by Sean Stone
“Eddie…”
“Don’t argue. I’ll call you when I need you. For now, keep you and the others alive.”
I teleported out of the house before Arthur and his minions could find me. It was still only morning which meant I needed to stall them for the rest of the day. I took myself to the Starburger cafe on Week Street. Nobody would look for me there, it wasn’t one of my usual hangouts. Considering the amount of grease on the walls it shouldn’t be one anybody’s hangouts. I ordered a cup of tea and then started making calls. First, I called Bobby and explained that I needed to borrow his pub this evening. He wasn’t thrilled but since I did save him way back when, he kind of owed me. He agreed that the pub would be mine for the evening. It helped that I explained the whole area would be evacuated anyway so there’d be no business.
Next, I called Arthur. This one was a tad more difficult, mainly because I didn’t have his number, so I had to go through a few other people to get hold of him.
“How could you, Eddie?” Arthur asked as soon as he realised it was me.
“She started the war, Arthur,” I replied as coldly as possible. I couldn’t let him know that I regretted what happened to his daughter. Nick had given me a task and my completing it required Arthur to think I was the villain.
“She would never have killed you.” I could hear the barely restrained anger in his voice. Gone was the guy who wanted to broker a truce.
“I hear you’ve got your sorcerers looking for me?” I said, changing the subject.
“We won’t stop until we have you,” he promised.
“I thought you were a man of peace?”
“Not right now. Right now I’m a man of justice.”
“Justice,” I repeated the world slowly, mulling it over. Clara had been given justice. According to Nick. It wasn’t the justice I’d had in mind, but… “If it’s justice you want then that means giving me a chance to defend myself.”
“How can you possibly defend yourself?” he said, disbelievingly.
“Come to Muggs tonight at nine and hear me out. You might be surprised.”
“I’ll be there, Eddie. But I warn you. I won’t be leaving without you.” He hung up first which annoyed me a little bit. I like to do that.
My final phone call was to Joshua, the current leader of the Syndicate. He wanted Aldric back and he threatened me a few times before he let me speak. When he was done I told him to come to Muggs at nine and we could talk things through. He agreed and ended the call. So, there it was. The trap was set. All I had to do now was wait until sunset and hope that it worked.
Not long before sunset, I arrived. The street was completely deserted. I’d never seen Maidstone’s High Street so empty, there was always at least a couple of drunks about, even in the early hours of the morning. Police cordons had been placed at either end of the street and officers were on duty. They waved me through when I arrived. I was glad that Richards wasn’t about. I really didn’t want another lecture from him.
Bobby unlocked the door for me when I got to Muggs and ushered me inside. He didn’t look happy, but then he never did. “I’ve got to warn you…” Before he could finish the sentence, I received a hard smack to my jaw that sent me staggering into the door. Still reeling from the blow, I was grabbed by my collar and shoved roughly up against the wall. Dean Tenson was snarling like a rabid dog right in my face.
“You killed her!” he screamed. Spittle sprayed my face and I blinked it out of my eyes. I really should have been expecting this.
“Come on now,” Bobby said, trying to pull Dean off me but to no avail.
“We trusted you,” Dean said, heartbroken. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.
“She didn’t,” I replied coldly. “She locked me up, remember?”
“For everyone’s good.”
I’d had enough of hearing that phrase. With a blink of my eyes Dean flew off me and smashed through a nearby table on his way to the floor.
“Oh, come on!” Bobby exclaimed.
“I am so sick of hearing people say it’s for everyone’s good,” I said as I stepped forwards. Dean groaned and rolled on to his front, pulling himself up.
“I loved her.” He was back on his feet, his eyes puffy and red. “I’ve never loved anyone else. Not like her, and you took her from me.” He wobbled drunkenly on his feet.
I stopped advancing towards him. I knew exactly how he felt. Ashley was the first girl I’d ever loved, and she was gone now. I’d had revenge on the people responsible for her death. Was this Dean getting his revenge? Was he here to kill me? A part of me thought I should let him, but the rest of me knew that was stupidity talking.
“You took her from me,” he repeated.
I saw Nick appear in the corner of the room before he spoke. “Actually, he didn’t,” he said. Dean wheeled around to face him. “I did.” Nick raised his hand.
“No!” I shouted and he paused.
“What?” he asked, looking at me as though I were mad.
“Don’t kill him. He doesn’t deserve it.” I couldn’t have his death on my conscience too. There was no justification for it. There was barely justification for Clara.
“He wants to kill us. Look into his eyes and tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re not wrong,” Dean muttered rather unhelpfully.
“It’s not like he can. He’s just a guy.” Before Dean could make things worse I clicked my fingers and he fell asleep, crashing back to the floor.
“Have it your way,” said Nick. He pulled out a nearby chair and took a seat at the table. “I’m just here to see how you do anyway. It’s your show.”
I turned to Bobby. “Why did you let him in here?” I asked, pointing at Dean.
“He said you killed his girl. It was only fair that you answer for that. I didn’t think it’d get out of hand.”
I was about to say something about him being stupid which would likely have earned me another punch in the face. I never got around to it however as the first knock at the door came. I turned to Nick but saw that he had vanished. He’d said he was here to watch so I guessed he was lurking around somewhere out of sight. I walked over to a table in the centre of the room and nodded at Bobby to open the door. He didn’t look happy about being the doorman, but it was his pub, and I’d sent all my guys into hiding.
He opened the door and in walked Arthur Winters. His eyes immediately fell on Dean and his expression turned dour. “Is he…”
“No. Just sleeping,” I replied.
He sighed with relief and then composed himself. I could tell from the way his shoulders slumped and the emptiness in his gaze that he was as broken as Dean. I’d done this to them. Or at least I’d had a part in it. I’m not usually plagued by a guilty conscience, so this feeling in my stomach was somewhat knew to me. I did my best to hide the feelings, but I suspected that something was showing.
Arthur walked over to the table. He was wearing black trousers and a grey shirt, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. “Let’s hear what you have to say then,” he said, ripping a chair out and thudding down into it.
I raised my eyebrows at his bluntness. This was not the Arthur I ‘d met a few years ago in this very pub and it was not the Arthur I’d seen at the AOC just a few days ago. I pulled my own chair out but before I could sit down the second knock came at the door. Arthur looked at me suspiciously and then his eyes went to the door. I nodded at Bobby and then in walked Joshua, dressed slickly in a waistcoat. Aldric’s guys did have excellent taste.
“Eddie,” he said. He turned to Arthur and gave him a polite nod. He didn’t look surprised to see him. Arthur seemed to relax at the sight of the vampire. They knew I’d invited them both. Fuck. “I’m going to make this very simple for you, Eddie. Give me Aldric and I shall leave. Refuse and you’re coming home with me.”
“Oh, really?” I scoffed. “I think Arthur wants me too, so you might need to fight him for me.”
“No,” said Arthur simply. He stood back up and wen
t to stand with Joshua. “We’ve already discussed the matter and agreed that you’ll go with Joshua. He’ll introduce you to endless torture. I think that’s justice enough for Clara.”
“Justice? That’s… barbaric.”
“But no less treacherous than what you did,” said Arthur, his anger bubbling away just beneath the surface.
“Do you really think either of you can defeat me now? With all the power I have.” I spread my arms wide cockily and allowed the tips of my fingers to glow with magic.
“Power you stole from my daughter!” Arthur shouted. Joshua put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.
“We should step outside. If there’s going to be a fight we don’t want to cause any damage to this establishment,” the vampire said.
“No, your lot already trashed the place once,” growled Bobby. Joshua fixed him with a disapproving gaze before turning and walking out onto the dark street. Arthur glared at me and then followed.
As I walked out onto High Street I saw how truly fucked I was. The street was no longer deserted. Jubilee Square, the concrete area opposite the pub was full of people. About a hundred vampires and an equal number of sorcerers stood side by side, facing us.
“I think he’s finally grasped the situation,” Joshua said with a smug grin.
“Apparently so,” agreed Arthur. “Go on then. Try and wriggle out of it.”
“I don’t want to wriggle out of anything,” I said. The two armies walked slowly over the road to join their leaders. I suddenly felt rather trapped with so many enemies just a few feet from me. I looked back at the pub. The doors were closed. Was Nick still watching? Would he save me or let them take me?
“I have behaved poorly,” I confessed. “I’ve been a bad leader. Which is why I am stepping down as king of Maidstone. The town is free to whoever can claim it.” My words were met with silence. When I came up with the plan this morning it seemed pretty clever. Step down as king and watch the two teams fight each other for ownership of this town. Now it was obvious how stupid that was. The situation had changed. If Aldric and Clara were still here then it might have worked, but these new leaders had different priorities.
“Is that it?” Arthur asked. He’d expected more it seemed. “To think that my daughter was killed by a cocky little runt like you. You don’t deserve the time she wasted on you.”
I’m not sure what it was about what he said, but some part of it struck a nerve. “Do you even know what she had planned for me?” I demanded.
“Yes. And I agreed with all of Clara’s plans about you and everything else! We all did because we want what’s best for everyone!” he said hotly, baring his teeth at me. And just like that I had my opening. My confidence boosted like a lawyer who finally finds a crack in the opposition.
“You agreed with all her plans?” I asked him.
“Yes,” he nodded aggressively.
“Regarding everything? Not just me?”
“Yes, Eddie. Everything.”
“Including the plan to exterminate the entire vampire race?” I smiled as I delivered my finishing touch. Arthur’s expression froze like a buffering video. I saw the flickering behind his eyes as he tried to find a way out of what he’d already admitted.
“What?” Joshua said, taking a sharp intake of breath. He turned to Arthur. The two armies took a step away from one another and turned inwards. Suspicious glances were thrown back and forth.
“It was a contingency,” Arthur stammered. “She would never have done it.”
“But you agreed to it nonetheless?”
“Well…” Arthur looked back at me as if I might provide some sort of help and then realising that he’d been cornered he acted impulsively. His hand lashed out and Joshua went hurtling up the road, skidding along the tarmac. The vampires leapt at the sorcerers and in a matter of seconds blood and magic was flying in all directions. It was utter bedlam.
“Nicely done,” said Nick, who was now standing at my side, smiling with pride at the carnage. He flicked his wrist, releasing a spell. Arthur, who was slowly advancing on Joshua was flung down to the ground, his face contorted in shock. Another spell from Nick and the Dynast was out cold. Nick walked calmly into the road where Arthur was lying unconscious and grabbed his arm. “Meet me at the villa,” he said and then vanished with Arthur.
The door to Muggs crashed open and Bobby burst out looking utterly horrified. “You’re supposed to stop this kind of thing from happening!” he shouted, staring right at me. All I could manage was a pathetic shrug. His expression darkened. “Don’t you ever set foot in my pub again, Lancaster,” he said and then stomped back inside. I heard the bolts slide on the other side of the doors, locking me out for good.
Chapter Thirty-Four
My heart was beating rapidly when I arrived at the villa. My adrenaline had kicked in back in Maidstone. I’d come so close to losing, if it hadn’t been for Arthur’s slip up I might be in chains right now. Even with all this power, I was still vulnerable. And there was still the prophecy of my death. No more near misses. I wanted to feel safe again.
“I passed your test. Now do what you promised. Stop me from dying,” I said to Nick who was securing Arthur in chains. He straightened up and looked over at me, his eyes thoughtful.
“The only way to save you for certain would be to make you truly immortal, but without ambrosia that would be impossible. I could give you semi-immortality, but you could still die,” he said, thinking out loud.
“There must be something you can do. You’re Nickolas Blackwood.” That made him smile.
“I need to see your death. Then I’ll be able to find a way to prevent it.”
“Well, how can I show you that without dying?” I said in exasperation.
“Bring your seer to me. I can use my power to boost her ability and then she can show me the prophecy.”
“That would work,” I said, nodding. I pulled out my phone and called Gabe. “Are you all alright?” I asked as soon as he answered.
“We are. You?”
“Perfectly fine. I’ve got a job for you. I need you to get Annabelle and bring her to me. Once you’ve got her, call me and I’ll tell you where to meet me.”
“What do you need her for?”
“Long story. Do it as quickly as you can.”
I hung up and pocketed my phone. Nick was waiting patiently, watching me keenly. “We’re nearly at the end now. We just need to wrap things up with the Alliance. Which we will be able to do tomorrow. As soon as the fighting is over.”
“What about the Syndicate?” I asked. Once they’d finished fighting the Alliance they’d come for me again.
“We’ll give them the option to stand down and if they don’t take it… Well that’s up to you. You can either give them their leader back or kill them all.”
I nodded. I wasn’t keen on the idea of killing the whole Syndicate. They’d done me no wrong. Maybe I could let Aldric go on the condition that he left me alone in the future. “So, what’s the plan for the Alliance?”
“It’s really rather simple,” Nick said, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. “We invite the remaining dynasts to a truce meeting and then you suck the power right out of them and their covens. The Alliance will be literally powerless. In addition, there’ll be no need to kill any of them. Sound good?”
“Yeah,” I said. I liked the idea of not killing anybody else, but still… I just wanted to go and bury my head somewhere. Seeing the devastation I’d brought to Arthur and Dean and knowing that I was going to bring more… It was too much. Whenever I’d done in the past I’d never felt too guilty, because there was always a way to make amends. This time there was nothing I could do to make up for what I’d done.
I went to bed with a heavy heart. A dramatic expression, I know, but it’s true. It took a long time to fall asleep. I lay for hours staring at the cracked old ceiling, trying to force my conflicted feelings down.
When I got up I checked my phone but there was nothing from Gabe. How hard
could it be to find Annabelle? I’d given him her address. I texted him saying just that.
She’s not there. Cedarstone town centre evacuated, was his reply.
That was unusual. Why would the town centre be evacuated? Had something happened?
Keep looking. I sent back and then headed downstairs.
“The Alliance won the battle of Maidstone,” Nick said jovially, when I arrived on the patio. He was sitting at the breakfast table with Selina. “But more covens have withdrawn since the fight. There are now only five covens remaining, including Arthur’s. Our work is nearly done.”
“What about the Syndicate?” I sat down with them and helped myself to a slice of toast. I took one bite and then put it down. I wasn’t hungry after all.
“Not many made it out of Maidstone. I’m not sure if Joshua survived. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. It doesn’t matter either way. We don’t need them now that the Alliance is almost broken.”
“Do you know about the Cedarstone evacuation?” I asked him.
His brow furrowed and he turned to Selina who shook her head and shrugged. “First I’ve heard of it. Look into it, Selina.” She nodded and vanished, leaving me alone with Nick.
My phone rang. It was Richards. I should have been expecting this after what I did in Maidstone last night. In my defence I did warn him that it was going to get messy. “Yes?” I said, taking the call.
“You fucking little prick,” he shouted down the phone at me. “Do you have any idea of the nightmare you’ve caused me? The only silver lining is that I heard you stepped down as king. Good, you were shit. You couldn’t have done a worse job. Do us all a favour and stay out of Maidstone. God help whatever you’ve got planned for Cedarstone.”
I was about to hang up until he said that. “What do you mean? I haven’t got anything planned?”
“The town centre was evacuated due to a supernatural destruction warning. Heard it from their police force. I find it hard to believe you don’t have anything to do with this. Destruction follows you like flies follow shit. Have a nice life, Eddie. I hope I never see you again.”
