by CC Solomon
“I thought you were going to be good,” I stated.
“Yeah, I am, but I got to be prepared. Taking out Seth was always the plan, whether it was Erik fighting him or some other way. No offense Erik, I thought it would have to be some other way. However, if that jackass is laced in dark magic, that means Amina and I have no control over him, and that’s dangerous.”
Erik seemed to ponder that as he nodded. “You think he got a witch to put some sort of protection spell over him, so he isn’t susceptible to your mind control again? That makes practical sense. He’s not as dumb as we think. He could be preparing just in case you come for him or to unfairly strengthen himself if I challenge him.”
“But why would it be dark magic?” I held up a hand. “Never mind, he’s a dick, like you said, Phillip. Of course, he would go to dark magic.” I looked over to Erik. “Can’t you smell foul magic? How long has he smelled?”
Erik sighed. “From day one. That’s why I wanted to stay here in the first place. I knew he was bad news.”
“You didn’t want to tell us that?” Phillip asked, frowning.
Erik’s upper lip twitched before he spoke. “Actually, I told the people who mattered. They knew I wanted to stick around to eventually challenge him. As long as Seth leads this town, we are vulnerable to the first soulmates. While we gather followers, we should also work to remove Seth from power.”
“But if you challenge him and lose, you’ll jeopardize us all.”
Erik bared his teeth at him. “By the time I challenge Seth, there will be no doubt of me winning.”
I nodded slowly, impressed with his confidence, but wondering if it was wise to be so sure.
Two days later, we discovered Blake was missing. I wasn’t surprised. She didn’t seem like the type to just sit around. The last person to see her was a gargoyle named Nola, who was on watch outside of Blake’s apartment. When Nola’s replacement came, they found the gargoyle passed out on the floor.
According to Nola, one moment she was sitting in a chair reading a book, and the next moment she was in a deep sleep on the floor. She was adamant she hadn’t just drifted off to sleep, and instead, recalled smelling mint and then nap time.
I believed her. Sleeping spells came by scent. In particular, the scent of peppermint. One sniff and it was sleepy time. Only witches could do spells, but that part confused me. The witches seemed to support my position that Blake was a danger. Or at least most of them did. Apparently, someone in our group didn’t think Blake should be locked up.
My mind refused to believe Charles was the culprit. He certainly had the ability. He might have even been strong enough to break the binding magic on her, although as hard as it was for Phillip and me to break our banishing magic, I wasn’t sure. Binding and banishing were both high level magic. If it were Charles, he’d gotten a significant power boost since becoming a vampire as well as a tech mage.
“Before you ask, it wasn’t me,” Charles announced as we stood in the center of Blake’s living room. “If I was going to do it, then I’d leave with her. It’d be too obvious.”
“You could have stayed around and faced the music just like I did,” Lisa said, walking around the space. She picked up a decorative pillow from the couch then tossed it back down.
“Still, it wasn’t me.”
“It was a witch, though,” I stated.
“It could have been Blake,” Erik walked into the apartment.
I turned slightly to him. “How so?” As far as I knew, she was just a vampire. A strong one, but still a vampire. Unless her abilities changed as a result of Phillip becoming her consort. I’d have to ask him when he and Ed returned from their trip down south to garner followers. I could also telepathically ask him. Telepathy was becoming my new cell phone when it came to The Six and Phillip.
“We don’t know for sure what Blake was. If she was the original soulmate, we don’t know what that original magic was that this Rima had, “Erik explained.
I nodded. “True. And no one’s felt any dark magic from her. As a soulmate, she could be strong enough to hide it.”
“Where the hell did she go?” Lisa asked.
She could be anywhere. Off to see Joo-won, her known closest ally, or to her better half. She could be anywhere in the world.
Chapter 12
More time passed as we continued our travels to recruit followers. Unfortunately, we hadn’t reached success on curing the regression. Seems there was a limit to what soulmate powers could do. We could not heal the human or the paranormal sickness. However, we didn’t give up.
On the positive side, we were building allies and discovered how to note signs of regression earlier, before a person went full-blown crazed. It usually involved a lot of sweating and a fever, and since this was also cold and flu season, it got confusing. However, no matter what the ultimate illness, we isolated the person.
On the negative side, the isolation only took away the danger to others aspect if they were infected. Seth still had the individual killed. Even if the person only had the flu, he didn’t take any chances. The sweating occurred a day before the full-blown regression, so it took only a day to determine if it was really something serious or more mundane. However, Seth could not be reasoned with. It was a dangerous time to get a cold.
We also didn’t give up looking for Blake. She was hidden by strong magic, and I was even more convinced some witch had betrayed us.
“You can’t give up, Sis.” Charles balanced on his toes in a hunched position as he patted a growing mound of snow that would serve as the base of the snowman he and Brandon were making that afternoon.
“You sure you didn’t help her?” I stuffed glove covered hands in my puffy black coat.
Charles stopped patting the snow and looked up at me. “For the hundredth time, no. It’s been over a month, how long are you going to keep asking me that?”
I remained silent. We’d questioned every single person in town. No one came up as lying, but there were other powerful witches in town who could hide their truth. I was starting to question whether someone snuck into town and helped Blake escape. That was even more concerning because it would mean we weren’t as safe as we had hoped since they were able to get past the wards.
I let out a deep breath and rubbed at my chest, a familiar tightness forming. Stress sat on my spine with a heaviness, and I leaned backwards in a futile attempt to stretch it away.
“I still think she was framed, but I didn’t help her get out of town and honestly have no idea where she is. My loyalty is to The Six, Mina. I hope you can say the same,” Charles looked up at me.
I took my hands out of my pockets. “What does that mean? Phillip? He’s basically an honorary member of The Six. He’s really changed. You have to have seen that by now.”
Charles turned and went back to patting the snow. “He could have helped Blake escape. They have history, and he wasn’t sold on her being a soulmate either.”
I got on my knees next to him and gathered snow. I couldn’t go down the path of distrust for Phillip, it would set us back, and we didn’t have time for that. The soulmates hadn’t sent us any attacks, but that didn’t mean they were on vacation mode. This time could very well be the calm before the storm, and we were trying our best to use it wisely. We had all our allies so far at the ready and had worked out a strategy to alert them when it was time for action and how to get them to battle quickly.
“How are things with you, Charles? I feel like we spend so much time talking about Blake and Phillip and the soulmates we aren’t really checking in on each other.”
“The usual. Drink blood, build up our defense, rinse and repeat.”
“That it?”
“Do you want me to tell you I don’t dream anymore? That sleeping feels like I’m going into my permanent death?”
“What?” I stopped gathering snow and turned to Charles.
“This is going to take forever,” Brandon muttered, shaking his head at us.
I wen
t back to building the snowman, giving the little boy an apologetic smile.
Charles did the same.
“The only time I’ve dreamed since turning into a vampire was when we all had the shared dream of the soulmate killing us. Every time I close my eyes, I wonder if I will ever wake up.”
“Charles.”
“And blood … it all doesn’t taste the same. Some of it is really bitter. Some too sweet. None of it tastes like steak, and I can’t eat anymore. Like, physically, can’t. It makes me sick. Living vampires like Henry, Blake, and Chelsea, they can still eat. All I can do is drink, but I don’t get drunk. And if it weren’t for this protection-spell I have over me, if I was out in the sun too long, I’d burn like someone threw me in a fire. And by too long, I’m talking more than five minutes. That’s not the case for living vamps. My life isn’t the same as theirs. I’m more prone to go bloodlust, so this regressive shit could hit me any minute now.”
“You don’t have to worry about any of that,” I began. “You are still a mage and part of The Six. You’re way too powerful. I’m sorry you can’t eat. Maybe there is a spell that will allow for it. I can search.”
Charles shook his head. “When you were gone? It was the first time I felt hopelessness. After all, we’ve been through these ten years, it just hit me. With Lisa betraying us like that, me being this creature I don’t understand, and you gone… I wasn’t in a good place, Sis. I hurt Lisa.”
“What happened?”
“I bit her,” He looked out at the snow-covered ground, eyes unfocused.
“Charles.”
“I know. I’m a piece of shit. I couldn’t control myself. I was angry, but I still care about her, Sis. I can’t believe I did that to her. I loved her.”
I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around my brother, resting my head on his shoulder.
“I have a spell I can do to make things easier for you.”
“Like the one you put on our buddy, Phil?” He put his chin on top of my head, and I chuckled.
“The spell was originally for you, actually.”
He shrugged. “When this is all over, maybe. I’ll be okay, Sis. Don’t mind me. It’s just one of those days, you know. I got a good life.”
“The spell won’t take long.” I let go of him and turned to fully face him.
“Will it help me dream? Taste food? Be out in the sun for more than a few minutes?”
I didn’t respond. My spell would do none of that. “The best I can do is make you feel okay about it all.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to be okay about it. I want to get back what I lost. I don’t want to be some numbed up loser who cries randomly like Phillip.”
“The snow will melt before we finish making my snowman,” Brandon huffed.
I kept looking at Charles.
Charles let out a breath. “The kid’s gonna throw a fit if we don’t help him.”
I sighed as well and then looked to the little boy. “We aren’t very good with this, are we?”
Brandon poked his lower lip out. I opened my arms, and a small patch of snow in front of us rose in the air. I clapped my hands closed, and the snow came together into a medium sized ball. I moved the hovering ball to sit on the top of the larger snow base.
“There, almost done,” I exclaimed.
Brandon tightened his lips in a thin line. He knelt back on the ground and gathered more snow for the head.
“I thought I was being helpful,” I muttered.
Charles shook his head slowly. “Gathering the snow is part of the fun. That’s not how you parent.”
“And that’s why I’m only babysitting,” I cracked, looking over to Brandon.
He seemed so happy with us, and Erik was actually laughing. The little boy made him downright jolly. Was this why Mae wanted us to protect him? Was there a greater purpose, or was it simply so that we could all be in each other’s lives and bring joy?
I thought about this later as Brandon, Charles, and I returned to my apartment. Erik was already there, cooking, but we also had a guest.
“I made a snowman,” Brandon shouted as soon as he entered the apartment. “And Amina made him float. It was so cool.”
Turns out a little magic was okay when it came to the snowman, so any points I lost earlier came back as soon as I made the snowman dance.
“Take your boots off, kiddo,” I ordered, taking my own off at the front door.
“So, you had fun?” Erik said, appearing in the hallway.
Brandon nodded quickly before unlacing his boots. “Now, I’m hungry.”
Ella appeared behind him from the kitchen.
“You’re early. We were going to have lunch. Is everything okay?”
She looked better than usual with a fully made-up face. She wore a tight, black wrap dress and over the knee suede boots that were treacherous shoe wear in this snow and ice season. Had she dressed up to see us? Correction, to see Erik? I fought the urge to frown. I wouldn’t put it past her. A good looking, unmarried guy helping to watch her kid from time to time who was also high up in the pack? I didn’t blame her.
She smiled at me sheepishly, hands clutched tightly together. “Yes. Sorry I’m early, but I wanted to ask if you both could watch Brandon overnight as well,” she said, looking to me then Erik.
“Oh, we have the wedding to go to.” Erik and I were supposed to attend a wedding of some witches in the local coven. I was looking forward to it as a mental break from my daily stress.
“I told her it was fine,” Erik replied.
I looked at him, but I didn’t protest in front of them. “Of course, we love hanging out with Brandon, right?” I looked down at the child who looked up at the adults with a big grin. “Weddings are boring anyway.”
“No, go to the wedding. Brandon and I can hang out here,” Charles cut in, giving me a curt nod before turning to Ella.
“Are you sure?” Erik asked.
Charles gave a nonchalant shrug. “My services are free. Little dude reminds me of me when I was a kid. Plus, I have to beat him at some video games.”
“You’ll never win,” Brandon exclaimed.
“We’ll see about that. I’ve been playing these games for decades, kid.”
Ella sighed. “Thank you so much,” she exclaimed, giving Charles a tight hug. She looked at Erik and me. “Could I speak to you both for a minute, in private?”
Erik looked to Charles. “Do you mind making him a plate?”
Charles took off his coat and headed to the kitchen, seemingly unbothered from our earlier conversation, although I knew he was still struggling. “No prob. Come on, little dude.”
Thanks, Charles, I psychically told him.
No worries, Sis. I got no other plans. It’s pretty depressing actually.
You could always invite Lisa over and make up with her. Especially now that Blake has run off.
He gave a loud, exaggerated sigh in my mind and rolled his eyes.
Erik looked to us. “Let’s head to the spare room.”
I hung up the coats in the hall closet and followed silently.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” I asked, closing the bedroom door behind me.
Ella turned to us. “I’m meeting Seth today. That’s why I’m dressed up. It’s why I got a witch to glamour me and make me look presentable,” she replied with a disgusted tone.
I shook my head. “Ella, if you don’t want to go, then don’t.”
She looked down at her fingers tightly entwined with one another. “Seth gets what Seth wants.”
Of course, he would want her, she was beautiful even when she looked hungover or slightly dazed. She was tall, fuller figured and curvy with loose honey blond curls and bright hazel eyes. In the Pre-World, she could have been a model.
“You aren’t pack,” I began. “You don’t have to follow Seth.”
Ella looked at me with saddened eyes. “Amina, I was married into the pack. I was a mate. Once you are in, you stay in, like some sort of
gang. Plus, Seth runs this town, there’s no escape.”
“Of course, there is, take your son and go to Hagerstown. I don’t think Seth will find it worth it to go after you.”
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Why?”
“I just can’t.” She blinked her eyes rapidly and looked away from us.
Why was she being so stubborn? I looked to Erik. He was third in charge, maybe he could talk some sense into her. However, he didn’t catch my eyes; instead, he stared down at her with intensity, arms crossed.
“Seth’s supplying you with the drugs, isn’t he?” he finally asked.
Ella didn’t speak or move.
“Answer me,” Erik pushed.
She looked up at him, eyes glistening. “I can’t survive without them. Nothing else dulls the pain. Being an empath, it’s not what you think. I feel it all. All the time. Paul, my husband, being his mate helped me, but when he died, it all came flooding back. I feel everything, including my own pain, and it’s ten times worse than before I met Paul.”
I rubbed Ella’s back, not sure what to say. How had a blocking spell not helped her? I’d have to think of something. Drugs weren’t the answer.
“Is this drug coming from inside the town?” Erik inquired.
Ella wiped a tear away from her eye. “He’s importing them from somewhere. Not sure.”
“Who in town is a part of this?”
Ella shrugged. “I don’t know all of that. He’s never involved any of the top pack like you. Sometimes I get it from some lower level flunkies or his wives. He told me if I became part of the harem, I could get an unlimited supply for free, and he’d ensure Brandon would never want for anything. We’re struggling right now.”
“You shouldn’t have to struggle, you’re part of the pack. Part of this town,” Erik stated.
I thought about that for a moment. In theory our town worked very equitably. Everyone pitched in, and everyone got an equal share. Where some pitched in more than others or less than others, they got the equivalent. More recently, certain talents were rated higher, like healers and soldiers, and those duties resulted in a higher receipt of goods or local credits. I had no clue what Ella did to make a living, but if she was strung out half the time, it was fair to assume, she wasn’t getting much in the way of assistance.
