by Sean Stone
“May I have that?” said Naomi, reaching for the spear. He fingers touched it and he pulled it out of her reach.
“Any trickery and you’ll pay. One way or another. I’ll have you wishing you could die,” he warned her.
“I’m a woman of my word,” she said briskly.
“Then carry out your word swiftly. If my magic isn’t back by the time the sun sets I will summon my disciples and send them all after you.”
Naomi reached forward and took hold of the Spear. A single nod from her let Nick know she understood, though he wondered if she knew how empty the threat really was. The disciples would not be so easy to summon now that Nick had absolutely no magic. He released the Spear and then watched them leave the house.
As soon as they were gone Nick started to shake. He grabbed hold of the arm chair to steady himself.
“Nickolas,” Olivia cried, racing over to him. She grabbed him and lowered him into the chair. “It’s alright. It’s okay. Nickolas, I’m here,” she said soothingly, taking his face in her hands and looking deep into his eyes. He took several deep breaths and after a minute he began to settle.
“I’ve never felt so powerless before,” he said raggedly.
“It’s fine,” she said gently. “I’m here. I still have magic. You’re perfectly safe. You did a magnificent thing. You proved you’re still the boy I fell in love with.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Just like that he was back in Elysium, twenty-years-old again. Not a care in the world. He felt safe.
Bradley was contemplating answering Eloise’s phone when she walked back into the office. “Go ahead,” she said, approaching the desk. “Put it on speaker.”
Since he’d told her how to kill Nickolas Blackwood she’d slowly started to trust him more. He still wasn’t exactly a confidant but he was getting there. She was allowing him to sit in on her meetings and bit by bit he was learning about her plans. She was even asking his advice on some matters.
He answered the phone and put it on speaker as instructed.
“Yes?” he answered.
“Who’s that?” came a confused female voice.
“Bradley Carter. Mayor. You are?” he said curtly.
“Sergeant Bale, CO of the Blackwood Team,” she said. “Where’s Miss Cultrum?”
“I’m here, Bale. What’s the problem? Has that demon killed more of you?” said Eloise, lowering herself gracefully into her chair.
“No. Three strangers just left the house. They matched the description of the East Checkpoint Incursion. They had a spear with them.”
“Go on,” prompted Eloise.
“So, since they left our detectors have given us new readings. There has been a serious drop in the power levels inside the house.”
“So Blackwood left?” asked Bradley.
“As far as we can tell he’s still in there. I suspect the power that’s missing is now inside the Spear.”
“How much power exactly is left inside the house?” asked Eloise, slyly. Bradley hated the look on her face. She looked like a fox who’d just watch the farmer go out for the night leaving the chickens undefended.
“Nothing we can’t handle. Iron should be able to counteract it. Should we go after the Spear? Bring it back to base?”
“No, you fool,” snapped Eloise. “Get inside that house. Find that Dagger. And kill that demon.”
Chapter 25
The doorbell interrupted the kiss Nick and Olivia were sharing. It was a good thing Nick didn’t have any magic because he would have murdered whoever had interrupted their moment. Finally after all the bickering they were on the same level again and Nick just wanted to be left alone with her until his magic returned and then they could leave town and be alone for eternity. Olivia started to climb off his lap.
“Ignore it,” he whispered to her, pulling her back.
“No, it might be important,” she said, laughing sweetly as she pulled out of his grip. “Besides, Alexander is nearly at the door.” Nick still was not used to having a butler in the house.
“I’m sure it’s just somebody else trying to burden us with their problems.”
A gun shot wiped the smiles off their faces. Then footsteps trampling into the hallway. Nick jolted to his feet. “Liv wait!” he said, but he was too late. She entered the hallway and a bullet to the shoulder sent her spiralling to the floor, a shrill scream left her mouth on her way down. Nick ran for her but several black-clothed soldiers stampeded into the room, blocking his path. He prepared to fight them as they ran into the room and surrounded him.
“Think very carefully about whether you really want to do this,” he warned, eyeballing them as he looked around the circle.
“We do,” said a dark-haired woman, she gave him a sardonic grin.
“You’re death will be phenomenal,” Nick said pointing at her and returning her grin with a sadistic twist. “But the rest of you need not die. Walk away now and I’ll let you live.”
“Nick…” panted Olivia.
“Liv, the moment that bullet leaves you go and destroy that Spear,” Nick instructed her. He heard no argument.
“Take him down,” the female commander said.
Nick didn’t have magic, nor any supernatural enhancements, but he was still a trained fighter. Trained by the best warriors in history. Set had begun his training and after leaving Elysium Nick had sought out the most savage and skilled warriors he could find and learned all he could. If they thought this was going to be an easy fight then they were sorely mistaken. Sadly they didn’t attack with their fists. Someone shot him in the back right at the base of the spine.
“Cowards,” he spluttered as all feeling below the waist vanished. His legs buckled and crashed uselessly to the floor.
The soldiers approached. A hand reached down to grab him and he snatched at the wrist. Even with only the top half of his body available to him he was still deadly. A quick twist and the soldier’s wrist was snapped. The soldier back away grunting in pain. The rest were more careful. Another bullet between the shoulders stopped any further attacks and within minutes Nick was on his knees in the middle of the room, held up by two ropes tied around his wrists. Soldiers either side of him held the other ends of the ropes. As his healing ability worked to push the bullet out of his spine he could feel sensation returning to his lower limbs. But it was too late. He was outnumbered, outgunned and restrained.
“Bring in the girl,” said the commander.
“She’s gone, Sarge,” came the reply.
Nick smiled to himself. Olivia had listened to him. “She won’t be long. Do the smart thing and leave before she gets back. You can’t kill me either way so retribution is guaranteed.”
“Why are you all standing about?” screamed the sergeant. “Find the Dagger!”
A chill passed through Nick. How did they know about that? Very few people knew how to kill him. He should never have let those bloody idiots take his magic.
“Didn’t expect that did you?” the sergeant said. “Your death probably won’t be as phenomenal as what you had in mind for me, but I’ll try to make it as fancy as I can.” She shot him a wink and then turned away triumphantly.
Olivia watched as the bullet hit Nickolas in his back and she felt the pain as he fell down.
“No,” she said in a timid croak. How could this be happening? And now of all times. She had to destroy the Spear. The bullet fell out of her shoulder and rolled onto the floor. Instantly she felt the tingling of magic in her veins again. She raised a hand to attack but remembered that the soldiers wore iron bracelets, her magic would have no effect. Another bullet flew into Nick’s back. It was all the motivation she needed. She closed her eyes and was gone from the place. She was still unsure of all the workings of teleportation and thus was amazed when she appeared on a street right in front of Naomi and her companions. The three of them came to an abrupt halt when they saw her.
“You,” said Naomi, her grip on the spear tightening. “Have you come to assist us?
”
Olivia took a deep breath to try and steady her trembling body. “No,” she said, forcing herself to look Naomi in the eye. “I need the magic back.”
“Oh, fuck off,” said Sam, hands on hips impatiently. “Get out of the way so we can do our jobs.”
“Nickolas is in trouble. Very big trouble.”
“I’m sorry, Lady, but this is more important than Nickolas,” said Naomi and although there was empathy in her tone, there wasn’t much.
“You’d let a person die for your cause?” Olivia said coldly.
“Yes,” said Joanne. “That’s our purpose. It’s all for a greater good. What good would saving Nickolas Blackwood do?”
“You have no idea. He’s started to change. You don’t know the good he could do,” said Olivia passionately.
“Could do. Would do. Should do. Won’t do,” said Sam sceptically.
“Even if I wanted help you the magic can only leave the Spear when it is used to kill someone,” said Naomi.
Olivia closed her eyes. Those were the exact words she hadn’t wanted to hear. She knew what she had to do, but she did not want to do it.
She gave them no warning. Two deadly balls of magic left her hands and she teleported before they could react. The balls hit Sam and Joanne right in their hearts, sending them flying back, extinguishing their lives before they even knew what was going on. Olivia reappeared behind a shocked looking Naomi. She threw out another spell, sending Naomi to the ground. As she fell, Olivia grabbed hold of the Spear and wrenched it from her grasp.
“I’m not like them, a ball of magic can’t kill me,” Naomi said quickly, holding her arms out defensively.
“This will,” said Olivia and thrust the end of the Spear into Naomi’s chest. Naomi opened her mouth, but only a small strangled gasp came out. “I’m sorry,” Olivia said, her voice was choked as her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry.” The Spear glowed with fire as Naomi’s eyes turned red, her face darkened and small wisps of smoke puffed out of her ears. Then the Spear cracked and shattered, the shards falling to the ground noiselessly. Naomi let out another small sound before disintegrating into a pile of ashes. Olivia screamed to the heavens with enough anguish to disturb the gods and fell to her knees.
“I don’t keep the Dagger here, you know,” Nick lied. “Only a fool would.”
“The same kind of a fool who’d give up all his magic, you mean?” said the sergeant.
Nick looked down, shaking his head at his own stupidity. “One good act,” he mumbled to himself. “What’s your name?”
“Why?” she asked, looking at him suspiciously.
“Well, I need to write something on your tombstone,” he replied.
She barked a small laugh. “Your arrogance has no end. You really think you’re going to kill me?”
“Absolutely,” he replied, raising his chin cockily. He knew they’d never find the dagger because whilst they were ransacking his house he had it tucked into his boot, hidden beneath his trouser leg.
“You’re pretty certain we won’t find your Dagger. Which means it isn’t hidden in the house,” she said. “But someone like you wouldn’t hide it outside of your home. You don’t know who might stumble upon it. You’d never keep it too far from you. So where might you put it?”
“It’s a mystery,” he replied. No longer feeling so smug.
“Search him,” she barked at her subordinates.
“What?” one replied nervously. Nobody wanted to go near him.
“The Dagger is on him. Search him,” she instructed impatiently.
The nervous soldier stepped forward and timidly began running his hands over Nick’s body, patting him down. “Is this a search or a molestation?” asked Nick.
The soldier ignored him and continued until he came to the boot. Nicks heart froze mid-beat as the soldier lifted the trouser leg slowly.
“Well, well, what have we here?” the sergeant said smugly. Then Nick felt it. A subtle rustle of wind flowing into him. Warm like fire.
“What have we indeed,” he replied, his smirk returning. He felt the Flame filling him again, working through his veins. Judging from the petrified expression on the sergeant’s face she saw his magic returning.
“No…” she mouthed.
“Oh yes,” said Nick. He incinerated the ropes binding him with barely a thought.
It took a very short amount of time to dispatch the soldiers and the walls of his house would forever remember their screams. In the end only him and the sergeant remained. She held her ground stoically. He’d expected her to try to run whilst he dealt with the others. Brave to the end. He admired that, but it was stupid all the same.
“Now then, that death, I promised something phenomenal,” he said, approaching her slowly. She didn’t back away. “I do set the bar too high for myself sometimes.” He was relishing in the power running through his body again and he knew that he was never going to give it up again. Doing what Olivia had asked was wrong. It had nearly killed him. Surely Olivia could see the error of her ways now too.
“Nickolas, don’t.”
He turned and saw Olivia, her face wet with tears standing behind him.
“Don’t?” he asked. “Sorry, but this one’s personal.” He held out his hand and the sound of tearing flesh followed. The sergeant gasped as her chest tore outwards, a gaping hole left where her heart flew out and landed neatly in Nick’s hand. He didn’t bother watching as her body dropped. “Never did get her name,” he said to himself. Her death wasn’t as phenomenal as he’d hoped, but Olivia had interrupted.
Olivia was standing, rooted to the spot, her head shaking slowly. “You killed them all…”
“Of course I did. They were going to kill me,” Nick explained. He couldn’t believe that he needed to explain it to her.
“I thought you was changing. But instead I am. I’m getting worse. I killed for you.”
“I don’t need to change. You need to change your perspective. You killed for me because it was the right thing to do. Lovers kill for one another.”
“You’re standing there with a heart in your hand and you’re telling me to change my perspective!” she shouted.
“I think you’re forgetting the context of the situation!” he yelled back.
“They was right. Naomi and Sam and the other one. They said you weren’t capable of good. I should have listened. I killed for you. I killed them. And for what? So you can keep killing and maiming and destroying,” she blubbed.
“Liv,” Nick said gently, trying to calm her.
“No, Nick. No! I don’t want hear it!” she said, silencing him. Her face was contorted with rage and he knew better than to argue now. “What you did to me I forgave. You were manipulated. You weren’t in your right mind. But since then you chose to do all those horrible things. Those were your choices and the reason I can’t forgive them is because you did them all in my name. My name. You made me just as guilty. You killed and butchered and destroyed in my name, but you won’t show mercy for me. You are incapable of doing the right thing.”
“Liv, please,” he said. She wasn’t thinking straight. She was in shock. “We are meant to be together. Think about everything we’ve been through. For six centuries I have worked tirelessly to bring you back. I’ve been loyal to you, to us. Don’t throw it all away now.”
“Have you been completely loyal?” she asked, eyebrows raised.
“I don’t… What are getting at?” Nick asked, confused.
“Everything you’ve done. Has it really been to bring us back together? Is that all you’ve cared about for the last six centuries?”
“Yes,” he said without thought. He didn’t need to think about it. It was the one thing that had driven his existence.
“Every kill you’ve made has been for us? Never once have you killed just for the pleasure of killing? Are you seriously going to tell me that if you hadn’t spared one life in all the lives you’ve taken then we would never have been reunited?”
/> “Well, no,” Nick confessed. “I made some bad choices sure. But that doesn’t make me disloyal to us.”
“No, maybe not. But the woman in Surrey does.”
Nick stared at her in horror. How could she have known about that and not brought it up sooner? “Liv, that wasn’t what you think.”
“1958,”she said ignoring him. “What was her name?”
“I can’t remember,” he lied.
“She meant so little to you?”
“Yes.”
“Liar!” She roared and Nick flinched away. “In all the time I was dead she was the only woman you ever took to bed. Do you mean to tell me that there wasn’t something special there?”
Nick shook his head slowly. He couldn’t lie to her. She deserved the truth. “I was in despair,” I admitted. “It was a rare moment. I thought that I’d wasted all that time. I thought that everything I was doing was pointless. Kayla had said that resurrection was impossible and in that moment I believed her. The girl… Denise… she was there for me. She didn’t judge me and she didn’t want anything from me. And she reminded me so much of you.” He saw the shattered look on Olivia’s face and it made his heart bleed.
“You gave up on me,” she said in a whisper.
“No. I gave up on myself. But the next morning I came to my senses. I left that house and I never went back.”
“I know. But it doesn’t matter. That doesn’t matter. I chose to overlook it. It was a moment of weakness. You’d been alone for centuries. I could forgive that and everything else as long as you changed your ways. But you can’t.”
“I can,” he insisted. “I’ve made the wrong choices in the past, but I can make the right ones now.”
“I made the wrong choice,” she said calmly. “But rather than following it up with more wrong choices I’m going to make it right.” She took a deep breath and Nick knew what she was going to say. “Me and you… There is no me and you. The Blackwood boy I fell in love with died the same night I did and he’s not coming back.”
