by Peter Saenz
After I nod my head yes, Anna raises her arms and a mysterious breeze swirls around the room. The door to the temple closes behind us as the room takes on a golden glow. Strange hieroglyphs appear and disappear in the air around us and I know the ceremony is about to begin. Mika leads by example and raises her arms into the air, facing her grandmamma. Tobias and I follow suit. Anna offers up thanks to her gods and reaffirms her devotion to their service. We each in turn also honor our own gods and devotion to their service, and add a special thanks to Isis and Bastet for their welcome circle and support. I’m surprised to learn that Mika’s devotional gods are the twin Olympian gods Artemis and Apollo.
Once formal introductions of thanks are said, Anna joins us around the alter. Anna stops at the westward station near the chalice. This water position makes perfect sense to me as it is the location for intuition and divination. A seer of Anna’s level would be most comfortable in this station and will be at their most powerful. I turn and look at Tobias and see he is near the pentacle plate and bread, at the north position. A devotee of Gaea, this earth position also falls in line for him. Mika is stationed near the wooden staff or wand, the eastward position of air. This position of mind and intellect suits Mika as I’ve learned since my time with her, she is very knowledge centered and focused on self-improvement. Near me in my station is the athame dagger, the fire symbol of the south position. Part of the fire position’s traits are the overseeing of animals and their fiery spirit. My newfound werewolf ties definitely put me in line with this trait. I then look over and see that Sekhmet has positioned himself near the candles, sitting between Anna and Mika’s east and west positions. This location is usually reserved for spirit or the divine. Again, this seems the perfect location for Sekhmet as he is a divine spirit in his own right.
Being that no one has instructed us to take these positions beforehand and that we’ve all come to them on our own accord makes me feel that our Wiccan union is meant to be.
We then begin our chants of focused meditation. Anna speaks in what sounds to be ancient Egyptian, while Tobias, Mika and I chant in everyday English. Our words begin to take on a life of their own as the various chants leave our mouths and travel around the room under their own power. The sheer strength emanating from the words initially takes me by surprise, but the look of determination on Anna’s face tells me to continue my attention on the ritual at hand.
The sounds of the various chants begin to reach their crescendo. As they do, I see the Eye of Bastet rise from the center of the alter table and begin to spin in place. As the sound of the chants grow louder, so does the speed from the Eye quicken to a matching pace. The photo of my father also begins to rise, taking on an unearthly glow. When the chanting has reached its peak Anna’s eyes turn stark white. Seconds after they do I see Sekhmet’s eyes and those of every cat in the temple turn stark white as well. The Eye of Bastet then stops it’s spinning at once and I’m overcome with a feeling of blacking out.
Instead of falling to the ground I find myself in a city alleyway. Standing beside me I see Anna, Tobias and Mika. Anna is still wearing her flowing white ceremonial clothes but her eyes are now no longer white, but their usual deep green. The four of us are staring at a stretch limo that pulls into view. It stops, allowing a large middle-aged Italian man to step out of it. He is dressed in a custom designer suit. He’s joined by two more men from the limo who look and act as bodyguards. I’m surprised to see one of the bodyguards is my father, only younger than I’ve ever seen him. He’s dressed just as finely as the man he’s guarding. I can clearly see he and the other bodyguard’s gun holsters under their jackets. None of the men notice us as they continue with what they’re doing despite our close proximity. The large man bangs on a door leading into the back of one of the buildings. After a few moments it opens. As they step inside, the world around us shifts and we suddenly find ourselves inside the building.
Inside is a large factory. The noise is deafening but no one in the group seems to mind as they continue with their business. The large man kisses the cheeks of another man inside, signaling a sign of friendship. The new gentleman then picks up a black briefcase and opens it for the large man from the limo. Inside are stacks of neatly placed hundred dollar bills. The large man smiles and pats his friend on the back in appreciation. The two then move over to a railing to look over the factory’s mechanics. Upon closer inspection I see workers below putting small bags of white powder inside various children’s toys before packaging them up in boxes and sending them down a processing line.
With their backs turned, the two men don’t notice my father grabbing his fellow bodyguard’s head and twisting it in place, thus snapping his neck. The sound of the now dead bodyguard falling to the ground goes completely unheard over the sounds of the various machines being used. Two more men come running from the either side of my father in order to attack him in retaliation. My father shoves his palm into one man’s face, sending shards of bone and flesh into his brain. The man goes down instantly. As the second man swings, my father crouches down to avoid impact. On the way back up my father gives his attacker an upper-cut punch that sends him flying into a protruding pipe, thus impaling him. He dies immediately. A third man then appears from behind my father ready to cut him down. Somehow my father senses him and spins around to face him. As he does, my father’s hands morph into claws. He slashes the attacker in mid-swing, deeply into his mid-section. Looking at his face, I see
my father’s features change as well into the subtle werewolf trademarks of mine and Tobias’ previous attacker in the woods. Like Nicholas before him, my father’s fur is a dark coal color and his eyes turn a bright yellow. The third attacker falls to the ground dead as well.
My father then turns to the two Italian men still overlooking the factory before them, unaware of what has just happened. My father raises his claw into the air and is just about to take out the large man he arrived with when suddenly my mother appears. Like my father, she is very young and quite beautiful. She appears to be somewhere in her twenties. She had just come up a set of stairs to greet the two men when she sees my father. She is shocked at the sight of the dead bodyguards on the ground, but when she sees my father in his sudo-werewolf form she covers her mouth in horror. My father’s response is surprising. Instead of finishing his task he stops and reverts back to his fully human form. He backs up as if he is suddenly ashamed of what he is doing in her presence.
The large mob boss sees my mother appear, smiles at her and opens his arms to greet her. Once he sees the look of horror on her face though, his expression changes as he turns around to see what she is looking at. Spotting the dead bodyguards on the ground, both the large man and the man with the briefcase pull out guns from their own holsters. Before they can fire, my father punches the large man in the stomach, then spins and kicks the man with the briefcase in the stomach as well. His movements are lightning fast, becoming a blur in his actions. The two stunned men drop their guns and fall to their knees as the wind has been knocked out from both of them. My mother rushes over towards them but my father stops her, holding her by her shoulders.
“You weren’t supposed to be here Victoria.”
My mother’s eyes begin to water as she says, “You were going to kill my father? How could you? After all we’ve been through together? What kind of monster are you?”
Still out of breath, the large man on the floor reaches for his gun now beside him on the floor. He fires it in my father’s direction but his unsteady hand causes him to miss his target. He collapses trying to regain his rhythm of breathing. The gunshot was loud enough to be heard over the machines however, and several of the workers below run out of the building while the rest begin pointing at my father and shout ‘Murderer’.
“I don’t have a lot of time Victoria. The others will be here soon to finish what I started.” My father reaches out his hand to my mother and says, “Come with me Victoria. We can leave all of this behind. You don’t have to worry about
being part of your father’s world anymore. We can be happy somewhere else, together, living new lives.”
My heart drops as the scene before me resembles my warehouse experience with Tobias in so many ways.
“What about my father? What’s going to happen to him?”
“His fate is sealed. If the people who hired me don’t kill him, one of the other Dons will. You’ve known this day was coming since you were a little girl. I just don’t want you to be a part of it when it does. Come on Victoria, you’ve got to decide now!”
My mother initially hesitates, looking down at her father who has now passed out and then back into my father’s eyes, searching for an answer only she herself can give. She finally takes my father’s hand. As she does, several more bodyguards in suits arrive on the factory floor below. They begin shooting at my father. He quickly picks up my mother with one hand and the briefcase of money in the other. He carries her to the nearby exit door and kicks it open. He quickly puts my mother and the briefcase into the back of the still waiting limo then runs to the driver’s door and opens it. He grabs the driver by the collar and flings him against an opposing brick wall, leaving him unconscious on the floor beneath it. My father then takes the driver’s place behind the wheel of the car and speeds away from the scene.
The world around us shifts again and we find ourselves in a strange meeting room with several people busily working. Everyone there is wearing the trademark black werewolf assassin gear previously seen worn by Nicholas. The door flings open and in march the werewolf Archon, along with several other werewolves in black. Nicholas, already in the room, sees the Archon and stands at attention.
“Do we have a location on Adam yet?”
“No Archon. We have several troops scowering the area but there’s no sign of him.”
“That boy’s been trained his whole life in stealth. If we don’t find him soon, we may never find him. What about the target? What’s his status?”
“The target is still alive. He’s at his compound with full security alerted. It’ll be a no-nonsense kill but I can have a pack complete Adam’s assignment within the hour.”
Interrupting, the Archon says, “No, I want you to finish it. Our client paid for a clean kill and I don’t want any more chance of things lousing up. Get in, kill the target, and get out. I want this done by the numbers. Understand me?”
Nicholas gives a slight head bow and says, “Yes Archon. I’ll leave now.”
“Good. Take my personal team of wolves with you for any necessary clean-up and stay in radio contact. This assignment needs to be completed before they can bring in any heavy hitters.”
“Yes Archon.”
Nicholas then leaves the room along with the Archon’s team of werewolf bodyguards.
Then to himself, the Archon says, “Son, what have you done...”
Our surroundings shift again. The four of us now find ourselves back at my home in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s night and my father is sitting by the pool in the back yard drinking a glass of bourbon alone. He’s a few years older now, very much the same age from my last memories of him, complete with beard. The crickets are chirping and it’s obvious the majority of the city has been asleep for quite some time.
Into the darkness my father says, “How did you find me?”
From seemingly nowhere a voice answers back, “It was an accident really. I was out on an assignment and during my reconnaissance saw you walking out of one of the target’s businesses. You can imagine my surprise when I found you not only alive and well, but also married to your last mark’s daughter. Throw the kid into the mix and I have to say, this has been one of the most interesting assignments I’ve had in a while.”
“Did you get your mark?”
The voice chuckles. “Yeah. Looks like one of your company’s board members is going to need a replacement.”
“I guess it probably won’t do any good to assume you haven’t already reported back to my father that you’ve found me.”
“No, that was done yesterday just after I completed my assignment.”
My father’s shoulders fall slightly. “He didn’t have the guts to come here and do this himself then?”
“Adam, your father is one of the five Archon leaders for the entire Synoro clan. He and the other Archons have their hands full with other important matters.”
“More important than killing his own son?”
The voice chuckles again. “Who said he ordered me to kill you?”
My father gets a look of confusion on his face. “What? So you’re not going to kill me?”
“I didn’t say that either. Your father isn’t here because the Basque Clan is close to starting a war with the Synoro. Several of their clients have made deals with our packs and they’re pretty pissed off about it. Your father has been meeting with one of the Basque Archons named Gregoire. Neither he or your father want a war to happen. They’re in negotiations for peace talks now, but if they can’t find another alternative, they’ve agreed to create an Enopo to officially put any war on hold until a permanent negotiation can be made between the clans.”
“Great, so why are you telling me?”
“I’m telling you because if an Enopo is needed, your father wants you to be one of the Enopo’s makers.”
My father immediately stands up from his chair in a fury. “What?”
“It’s the only way. You’re a lone wolf now Adam. You know the law. Without any ties to one of the five clans, you and your family will be killed on the spot. And as a deserter? Well, let’s just say it took some convincing for your father to get the other Archon Council Members to even consider letting you back in. Your choices are this: you either come willingly and agree to the arrangement, or you refuse and we kill you and your human family. It’s that easy.”
My father circles around his chair and stares at our home. He then throws his head back and stares up at the crescent moon, sighing.
“If I do this, what assurances do I have that my wife and son won’t be harmed?”
“You have your father’s word, by agreement of the Archon Council. Unless they break any of the sacred laws, your family will be free to live their lives...only without you.”
“How long do I have to decide?”
“Until 3:00pm tomorrow. I have transport scheduled to take us back to the Portland compound. The Basque Ambassador should be arriving a few hours after we land. And in case you’re thinking about running again, your father has several wolves watching you and your family now. If you’re not at the company airport to join me by takeoff, all of you will be cut down where you stand.”
My father then looks down at the remainder of his drink and gulps it down in one shot. He places the glass down on a nearby table and turns back to face a dark corner of the property.
“I’ll go, but I want you to promise me one thing first.”
The voice laughs again, “I may have looked up to you growing up Adam, but you know where my loyalties lay. Why would you think I would promise you anything?”
“Because your loyalty lies with family. You are my cousin Nicholas and whether you like it or not, my son has the same blood flowing in him that you do.”
“Bah! It’s not the same. That mongrel of yours is not wolf. We both know only two of our kind can pass on our legacy. Half wolf blood or no, he is 100% human. He’ll never be able to make the change.”
“Still, if you ever cared for me at all...promise me you’ll keep an eye on my wife and son. Promise me you’ll check in on them from time to time and let me know how they’re doing.”
A silence passes for what seems like eternity. Finally from out of the shadows steps Nicholas, dressed in his assassination garb. His features remain human but his eyes slowly shift into a brilliant yellow.
“I’ll do this for you Adam, but only because you are family. I’ll warn you this though, the sacred laws are still in place. If your human family ever reveals what we are, or if they show their face at any of our dens looking fo
r you...I will see to it personally that they suffer before their death.”
“Has my father’s hate for humans really poisoned you that much Nicholas?”
“We are wolves, cousin. This has been our way for millennia.”
“Yes, and see where it’s gotten my mother and your parents. Wolves may be what we are, but hate will only see you an early grave.”
Nicholas forms an expression of extreme anger on his face, but remains where he is.
“3:00pm Adam. Be at the airport if you know what’s good for you.”
The assassin then turns and disappears into the shadows, leaving my father standing alone. After he feels Nicholas has completely left, Adam sits back down into his chair and silently weeps into his hands.
Our surroundings shift again, this time back to the werewolf compound I had visited earlier in spirit form. We are in a very sumptuous lounge room. Standing in a very official looking uniform is the Archon, flanked by several werewolf assassins on either side of him. They all stand at attention as the doors to the room open, revealing Adam and Nicholas. They walk in and go over to their leader. Nicholas places his hand over his heart while my father stands staring into his father’s eyes.
“Hello Jason” Adam says coldly.
The Archon looks back into Adam’s eyes looking rather hurt and says, “Is that all I get from you after all I’ve done to reclaim your place in the clan?”
Adam sarcastically says, “Do you really want to get into this in front of ‘the help’?”
Jason then nods to his side and says, “I’m going to need a few moments with my son. Please, step outside. I’ll call you if I need you.”
