by Sean Stone
“Nickolas, I was rather hoping you’d accept my invitation,” Alistair said when he saw Nick. He was standing behind the counter. A golden bracelet was laying on the counter in front of him.
“I assume that’s the bracelet James wants?” Nick asked as he approached the counter. An odd choice for a warlock vessel but each to his own.
“It is indeed,” Alistair confirmed.
“And what is it you want in exchange?” Nick reached the counter and looked into the old man’s eyes. There was something horribly familiar about the man. Not so much in his looks but in the way he was. His expressions and his mannerisms. Even the vibe that Nick got from him. It was not a pleasant vibe.
“I just want to talk. After all, I did say that I would meet you again in Cedarstone.” Alistair gave him a sly wink and Nick realised who he was talking to. How he could have been so blind was beyond him. Before him was the man who had made his life hell. This man was the reason for everything Nick had been working for for the last six-hundred years. This was the man who had betrayed him on more than one occasion. And Nick hadn’t recognised him for who he was.
“Set,” he said in a quiet growl. “Give me one reason not to knock you through that wall.”
“Give me a reason why you should,” he countered.
“How about the trap you set for me fifty-four years ago. You sent me after a compass that would lead to Elysium. Only the compass doesn’t exist,” Nick said furiously.
“That is true. Half-true anyway. The whole thing was engineered to get Kayla’s attention so she would come here,” Set explained.
“Yes. I know that. It worked, didn’t it? She did come. And she locked me away. After forcing seven swords through me.”
“Well, that I did not expect. My seer told me that you would defeat her in this very town.”
“Your seers get things wrong an awful lot,” Nick said. It wasn’t the first time Set had been given false predictions of the future.
“No, their visions are always true. It’s just a matter of finding the right time.”
“What do you mean?” Nick asked. He should’ve walked out the moment he knew he was dealing with Set but his own curiosity had gotten the better of him. He was as foolish as the metaphorical cat when it came to curiosity.
“I mean you were never destined to defeat Kayla in 1960. But you are now.”
“Go on,” Nick said. He was interested but not ready to trust his former mentor just yet. That was unlikely to ever happen again.
“You will defeat Kayla. This very year. Katrina has seen it.”
“I’m surprised she sees anything these days,” Nick mocked.
Set scowled at him. “The second sight does not require eyes.”
“So when exactly will I defeat Kayla?” Nick asked dubiously. He still suspected that Set was playing him again.
“I don’t know exactly when. Nor do I know how. I just know that you will. So you need to go and prepare. Lure her here. Commit enough evil deeds and she’ll come back. She does not have the element of surprise this time. You will know she is coming. Prepare. Find a way to end her,” he said.
Nick nodded. It was a good plan. Kayla needed to be defeated in order for his own plans to be carried out and that seemed like a viable option. But there was something else niggling at him. “When I came looking for my dagger after I was freed why didn’t you tell me where it was?” Nick asked. Set still had a lot of questions to answer before Nick would scheme with him again.
“I didn’t know where it was.”
“Do you really expect me to believe that you aren’t the one who gave it to Benjamin Larcen?” Larcen had used the ambrotos dagger as the centre piece for the curse which had robbed everyone in town — including Nickolas — of their magic. Nickolas was certain that Set had written the curse too.
“No. I did give it to him. He needed it for the curse. And I needed him to cast that curse.”
“Why? What did you get out of it?”
“It was an experiment. You don’t really think that that moron of a warlock designed that curse? I created it. I intended to use it on Kayla but the test proved it would not work on her.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because it didn’t work on me.”
“Okay. So, if you didn’t want me trapped then why did you leave me trapped for all those years? Why didn’t you release me?”
“Truthfully? I didn’t want to. Let’s be honest with each other. You don’t like me and I don’t like you. The reason we work together is because we need one another. At the time I didn’t need you. You’d failed against Kayla and I thought that was it. Until Katrina told me that you were still destined to defeat Kayla. Then I set things in motion to have you released.”
“But why didn’t you just free me and break the curse? Why all the cloak and dagger?” Nick demanded. One of Set’s most loathsome characteristics was his penchant for mystery.
“Because I wasn’t ready to reveal myself. Now, I am. We can discuss this all night, or we can just get on with our plans,” Set said grumpily.
“Why should I trust you?”
“I still need you to walk me into the chamber beneath the temple. And you still need me to get back to Elysium. Once Kayla is gone only I will be able to find the place. You see, the compass is real but it only works if Kayla is incapacitated. An emergency measure you see.”
“And I suppose you know where the compass is?”
“I have it.”
Nick laughed. “Of course you do. Alright, Set, what’s the plan then?”
“I have already told you the plan. Prepare yourself. You already have a jinni, yes?”
Katrina had told Nick that the jinn were the key. Once he’d broken the curse he’d left Cedarstone and gone and caught one. “I do. I haven’t figured out how to kill it yet, though.”
“It will take more than jinn power alone to defeat Kayla. You’ll need ancient power too. Luckily, you’ve summoned the Cult of Osiris, have you not?” Nick had summoned the ancient league of vampires as a way to punish Richie Morgan for his involvement in Nick’s entrapment. It seemed they too had an old score to settle with him.
“There are no ancients in the cult,” Nick said, shrugging.
“They carry a dismembered one around with them everywhere they go. Gather the pieces. Put them back together. Pit the jinni against the ancient and when they kill each other you can claim their power. I trust you can design the ritual to claim the power, or do I need to do that for you as well?” he said mockingly.
“I can handle it,” Nick said sourly.
“Well then,” Set pushed the bracelet across the counter to Nick. “Good luck. And try not to get locked up this time. Imagine how embarrassed you’ll be if I have to come and rescue you.”
Nick snatched up the bracelet and left the shop. One day he was going to kill that vile man.
Present Day
Nick had no idea where he was. He could hear nothing beyond the walls of the sarcophagus. He could feel nothing either. If they moved him he neither felt nor heard it. He assumed he had been moved; it would be careless to leave him in the middle of the town park. The sarcophagus was air tight. Nick had run out of oxygen very quickly after being closed in but he had not died. He assumed that he had consumed so much power that it was stopping him from dying even temporarily. Under any other circumstances he would have been thankful for that but not now. Now that he was trapped in a box with nothing but his own company a few hours of death would have been a welcome reprieve. He couldn’t even escape his torment with sleep because he soon learned that he no longer needed to sleep. Great power certainly had its consequences.
He used his magic to ease his discomfort. Despite not being able to die, he still felt the pain from not being able to breath. Luckily the sarcophagus did not nullify his magic. It only contained it. The thick chains he’d been bound with were made of iron but they were not strong enough to overcome his power. That was good to know. He heated the chains
until they dripped right off him. When he finally escaped, Clara and her friends would have to do a lot better than iron chains to block his power. They had only managed to contain him because he’d been weak from fighting Osiris and then Kayla. That would not happen again. He would rip through that town and decimate everyone who dared to stand against him that night. That was if by the time he got out they were all still alive. Centuries might pass before he was free. Centuries may already have passed. Nick had lost track of time very quickly. He still had his phone but it had been fried in the battle and was now useless; a lump of melted plastic and glass. He’d managed to keep track of the first few days but after that… He might’ve been imprisoned for days or he might have been imprisoned for decades. He could not tell. He wondered how long it would be until he lost his wits. Insanity would come eventually. It was just a matter of time. He couldn’t even end it all using the ambrotos dagger — the one weapon that could kill him. The dagger had been lost in the fight. No doubt it now lay in the possession of one of his many enemies. They were probably all squabbling over it right now.
Suddenly the lid of the sarcophagus was pulled open and his prison was filled with blinding light. Nick shielded his eyes with his arm, waiting for the light to go away. A shadow fell over him, reducing the light enough for him to lower his arm and look up. Standing over him Nick saw Set. He was back in his original form now — or at least the form that Nick had first met him. His blue eyes shone in the sunlight and his lips were stretched in a familiar smile. Nick snapped. He flew from the sarcophagus and punched Set as hard as he could right in the jaw. Set’s smile vanished and was replaced with shock as he slammed down to the wooden floor. He opened his mouth to speak but Nick wasn’t interested. He grabbed Set by the collar and threw him through the air. The ancient soared down the length of the ship and smashed through a wall at the far end. Nick teleported to him. He reached down to continue the attack and stopped abruptly. Set was sat up on the floor, his right arm outstretched and the ambrotos dagger pointed at Nick. Nick took a step back and allowed Set to climb to his feet. Set did not lower the dagger.
“Why are you attacking me?” he demanded. There was a dangerous glint in his eye.
“Because you betrayed me again. I agreed to work with you and yet again I ended up imprisoned!” Nick yelled. There were a few people working on the ship around them but they all hurried away from the arguing pair.
“I did not betray you. I did not trap you. I did everything I said I would. I gave you the means to kill Osiris and I gave you the curse you needed to defeat Kayla. When you were defeated by the town’s forces I retrieved your dagger from the park and sailed out here to rescue you,” Set argued.
“And how long have you left me trapped this time? Ten years, or just another fifty?” Nick said bitterly. Laughter began to emit from Set’s throat. Quiet at first but then loud and mocking. “You would do well not to laugh at me,” Nick growled.
“Nickolas, it’s been thirteen days,” he said and continued to laugh. Nick’s face flushed red and he suddenly felt very foolish.
“It felt like longer,” he said in barely more than a whisper.
“Apparently so. I’ve never been trapped myself, but I can imagine it isn’t a very pleasant experience.” Set lowered his hand and looked down at the dagger. He considered it for a moment before handing it to Nick.
“Thank you,” Nick said curtly as he slipped it into his pocket. “Where are we?” he looked around and saw nothing but water.
“In the middle of the Atlantic. But not for long,” Set replied.
“We’re returning to Cedarstone,” Nick said.
“Not yet.”
“Yes, we are. I have people to kill.”
“Those people will still be there when you return. Right now we have more important things to do,” said Set.
“Such as?”
“Follow me.”
Nick followed him to the navigation deck where Set led him to a vast circular room. The floor of the room was covered in a giant map of the world. There was nothing else in the room. No furniture. No decorations. Nothing.
“See that?” Set said pointing at a shimmering golden orb in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
“What is it?” asked Nick.
“Elysium. This is the compass that will take us home,” Set said. “Not the most conventional compass, I know, but it will do the job.”
“Elysium is not in the Indian Ocean,” Nick said simply. “I crashed there from a storm that hit me west of Ireland. Do you really mean to tell me that a storm blew me that far?”
“No. Elysium is not in the Indian Ocean. Three days ago the compass told me Elysium was in the Pacific,” Set said. He walked over the map and stood on the Pacific Ocean.
“Your compass is defective.”
“No it isn’t,” Set said, shaking his head.
“Do you mean to tell me that Elysium is moving? Because that is absurd.” Nick had only been in Set’s presence for a few minutes and he already wanted to go back in the sarcophagus.
“Of course, I’m not saying that. Islands don’t move.” He turned his back on Nick and looked at the map. “Kayla isn’t dead so the compass isn’t working completely. It keeps giving false locations but eventually it will give the correct one. It’s just a matter of time.”
“How can you be sure that it will definitely give the correct location?” Nick asked.
“Because prior to Kayla being cursed the compass gave nothing at all.”
“I’d still prefer to go to Cedarstone first,” Nick said. They left the compass room and Set led him down to the lower decks.
“Right now everyone in Cedarstone thinks you’re at the bottom of the Atlantic. Nobody is trying to stop you. Wouldn’t it be best to keep it that way for as long as possible?” said Set.
He made an excellent point. “I suppose it would.” Nick remembered that he’d lost contact with his disciples after his fight with Osiris. He searched for them now but got no response. The connection was still broken. “What happened to my disciples?” he asked. He was certain that Set would know. Set had eyes and ears everywhere.
“SIT has them locked away. Don’t worry they’re all still alive and when you get back to Cedarstone you can be reunited with them,” Set said.
“Will you not be returning with me?” Nick asked.
“My time in Cedarstone is over. There is nothing there for me now.”
“What about your seer friend?”
“She stepped out of line and had to die. Not that it matters. I know everything I need to know now.”
“That’s what you thought last time,” Nick muttered.
Set stopped walking and eyed him. “My success has been foreseen. I will enter that chamber,” he promised.
That night Nick was in his cabin trying fruitlessly to connect with his disciples when there was a knock at the door.
“Enter,” he called. The door opened and a nervous looking boy walked in. He looked no older than thirteen. Nick wondered if Set had selected the crew himself or if he’d just hired them through a third party. “Yes?”
“I… I had a dream last night,” the boy said. He glanced around the room, looking everywhere but into Nick’s eyes.
“And you feel you need to inform me of that?” Nick asked sarcastically. He did not need to hear about the dreams of young boys.
“There was a woman who said to give you a message when you arrived,” he said.
Nick sat up a little straighter. The boy was clearly in touch with the psychic arts. “What woman?”
“A blind woman. Said her name was Katrina.”
“The seer,” Nick said. Although, he couldn’t imagine what she would have to say to him. “Tell me what she said.”
7
Clara was at the doorway leading to the cages that held the twelve disciples of Nickolas Blackwood. Something wasn’t quite right. There was a feeling about the place which she couldn’t describe but somehow told her that she was dreami
ng. It was obvious why she was dreaming about this. She’d been tasked with interrogating the disciples and it was stressing her out. One disciple more than the others. No sooner had she thought about him than she found herself standing outside the cage containing Jamal. Teleported in there blink of an eye. That confirmed that it was a dream. She could not teleport in reality.
Jamal was standing with his back to her facing the wall. His head was bobbing slightly and his shoulder-length hair jiggled about. Was he crying?
“Jamal?” she said tentatively. Too tentatively. She was in charge here and she should act like it.
“Clara,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “Why have you come?”
“I need to ask you some questions. That’s all,” she said. This time she spoke with authority. Not being able to see his face made it easier.
“I never betrayed you,” he said and then turned. His face was flooded with tears, his dark eyes wide and pleading. “I love you, Clara. But I love Nick too.”
“Who would you choose. If you had to?” she asked. She’d probably never learn the truth in reality because she’d taken the choice from him by arresting him. Maybe she should have let everything play out and see which side Jamal fell on.
“I can’t betray him, Clara. None of us can.”
Before Clara could speak the glass that separated her and Jamal suddenly cracked. She reached up in a feeble attempt to stop it and saw in her hand a dagger made of solid gold. The hilt was encrusted with jewels and an Egyptian Ankh was etched into the blade. She recognised it at once. It was the dagger she’d seen Nick using in the woods the night he’d awoken Osiris. She got the impression that it was highly valuable.
“Hello, Clara,” Nick said and she whirled around to see him standing behind her. “Are you sorry, Clara?” he asked.
“Sorry? What…” her voice tailed off when she noticed that he was holding her heart in his hand once again. Smiling sadistically.
