King Takes Rook

by A. L. Kessler

  He pulled up the search system that he often used for situations in his territory. One similar to PIB's. He typed the name of the coven in and waited for the results. File after file scrolled over the screen as they came up.

  He clicked on the first one.

  "Suspected Priests of Night Snake Coven tried for murder of children." He looked at the date. It was fairly recent.

  The next one showed how the Night Snake Coven compared to the Cult of Ra. Levi continued to scroll through the files waiting to see if any of them caught his eye. One with the town's name popped up, and he clicked on it.

  His eyes scanned over it.

  Laura had disappeared at the same age as her brother.

  Only to reappear ten years later ranting and raving about the Night Snake Coven. That was only five years ago. He needed to talk to the ex-boyfriend and see if he knew anything.

  Levi rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. It was well past dawn now. He needed some sleep, especially if he was going to have to face Laura again. He needed all his strength to face her magic.

  Levi's phone rang just before dusk. He groaned and fished it off his nightstand and answered it. "Levi speaking."

  Ira chuckled on the other end. "Ah, Leviticus, sleeping in tonight are we?"

  Levi shot up in bed. "What do you want?"

  "I just wanted to let you know that my associate has told me that PIB will be sending an executioner my way and that I should watch out." Ira clicked his tongue. "Abigail's name is on the paperwork, and supposedly she was able to locate me."

  Levi thought back to anything Abigail might have said that would have clued him in on her knowing Ira's location. He resisted telling Ira to stay away from her. Ira was playing games. He was just trying to pull Levi's strings. "Abigail is good at her job."

  "Oh, I'm sure she is. I hear she never gives up and hates to leave a case opened. Of course, with her partner dead, she's on her own."

  "You had something to do with the explosion, didn't you?"

  Ira hmmed for a moment. "Poor little Abigail, crippled by grief, left all alone on a tough case."

  "You know nothing about her, Ira. Only what you hear."

  "But I know enough to scare you. I can hear it in your voice, Levi. The worry, the fear I might be close to her. If I'm taken out by PIB and Samuel finds out who put the order in, he'll torture her to death."

  Levi went to disconnect the call.

  "Remember that witch? The one with the raven hair, dark eyes, dark smooth skin. The way the blood stood out as it rolled down her body."

  Levi disconnected the call and dropped the phone on the bed. He remembered that night well because Samuel had forced him to watch the torture of the woman. Her only crime was meeting Samuel's gaze and flinching. He wanted to watch the fear grow in her, so he tortured her.

  Levi closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to rid his mind of the memory. He had other things to focus on tonight.

  There was a knock on the door. "Levi?" Mario's voice came through the wood.

  "I'm awake." He rubbed his eyes. "What do you need?"

  "You need to get ready if you're going to make that art show tonight."

  Levi sighed. "I know, I'll be out in a few minutes." He got out of the bed and glanced at the television. He should turn on the news to make sure that Abby hadn't ended up on it again, but he walked by it without pressing the power button. He showered and dressed for the night.

  He walked out and met Mario in the hallway. "Ira called me."

  "And?"

  "Abigail put an order of execution out for him."

  Mario was silent for a moment. "She'll be okay."

  "They won't find him, and if they do, they won't be able to kill him." Levi shook his head. "I don't have time to worry about it unless they actually kill him. And if they do, we stick to the plan that we pull Abigail into hiding and find a scapegoat to save her." If they could. Levi started down the hall. "We need to talk to Omar and figure out if he knows anything about this Night Snake Coven."

  Mario nodded. "I'll hang back and let you talk to him."

  "You could stay here."

  "No, not after Ira contacted you."

  Levi rolled his eyes. "I am not helpless."

  "No, you're not. But Ira knows how to spark your temper. I would hate for him to do that in public and you cause a scene."

  Levi started to protest but thought better of it. He simply shook his head and then took himself to Manitou near the art show. Mario appeared by his side, and they both took in the small crowd of people walking up and down the streets. Manitou was a tourist destination most of the year, except when it became cold. Then most of the shops closed up, and only the locals hung around. The shops were mostly new age stores and souvenir shops. The main street split in two directions at the end, one leading up to the mountains and one down to a large park.

  Levi and Mario walked down the sidewalk towards the art gallery.

  "Levi!" a female voice called, and Levi turned around to see Clarissa bouncing towards them.

  Her red hair was pulled up onto her head, and she grinned at Levi, making her eyes shine. "What are you doing down here?" Her glance went to Mario. "And what is he doing here?"

  "I'm sure Abigail told you that he's currently going everywhere with me," Levi joked. "Mario and I are here to talk to one of the artists. He may have something to do with some crimes going on in Sol Ridge."

  She paused for a moment, and her smile faded around the edge. "You're here to talk to Omar?"

  Levi nodded. "How did you know?"

  "He's been expecting to be contacted. I helped sponsor the art show, so he and I have talked a little bit. He was worried that his ex-girlfriend would drag him into some sort of mess. He'd gotten a call from a friend saying that things in his hometown were getting weird with her."

  Was Omar aware of what was going on in the town? Levi raised a brow. "Why was he worried about that?"

  "Well, apparently she was just a bit crazy. Ranting and raving about this coven that had supposedly kidnapped her." Clarissa waved a hand in the air. "The woman tried to convince Omar that they needed to go find and destroy the coven. He came home one day, and there were a bunch of weapons laid out. That's when he decided enough was enough, and he left."

  Mario laughed. "It took the weapons to get him to leave, not the ranting and raving."

  Levi hooked his arm with Clarissa and continued toward the gallery. "The coven she spoke of is the Night Snake Coven."

  Clarissa put a hand on top of Levi's just two friends out for a stroll. "I've heard of them before. If her story is true, she didn't escape, and they didn't let her go. Once you're a part of that coven, the only way out is death. They aren't like normal covens where you can withdraw with some paperwork."

  "Like the Cult," Mario said from behind them.

  Clarissa looked over her shoulder at him. "Much more evil than the Cult. The Cult of Ra has good intentions, many of them actually walk a strictly white magic line. While there are those who dabble in darker things, they aren't Snakes. Snakes are pure evil because they are raised that way as children. Brain-washed into thinking that power means corruption and that they have no choice but to walk in the darkness." She shook her head.

  Levi sighed. "Do you know where we can find this coven?"

  "No, and I don't care to look." Clarissa shook her head. "This isn't something that I'm going to be able to help you with."

  Levi patted her hand. "You've already helped me with it. I'll approach Omar cautiously and see what he has to say about Laura. Thank you for walking with us." He let her step away from him as they walked into the art gallery. Clarissa walked off to mingle with a group near the entrance while Levi and Mario walked further in. He watched as she put her hand on the shoulder of one of the young men in the group and turned to speak to him.

  The gallery was made up o
f a small room that had a couple benches in the middle. Framed works of art covered each wall. They stepped up to one section, admiring the art. Bright colors of flowers and abstract objects wrapped around skulls, zombies, and dying people. Levi glanced down at the tag for the artist. 'Omar Kensing.' Levi smiled., What an interesting mind the man must have to create such beautiful works of art around such depressing subjects.

  Mario looked around. "It's been a long time since this much art has surrounded me."

  Levi chuckled. "Then you should get out more often. There are plenty of galleries here to enjoy."

  "And I'm hoping to be in every one of them," a slightly accented Hispanic voice came from behind them.

  Mario and Levi turned around to see a gentleman standing there. Dressed in a button-up shirt, slacks, and some odd shoes with holes in them, he stood out a little bit from the crowd. "Hello, Clarissa told me that you were looking for me. I'm Omar." He extended a hand out to Levi.

  Levi took it and shook it gently. "Omar, my name is Levi and this is Mario, we had a few questions about Laura we wanted to ask you."

  Omar sighed. "Let's step outside, and we'll chat. I was wondering when someone was going to ask me about that crazy bitch."

  Levi raised a brow at the language. "Don't think highly of her, do you?"

  "She was planning on going after one of the craziest cults known to the society, and she wanted me to risk my life to kill them with her. All in the name of her revenge." He shook his head. "It would have gotten us both killed."

  "Do you know if she was still in contact with anyone from the coven?"

  Omar hesitated slightly. "She didn't mention any names, but one of the members called her every night. It gave me the feeling that she wasn't actually free of them. What is this about?"

  "Laura's little brother has disappeared, and we have reason to believe that she handed him over to the coven. We're trying to save him from whatever fate they have for him."

  Omar hung his head. "Her brother meant the world to her. She was worried the coven would come for him. I don't know why she would just give him over. She wanted to protect him."

  "Do you know how she ended up with the coven?"

  "No, she never talked about how it happened." Omar glanced behind Levi. "Look, I need to get back to the show. This is my chance to rub elbows with some other artist and gallery owners. Could we talk more after?"

  Levi nodded. "We can. Thank you. Why don't we meet at Cafe Parrot when you're done?"

  "It'll be about nine before I'm done."

  "That's fine, we're vampires, we don't go to bed early," Levi joked, and Omar actually cracked a smile.

  "Then I'll see you then." Omar went back into the gallery leaving Levi and Mario alone out front.

  Mario started walking down the street. "Do you believe him?"

  "I do. There was no sense of lying on him." Levi walked with him. "We need to talk to Laura's mother again, perhaps her father and husband."

  "And just how do you plan on talking to them when Laura won't welcome you into that town?"

  Levi chuckled. "Go in with power and make them understand that I'm serious about finding this little boy, even if they aren't." Levi stopped, realizing that Mario was no longer beside him. He turned to see Mario standing in front of a store.

  Porcelain dolls stared back at him, their creepy eyes boring into the souls of anyone who past. Levi shook his head. "This is one reason I'm glad Abigail was never a fan of dolls."

  Mario nodded. "It just caught my attention. A fledgling of mine was a doll maker, and his daughter's name was Loraine." Mario pointed up to the sign. "Just an interesting coincidence."

  Loraine's Dollhouse was scrolled in white on the dark sign. Levi snorted. "The Doll Maker. The one that Hannah forced you to change?"

  "Yes."

  "I doubt it's his daughter." Levi shook his head and started walking again.

  Mario hesitated a little bit before following.

  A few hours later Mario and Levi walked into Cafe Parrot and looked over the empty tables and chairs searching for Omar. The rustic looking furniture matched the wooden interior of the café. Mario nudged Levi. "Far back corner."

  Levi nodded and walked back to find Omar sitting there, nursing a cup of tea. "How was the art show?"

  "Good, I was invited to show at another galley here in Manitou." He smiled over his cup. "It's a good start. Now, about Laura."

  Levi and Mario sat down at the table with him. "Yes, about her. Do you think that her hate of the coven was true?"

  "I think her fear of it was." He sipped his tea. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be."

  "Do you know her husband?" Mario asked, and Omar laughed.

  "No, I know he's from the town, but that's it. An old mutual friend of ours told me that she had gotten married and that the guy was a brute. But I guess that Laura thought he would be able to protect her if the coven came back around." Omar shrugged. "I heard he's a shifter, but that's all I know. I'm sure her father wouldn't approve, but he disappeared a few months ago."

  Levi and Mario exchanged looks. "He disappeared? No one mentioned that to us." In fact, Laura said she had to 'go tell her parents,' not her mother. Maybe it was an old habit.

  "How do you know that he disappeared?" Mario asked.

  Omar sighed. "Okay look, I have a friend in the town. He keeps me up on things because we were worried that Laura might decide to come after me. To keep me quiet, ya know? In case I decided to run off and tell the coven about her plans. He tells me what's going on. No one has seen Laura's dad for a few months. No one has spoken to him or about him." He shrugged. "So I can only assume he disappeared."

  Levi crossed his arms. "Much like her brother. Except the teenagers were able to tell us that someone had taken him. I don't think that was part of her plan."

  "Look, there has to be a good reason that Laura turned her brother over. She wouldn't have given him willingly. She's not that crazy. That little boy means the world to her."

  Mario snorted. "Then she should have called in PIB and had him taken to safety instead."

  Omar shook his head. "Any PIB officer stepping foot in that town would be killed. They don't take kindly to that agency. They like to handle things on their own." Omar sat his tea down. "It's an odd town, but it works for them."

  "Why did you move away?" Levi raised a brow. "A huge change to go from there to Manitou."

  "No art in Sol Ridge" He laughed. "I couldn't do what I wanted. Besides, after Laura and I broke up, most of the town became unfriendly toward me. Not really a place that I want to be anymore. So I left."

  Levi stood. "Thank you, Omar. You've been a wonderful help. Have a great night and good luck with your work."

  "Thank you." Omar picked his tea back up.

  Mario stood and followed Levi out of the restaurant and back onto the streets of Manitou. Mario spoke after a few minutes of silence. "What do you make of it all?"

  Levi shook his head. "There's something we're missing, but the question is what? Laura's father has disappeared, her mother won't tell us the truth, and Laura will probably try to kill us the moment we get back into town. I'm not sure. I'll dig into the database again and see what else I can find out about this coven and Laura." Levi shuffled over the sidewalk, his eyes on the crowd around them. "We can also try to talk to Laura under a truce."

  "You aren't going. Arrange the truce, and I'll go. I'll contact you if things go south."

  Always worried about protecting him. Levi sighed. "I'd rather be there too."

  "I don't like it." Mario shook his head. "My job is to protect you."

  "And it's my job to protect the people in the territory. I go. She's a witch. There's not much she can do against two vampires."

  Mario hesitated for a moment. "Fine. We can both go, but the moment there is trouble, we leave."

  "That's the best I c
an ask for." Levi rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go enjoy the rest of the art show and then head home." His phone buzzed, and he sighed, wondering what now. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it.

  On his screen sat a text from Abigail.

  "Closed the case to the best of my abilities."

  He pressed his lips together and texted her back. "Good job. I still owe you a birthday dinner."

  Mario glanced over his shoulder. "Take her out after we find the boy."

  "I will, and without you there." Levi glanced back at Mario. "She doesn't like you, and it would ruin the dinner."

  Mario chuckled. "She's going to have to learn to like me. I'm around for the rest of her life."

  Levi nodded. "And eventually you'll end up being her guard as well."

  "Oh?" Mario asked.

  "You're the only one I trust to watch her back that closely. It'll take time for her to trust you, but once she does, I have no doubt that she'll be comfortable with you at her back." Levi walked into the art show leaving Mario outside.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Two hours before dawn, Levi was still hunched over his computer going through files of information. There had been nothing useful, making the Night Snake Coven seem more of a myth than a reality. What Clarissa had said appeared to be true, no one seemed to leave the coven alive. Anyone found associated with it, were much like the teenagers they found. Non-healing wounds.

  Levi rubbed his eyes as he leaned away from the computer. He grabbed his phone and called Oliver.

  Oliver answered. "What?"

  "We have confirmation that Laura is involved with the Night Snake Coven."

  Oliver snorted. "I think she confirmed that when she was trying to kill me. But please enlighten me."

  "Her ex said that she was obsessed with revenge. But he swears she would never put her brother in danger."

  "She admitted to handing him over to them because he would be better off. We have no chance of finding him, Levi. The family should just put him to rest. If he is alive, he'll be just as brainwashed as Laura," Oliver snarled. "That kind of coven doesn't take kindly to anyone poking around. So I suggest that you leave them be or they just might dig up your secret as well."