially witches.
“What do you need Rose and me to do?” Pearce asked, not wanting to be left out of the end game.
“Your Rose needs you more than we,” Clarisse told him. “You must stay with her. Let her know that you love her.”
“Don’t you push me out of my own outfit woman. I’m every bit a part of this. Just because I’m old…”
Her stare was enough to silence him before he spoke another word, “Go to her.”
Pearce picked up his keys and reluctantly left.
“You call me if you need me kiddo,” he said to Kara on his way out.
“I’ll bring her home in one piece. I promise,” Kara tried to instil confidence with her words and a very unconvincing smile.
“Tell Rose we are thinking of her.”
“I will, just make sure you come back with her,” he grunted, then left.
Chapter Sixteen
“The first thing we must do is find out where she is, then we can form a plan of attack.”
Dominic stood at the front where Pearce would usually chair the meetings.
“How do we do that? She can hear us from a mile away. Her senses are much more honed than ours.”
“She’ll be expecting humans or vampires,” Kara spoke up.
Ray turned his head in her direction to witness a pile of clothes drop to the floor and an eagle almost the size of a sitting Rottweiler suddenly perch up on the table opposite him. It looked down at the clothes, then back at Ray.
He immediately turned his head away to allow her to reform and dress, as did everyone else.
“Neat trick,” he said, as she let them know they could turn around again.
“Kara has an advantage over us. She is able to look for her in the daylight hours, using her shifter as her vessel,” Dominic announced.
They continued to form strategies and defences until day break, when Kara could begin her search, knowing that Saligia would be safely immobilised by the sun.
*****
Pearce arrived home to find Rose still in bed, “Rose? What’s wrong?” he frowned with concern.
“Anthony, come sit by me,” she patted the bed. She’d been sick for some time, but had managed to hide it from Pearce until now. He’d either been in hospital, or too involved with his work to notice that Rose was becoming weary.
“What is it Rose?” Pearce sat by her side, his eyes fixed to hers. He knew it must be serious and tried to swallow past the lump of dread that had lodged in his throat, as tears welled in his eyes.
“Doc says my heart is giving up on me,” she spoke in a frail voice. Her breath was short.
“How long have you known this Rose? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“And then what Tony? Have you fussin’ over me like an old woman?” she coughed, weakly struggling for breath.
“I can’t lose you too Rose. I’m nothing without you. It hasn’t been long enough. Don’t leave me now.”
Pearce was heartbroken and angry with himself, that he didn’t see the signs. He knew she’d been tired and a little quiet. Thinking about it, the signs were there, he’d just been too ignorant to see them.
“I’m callin’ an ambulance,” Pearce said, as he picked up the receiver from the cradle on the night stand.
“Lay with me Tony. I feel cold,” She said, as her voice grew even softer.
He called for an ambulance, then laid down beside her. Cradling her in his arms, she took her last breath.
“I’m sorry Rose. I should have been here,” he sobbed, until the paramedics arrived to pronounce her dead on arrival.
*****
In the form of an eagle, Kara flew beyond the city limits and everything rushed past below her. Her senses were on high alert and she felt herself being pulled in a particular direction. It was as though she had been there before, yet at the same time, she was seeing the scenery for the first time. She could feel herself closing in on Casey’s presence. She dipped to the left and spotted what looked like an old cellar door. The shrubbery around it presented as though it had been recently disturbed, and as she flew closer, she could feel herself being drawn in Casey’s direction harder than ever.
She landed silently at the top of the stairs. She could hear sounds coming from below and knew it was Casey. She felt helpless. There was nothing she could do in her present form, nor was she prepared to shift now and fight Saligia naked. She needed to let the others know she’d located the hide out. Hesitant to leave Casey alone with her a moment longer, she stood silently in the safety of the sun and listened for her lover’s voice.
*****
Casey felt a wave of relief sweep down her spine. She instinctively knew Kara was near. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she knew. She grew desperate to let her know she was waiting for her.
“Astrid, tell me about the General. Where did you meet each other?” Casey asked.
Unsure of what Kara’s plan was, she wanted to keep Saligia as preoccupied as possible.
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” she replied.
Casey had to think quickly. It was obvious by now, Saligia’s faculties were long gone.
“I did, but as always he gives me the silent treatment.”
“Is that right my darling?” Saligia asked the skull perched on the shelf. “Don’t you like the detective? Or are you jealous of her? Well it serves you right. You had your chance,” she snapped, as she spun it back to face the wall again.
“Okay, I’ll tell you, but first, have you ever loved somebody detective? I mean really loved them?” Saligia asked her.
‘Bingo!’ Casey thought to herself, ‘Now’s my chance to let her know.’
“Yes, I have actually. I love Kara, with all my heart. She’s my life and I know that wherever she is, she knows I love her. She can hear it in my voice and I can feel her love for me as if it were just
outside the door.”
Kara secretly grinned to herself knowing that Casey knew she was there and still loved her.
“Kara? Blah-blah-blah…who cares anyway? I thought you wanted to know about the General and me?”
Saligia didn’t seem to be able to maintain focus. She was unstable, and at times had the memory span of a gold fish, but Casey felt a little sorry for her anyway. She reminded her of her grandmother as she slipped into dementia.
“Yes, of course I do. Please go on. Tell me everything,” Casey said, trying to keep the devil inside the woman’s mind focussed.
“Well, it was about three thousand years ago,” she began, her eyes flicking towards the General’s skull. He was human and I was… well let’s just say I was not. Didn’t matter, we loved each other anyway. Oh, he was in denial of course, but I knew he loved me. I was hunting one night for food in his village. Three men cornered me, trying to turn the tables, then the general came to my rescue, and chased the men away. Of course I had it under control, but he was so handsome and chivalrous, I had to let him be the hero.”
She sat on the bench and nursed the skull in her lap, fondly stroking her thumbs above the temple as she continued her story.
“It took some convincing, but eventually in the end, he looked into my eyes and we fell in love,” she smiled crookedly, holding the skull at eye level, “Didn’t we darling?”
Casey knew that she must have compelled the gentleman, or whoever he was, to sleep with her.
“Sounds like a true love story.”
“It was, but a girl has to eat and people were beginning to talk.”
She put the skull back on the shelf and hopped down, and began to circle Casey, who was still tied, spread eagled on the bench.
“Why doesn’t she come out in the sun?” they screeched. “The men that had cornered me the night we met, were going around telling everybody my business, saying that I was a monster, a demon. They were ruining everything, so I had to get rid of them. Then the village nearby started complaining about their babies going missing. What was I supposed to do? Starve?” she paused and looked at Casey for understanding.
Casey felt ill at the thought of her gruesome escapades.
“Well anyway, they started to convince the General that I was a demon. Do you know what his name was Casey?”
Casey shook her head.
“Amducias. His name was, ‘Amducias the Destroyer’ – ‘Duke of Hades.’ He was also known as ‘The Executioner.’ Now, if anyone would know if I was a demon, surely it would be him. Wouldn’t you think so Casey?” she asked.
Casey nodded in mock agreement with her.
Kara stood silently outside and was captured by the story, but knew she had to get back to headquarters, well aware it could be dangerous for her to stay in her shifted state for too long. She also needed to let them know she’d located Saligia’s lair. So, with that in mind, she spread her wings and took flight home to plan for their attack.
“Well, one night the General decided to follow me. He thought I didn’t know, the fool. Of course I did. I could smell him. He smelled delicious back then. When he saw me feeding on one of the villager’s wives, rather than join me for dinner, he ruined it, saying I was a disgusting depraved animal; threatening to take me to Hades himself. The thought of that terrified me. I couldn’t stand to be away from my beloved. I offered to turn him and he said I repulsed him, so I ate him. Now he’s inside me forever and we’ve never been happier. Isn’t that right, my darling?”
Chapter Seventeen
Dominic was pacing the floor of headquarters. Ray and Brandy were feeling Pearce’s pain. The thought that unless they got Casey back, no one could be there for him at her funeral was unbearable. They were still coming to terms with the loss of Rick, and the fact that Marie insisted they all stayed away, blaming the team for her loss.
Kara landed on the roof, where a makeshift change room had been set up for when she returned to her human self.
When she made her way to the office area, she found the others in a state of despair.
“God who died?” she asked.
Ray looked up and announced, “Rose.”
“What? What happened?” she asked.
“The woman was frail, her heart was weak,” Clarisse informed them.
“You knew!” Kara accused. “That’s why you told the Captain to go to her. Why didn’t you say something?”
“It was not my secret to whisper in your ear, or anyone else’s,” the old witch justified.
There was no time to argue with her. If they were going to get Casey back they needed to plan their attack.
“We need to secure the area, and stop her from attacking the city,” Dominic announced. “That’s where the witches will come in.” He looked in Clarisse’s direction, “Can you put a containment spell in place to trap her?” he queried.
“She is very old and powerful. I will need the rest of my coven to assist. I, alone, do not hold such power, but yes, I believe it can be done.”
“Good. How long will it take to gather your people?” he asked, “And what, if anything, do you need from us?”
“They are already on the way. They’ll be here by the next moon. We need nothing from you except victory.”
“You have my word. We will do everything we can to achieve that.”
He lifted a bag onto the table and opened it. Then reaching inside, he pulled out what looked like the centre hand grip of a fancy old archer’s bow.
He looked at Kara and said, “The only way you will be able to defeat her, will be to take off her head,” he looked down into his hand, “With this,” he held up the handgrip.
“With that?” she looked at him as if he were joking.
“Prophecy, legend, folk law, whatever you wish to call it, says you have the power to find its value,” he told her, as he passed it to her via Ray and Brandy.
Just as Brandy went to hand it to her, Clarisse shouted, “STOP!” Everybody froze. “Fools rush in child. Put it on the table and step away.”
Unsure of what she knew, everybody cleared the area around the table.
“I have seen this in my dreams. It is not a toy that should be handled by the unwitting,” she told them.
“I’ve seen it too,” Sarah whispered.
“Victor carried it with him everywhere. It was he that told me about it. He was fearful of it getting into the wrong hands, but at the same time, he was certain it never would. I believe he suspected it was harmless and was just a myth, but would never take the chance by ridding himself of it,” Dominic told them.
“Tis no myth,” Clarisse told them. “Pick it up child. Hold it at arm’s length with a firm grip. It is yours and yours alone.” The old woman was beginning to sense the victory they were praying for.
Kara now began to sweat. ‘What the fuck else am I going to turn into?’ she thought to herself. With a steady hand, she reached forward and placed a firm grip on the empty handle. She lifted it from the table and within a split second of doing so, felt a surge of power race through her body. It was like an adrenalin rush that she couldn’t explain. She waved the instrument like a cheerleader’s baton above her head. In the blink of an eye, a razor sharp blade at both ends in the shape of flames, and much longer than the handle could have concealed, extended from nowhere, as the weapon seemed to become one with Kara. It was as though she’d wielded it her entire life.
“Great, now she thinks she’s Xena the fucking warrior princess,” Ray said, from the far of corner.
As if by magic, Kara willed the blades to retract and, in an instant, they were gone. She tested it a few times before handing it back to Dominic.
“It is yours to keep Kara. Protect it always. It is a part of you now,” he said, pushing her hand away from him.
“You must understand the power you hold now child,” the old witch spoke out. “It is not enough that you know how to open your slay, you must be prepared to use it.”
“How do you know so mu
ch about it?” Kara squinted her eyes and looked sideways at the eldest of the witches.
“We too have, how do you say it? ‘Legends’. It is from our ancestors that the ‘Slay’ was created,” she told them. “We have searched for centuries looking for it. Some to confirm its existence, and others, to seek eternal power over that which is not of good nature.”
“So what do I need to know?” Kara asked.
“The blade is cursed with a double edge. It can be used to destroy your enemies, but it can also destroy you. If you slip and draw your own blood with the blade, even just a nick, you will perish by the rise of the next sun, and the slay will close again until another chosen prophet comes forth and is recognised as the new owner of the Slay.”
‘Who else has owned it?”
She wanted to learn as much as she could before she was forced into using it.
“There has only ever been one other with such power. He vanished over three millennia ago. No one knows what became of him. His name was Amducias –‘The destroyer’,” Clarisse informed her.
Kara’s eye widened, “The Duke of Hades.”
“Yes. Our legend believes that he returned to Hades. How do you know of him child?”
“He’s not in Hades, she has him.”
Kara went on to explain that Saligia had in fact devoured Amducias and had been carrying his skull around with her ever since. Kara asked how the Slay was made and what made it so powerful.
Everybody sat in anticipation of hearing the story, as Clarisse told it, as it had been told to her.
“A rabid night walker was terrorising villages, feeding on the innocent, slaughtering the hunters, and disembowelling their wives. She was made from great power and it would take great power to destroy her,” she went on. “The witches were called upon to cast a spell to end the destruction, but they needed help to bind the spell and create a weapon that could not be used for any purpose other than what it was designed for. Amducias came with many names, ‘The Executioner’, ‘The Destroyer’, ‘The Duke of Hades’, and they needed his strength to wield the Slay. It was made from an iron like no other, far superior for its time. It was made from the iron will of man. Amducias presented them with the hell fire to add to the molten iron, but they needed more. A night walker claiming to be her maker but forbidden to destroy her by his own hands, drew his blood into the cauldron, fusing his wrath with the humans. The bones of her victims were needed for retribution.”
