by J L Lawrence
“So who is the current Council?” Angie asked, finally perking up. “Why are they not helping us?”
“Now there’s the million dollar question,” Gregory grunted, and glanced toward Xander with a raised eyebrow.
Xander shifted, glaring back toward him. “I guess they are helping in their own way even though I’m having trouble with that question myself. Micah, our Seer, said that in his vision we were meant to travel in the human manner. If we don’t, our chances for success diminish. Since he sees the future, most go with what he says. Especially the other Council members. Rowena is the only one who can contradict him.
“They are way too complicated to get into all of it tonight, but I will tell you over time, before we arrive, so you are prepared. We will start with Marcus and Rowena, since they are the closest to us on this particular journey.
“Marcus is the Council leader, or may also be called the Alpha since the demons use Omega to denote their leader. He took over when his predecessor died in the last Rising. He is a wizard with extraordinary power. No one knows spells and potions better than him.” Kate could feel the admiration in his voice.
“Rowena is also a Council member, and she is a Mystic and over a thousand years old.”
“Whoa, hold up!” Kate shook her head. If there was already a Mystic, why the heck was she being drug all over creation to fight a demon to the death?
“Rowena is great, but she has become weary and ready to leave this time and place. Everyone knows she was ready to step down and spend time with her husband, when Cassius was born as the next Mystic. Unfortunately, Rowena’s spouse died in the battle. The day you were born was the first time I had ever seen true happiness on her face. I realized later, that was because it meant she had another chance to join her husband by crossing over into the Spirit Realm. It is her fondest wish. Only duty holds her here.”
Cassius had forgotten to mention that he was a Mystic in her vision. Was that why he was able to connect with her? Why hadn’t he told her? She tried to focus back on Xander.
“She’ll be a great asset to you and will teach you how to use and control your powers. However, she cannot show you how to embrace the light, because she never had to do it, which I found out recently.” Kate realized there was a lot more to that story than he was saying, and she also sensed pain inside him. Had Rowena deceived him in some way? It wasn’t a question she could ask at this point.
It was obvious from Xander’s fidgeting, he was ready to call it a night. She’d absorbed everything possible anyway. They all needed a good night’s sleep. But, not until she asked one more question. “Xander, I noticed that all of the demons and minions that have attacked us so far have a large tattoo covering their arms. The one with all the flames. The word rage comes to mind every time I see it. Is it significant or common?”
His whole body froze, and there was no mistaking his uneasy exchange with Gregory. It took him a full minute to respond. “Actually the word you are looking for is fury. The leader of this particular group of assassins is called Fury. He has created a small army of followers called Wrath Assassins.
“He may not get many points for imagination with words, but his fighting skills are damn near perfect. I have a feeling we will face him before this journey ends.” Xander ducked into the tent, ending the conversation. Kate could see that there was a deep connection between Xander and this Fury demon. But would what he was hiding get her killed?
She crawled in the sleeping bag toward the back. She didn’t want to admit it, but her body screamed for sleep. Xander stayed toward the front, scanning their surroundings, and she knew he was still searching for his brother. She could barely keep her eyes open, and she hadn’t even lain down yet. She’d have to search for more answers tomorrow.
* * *
Xander watched Kate sleep for a long time. Beautiful, but dangerous. He hadn’t even contemplated that she would catch the tattoos. She was much more intuitive than he gave her credit for, and he would do well to remember it.
He leaned his head against the side of the tent, feeling fatigue seep into his bones. He hadn’t felt this much of a drain on his powers since he and Xavier had faced off against Fury over fifty years ago. He didn’t want to remember, but didn’t have the strength to push the memories away.
Fury’s given name had been Furyik, an ancient name of honor. He had been a hundred years older than Xander and had been known to dabble with the dark arts occasionally. Still, he had proven to be a brilliant warrior, so the Council had allowed him access into the Meadows, on the condition that he never touch dark magic again.
Despite his past, Xander and Xavier instantly connected to him and were in awe of his skills in magic and fighting. Since their older brothers had died in the previous battle, Furyik had taken them under his wing and taught them how to fight and be excellent warriors. He hadn’t kept his promise. He had become their greatest enemy.
His future was looking less and less lengthy.
Giving into exhaustion and trusting Xavier to protect them, Xander crawled over beside Kate. Obviously sensing his presence, she turned toward him and placed her hand on his chest. She snuggled closer to his warmth and tucked her head under his chin. For this moment, he could at least pretend that she cared, and that he had finally come home. He held on tightly to keep all his fears at bay and drifted into a blissfully dreamless sleep.
* * *
After catching a few hours’ sleep, it was time for Kate to wake up, grab a quick bite to eat, and get down to business. She intended to be prepared the next time she faced a demon.
Kate and Angie ate quickly and cleaned up the food and trash, then they headed over to a nearby tree to stretch. Both were pretty excited to be doing some training. They’d been talking all morning.
Gregory and Xander walked over to a decent-size clearing to set up the makeshift dummies and lay out the weapons for practice. Despite their training in law enforcement, they had little experience in handling monsters.
“We’ll start with the basics,” Xander said. “First, hand to hand. Gregory and I will fight as the demons, using their usual ploys and strategies. Both of you will try to get us in a position that you could take our heads off, but try to be careful. We don’t have much time, so our sessions will be pretty intense.”
Kate smirked. She and Angie both had their arms crossed over their chests, and their eyebrows rose in indignation.
“Do they really think we are that inadequate?” Angie huffed.
Kate sent her a smile and a mental shrug. “Be careful Ang, we’ve faced these demons and know they have a serious advantage.”
Angie grinned. “What do you want to bet they actually don’t go full force the first time?”
“I’d say that’s a good bet, and we’ll press our advantage.” Over the past few days, Kate had learned how to block their conversations from Xander. It gave them a slight edge. Some days, it was great to be the Mystic.
They lined up in pairs, prepared for a showdown. Each side had something to prove. Gregory and Xander launched into offensive tactics, but the girls were ready for them. Moving quickly to the side, they got out of the way, so the guys caught nothing but air. Now, Kate and Angie took their turn and went full force into attack mode together, back to back.
* * *
Xavier watched from the shadows, impressed by their moves and agility. He had never seen humans quite as skilled. The guys still hadn’t been able to pin them. Kate and Angie were perfectly synchronized; moving in and out, ducking punches, while exhausting the guys with kicks to the knees and shins. Then, the ladies took it up a notch.
He continued to stare in fascination and couldn’t have turned away, even if he had wanted to. It was addicting to watch their fluidity and grace. Every punch, kick, or movement kept them out of danger and delivered blows to their opponent. Their biggest disadvantage was endurance. Despite their success so far, they were wearing out quickly. Physical training would be key, especially for Angie, since she woul
d be fighting as a human.
When it seemed Xander and Gregory were finally getting the upper hand and going in for the final blow, Kate and Angie latched hands. All of a sudden, Angie was launched into the air with such force she knocked Gregory off his feet. He landed with a hard thud. Once Xander was distracted by the move, Kate vaulted all her weight toward him and knocked his feet out from under him. He never saw it coming. Within seconds, Kate and Angie had the guys pinned, with their hands at the guys’ throats, denoting kill shots.
Gregory got up slowly and dusted off his backside. “Holy shit! Maybe we need the extra training. Our asses just got handed to us by a couple of humans. I’ve never even seen some of those moves before.” He walked over to grab a drink of water, still rubbing his behind. Xavier wanted to cheer, but maintained his silence.
Xander approached Kate, with his hands up as a shield. “Don’t attack. I come in peace.” He laughed and leaned forward, then kissed her on the cheek. “Great work. We weren’t completely holding back, and you were able to take us in hand to hand. Now, let’s try swords and see where your skills are there.” Whether he wanted to admit or not, he was falling quickly for the blue-eyed Mystic.
“Before we start with weapons, I say we switch partners and work a little more on our technique. It looked like you guys could use a few extra pointers.” Angie took a drink of water. Gregory shrugged and walked over. “We’ll see about that. Let’s try it one more time, switching partners. Ready, Kate?”
“Always.” Kate stretched and headed toward him, keeping her stance confident and maybe a little cocky. Xavier was a little more worried with this round. Xander wouldn’t care, but Gregory hated to lose. Greg’s behavior toward Angie was bothering him even more than his asinine antics. Xavier couldn’t put his finger on it, but he didn’t want him anywhere near Angie.
Xander growled a little, not completely hiding his possessive instincts. Xavier rolled his eyes. What a dumbass. He couldn’t see that he had fallen for Kate during their first dance. When the whole truth came out, it was going to be ugly and heartbreaking.
Gregory raised his eyebrows and looked straight at Xander. “She will be sparring with everyone back home. Better work this out of your system now and get over it.”
“Hope you can stay focused on little ole me over here.” This time Angie didn’t bother to hide her smile or knowing look as she taunted Xander.
Finally, looking and paying attention to Angie, he refocused. “Count on it!”
Xavier wasn’t sure who he was cheering for, but had a sneaking suspicion he was leaning toward the girls.
They went at it again. This time Gregory and Xander separated the girls. Kate and Angie weren’t discouraged, and still went into full force attack. After several minutes, the guys wore them down again. The girls held their own…barely. A few more moments elapsed. Xander and Angie called a draw and sat down to watch Gregory and Kate since neither seemed willing to call a truce.
Kate launched several feet off the ground and hit Gregory with a kick straight to the chest. He flew off his feet and landed five feet away on his backside. Before he could react, Kate put her hand to his throat. “Gotcha.” Xander’s and Angie’s mouths hung open.
Furious, Gregory jumped upright. “No Fair! We’re not using magic and you levitated.” He sounded pretty agitated even though Xavier knew most of it was wounded pride.
“I what?” Kate asked in disbelief.
Xander rushed over and put his arm around her. “Are you sure she tapped into her power? She’s not supposed to be able to do that yet.”
“I felt the air shift until I got knocked on my ass.” He got up and walked over to a log to get his breath.
“I certainly didn’t do it on purpose.” Kate fired back, sounding defensive and frustrated.
Xander wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pressed her back against his body. “Of course you didn’t mean to. It means you are gaining more of your powers. At least to a small extent. That is definitely something we need to explore. They would be a great asset if we could develop them and find out exactly what you can do.”
Xavier couldn’t believe his eyes. The Council had led them to believe she was helpless in her human form. Had they not known all the powers she possessed, or were they still hiding information? It was time to start doing some research of his own. Could they tap into enough of her powers to buy more time for Xander? If they had to face Fury before the Meadows, Xander wouldn’t survive without her help.
Xander kept his arm around Kate, while Gregory sulked. “Why don’t we review weapons for a while and choose one that fits the girls best. Then, we can work on the dummies.” He glanced toward Angie, grinning. “The stuffed kind.”
Xavier wanted to be a part of the action. He hadn’t felt this much happiness in a long time. He wanted Angie to kick Gregory’s ass all the way back to whatever rock he’d crawled from.
“The dummies will allow us to illustrate demon weak spots and disabling techniques to reduce your active fighting time.” Xander pointed to his left. Gregory mumbled but got about his business.
He laid out the weapons across the grass. “These are some of the different types of weapons and swords you will encounter from both sides. As you can see, some are wider and heavier, while others are smaller and lightweight. But don’t let size fool you.” He took out a long sword, then tossed it to Kate.
She caught it by the handle. “It feels like holding a feather.” She easily tossed it back to him.
“The ones we are using today are not sharp, just in case.” Gregory pointedly stared at Angie. After a long-winded description of swords, axes, and athames, Angie and Kate picked the ones they liked best. Xavier assumed they’d chosen those that were the most lightweight, to assist their endurance levels, but Kate’s was slightly longer than Angie’s. They spent an hour with Gregory and Xander, who taught them proper techniques and stances. Slashed to bits, the dummies would have to be replaced for tomorrow.
Xavier watched silently all afternoon. He had wanted to shout for joy when Kate had knocked Gregory on his ass. So much elation had coursed through him he almost popped out of the Shadows to congratulate her.
When they had started working with swords, he became more concerned. Gregory had not mastered swords, mainly because he had always relied too much on magic to see him through. Angie would need perfect swordsmanship to survive a demonic fight. Sighing, he rubbed his face and grimaced.
If only he could teach them, Angie’s chances of survival would be much higher. For some reason, he’d become obsessed with Angie surviving the fight. Maybe she would be his redemption for Lily, if there was such a thing. He should have listened to Rowena years ago. Now, it was too late for him, but maybe not for her. The real world terrified him, and he couldn’t find his way back. But he had to start trying for all their sakes. He had to save Angie and atone for his past grievous wrongs. He swore to himself to make this right. No longer able to watch, he left to check in with Zane.
* * *
With the sun setting, the four headed back to camp and had a quick dinner. Afterward, they all laid down on the ground to cool off.
Kate had so many questions circling in her head. She knew they each had their own doubts and fears, but continued to put on the brave front. She was sore in places she hadn’t even known existed. Especially in her arms. Since the guys looked winded, too, she felt a little better.
Several of the questions floating in her mind became too loud to ignore. She sat up and leaned against the tree. “I understand who the Council is, and that they represent the governing body, but how do they keep control when they have communities all over the world and in multiple realms? It seems impossible.”
Xander squatted down beside her and leaned against the tree. “You’re still thinking with human restrictions. You have to begin to expand your mind beyond the obvious.”
“I am human,” she muttered, while glaring playfully. She sensed his frustration, but still couldn’t accep
t the fact she wasn’t going to stay a human. What would this big transformation do to her? He himself had said she was born as one, but would change during this ceremony. She didn’t want to change. She didn’t want to die either.
Xander leaned his head back and stared up at the stars. “The Council is strict in their enforcement of policies.
“Rowena, Micah, and other Seers are able to discover numerous problems before they even occur. Or, at least they can see them as soon as they occur and act quickly. The issue is dealt with immediately, and swift justice is carried out to send the message that certain behaviors will not be tolerated. It is a hard cross to bear because many of the situations are initiated by humans. Their fairness and efficiency create respect and boundaries. And no one wants to cross Rowena or Marcus.”
Gregory harrumphed and shook his head. “Or they get tortured if they do.”
Xander glared with a warning in his eyes. Kate felt the tension in the air rise. He silently told Gregory to shut up. “Yes, they do have forms of punishment, but the crime has to be severe enough to warrant it.”
“What kind of problems or crimes are we talking about?” Angie asked, showing her curiosity. “I’m assuming they are different from the human world since everything else has been.”
“Hurting or killing humans and magical beings are the worst crimes, and are sometimes punishable by death,” Xander replied. “That’s why Tristan, another Council member, has warriors searching constantly for rogues. He is in charge of our warriors. Some are given a chance for redemption, but most are given a death sentence depending on the severity of their crimes. Other offenses include exposing our magic to humans. We can’t afford to start another crusade or war. We have enough to focus on with the Rising. We are much more dependent on each other than humans.”
Kate scrunched her eyebrows together in extreme concentration, trying to understand. “That actually doesn’t sound too bad. It sounds like your justice works quicker than ours. Plus, you have the advantage of reading minds and predicting the future. That definitely helps. Our world has death penalties and different forms of punishment.” She shrugged, not overly concerned with the whole idea. “Why does it bother Gregory?” She asked Xander, since Gregory had walked away.
