by J L Lawrence
“Zane has honest intentions and has sworn allegiance to me and our cause. We’ll follow the plan and allow Zane to aid us in the blood ceremony until our arrival at the portal.” She looked at Xavier. “You can fill me in on the ritual tomorrow morning. Go examine whatever else you need to work out.”
She finally felt at peace for what she was becoming. Sort of. Acceptance was two–thirds of the battle, and she was ready. This would be her new team. She had to look forward and accept that. Her old life would become nothing but a memory. She fought back her sadness at the thought.
Watching Xander shake hands and clasp shoulders with Xavier as he faded, Kate realized it was her own fear making this more difficult. Everyone had banked on her, so she’d better put her game face on.
She grabbed Xander’s face and brought it down to her, kissing him deeply. She didn’t care if others were watching. She leaned back and looked into his mesmerizing blue eyes. “I do trust you completely. I had to remember to trust myself.” Then she sent a silent thank you to Angie.
Gregory’s face remained red with anger. He’d probably not quite made it to the acceptance stage yet. “Kate,” he grumbled. “I can’t believe you bought that crap.”
“Gregory, all his intentions are good ones. He hates his father for what he did and feels trapped and wants to help. He believes in humans and in all supernatural beings.” She met his eyes. “His intentions are clearer than yours.”
This time the red in his face was from embarrassment, but Kate let it go and changed the subject. Nothing would come from admitting feelings of jealousy or possessiveness at this point. And Angie didn’t need any more confusion in her life. These issues would work themselves out in time. Tomorrow they would be in the Meadows. It was almost midnight when they headed to bed.
As Kate lay in the bed next to Xander, she began sorting out her own feelings. It was foolish to deny she had fallen in love with him, and not because of a prophecy, but because of his patience, wit, strength, and intelligence. She knew it was time to make a deeper commitment to him.
* * *
Xander pulled her against his chest, and her head rested on his shoulder. He held her for a few moments, convincing himself that she was going to be okay with or without him. For the first time in a while, he allowed himself to believe they would both make it. “With all the trouble you caused last night and our busy day”—he smiled while she glared up at him—“we didn’t get a chance to talk. I know you have questions. They are simmering in your eyes.”
“Can you tell me a little about Rowena? Sounds like I have big shoes to fill.”
Xander was caught off guard. He never would have guessed she would care about the Council yet.
“Many say that she is a force to be reckoned with and I guess they’re right. As a former Mystic, her powers are pretty scary. When I was younger, she was like a second mother. Then, everything changed. She didn’t approve of my brother’s choice of wife but didn’t stop them from making a terrible mistake. After his wife died and you were born, she informed me of your birth and that a spell had been cast to keep you hidden. She couldn’t break it. I think I blamed her for Xavier’s pain and my endless search for you.”
“But not anymore? You sound like you are starting to forgive her?”
“Forgive is a strong word, but let’s say that having felt love for myself maybe I understand everything a little more now.” He kissed her cheek softly. He had blamed Rowena for spending years of his life without his twin and the crushing pain that lived inside him. He had blamed her for many things that he now realized were beyond her control. Above all, she believed in free will.
Kate sat up, pushing the pillows behind her, and leaned against them. He could see she was still pretty wiped out from the energy spike and day’s training. Her complexion was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. “Can you tell me Xavier’s story? I’ve picked up that it had to do with a girl he loved, but his withdrawal is pretty extreme. There has to be more.”
Hanging his head and taking a deep breath, Xander stared out the sliding doors looking into the dark night. “It was much more. It was heartbreaking.” Sadness emanated from his tone.
“Can you tell me? I need to understand.”
“I promise I will tell you the whole story once we get to the Meadows. It brings up a lot of bad memories for me, and I want to stay focused on getting you safely home today. The short version is that Xavier’s wife died a horrible death and he had to witness it. We all did. Xavier and Lily were deeply in love, but the Council didn’t approve their union. They defied the Council and bonded anyway.
“Lily got mixed up with a dark witch due to her insecurity over the Council’s decision, and demons set a trap due to mistaken identity. I’ll explain more later. We fought to save her, but we were too late. There were too many demons. Lily gave her life to save Xavier. He can’t move past the guilt and heartbreak. It scarred us all.”
Xander sighed. “That’s what Gregory always references when he talks about listening to the Council. I also think he blames Xavier for not being strong enough to walk away from Lily. But he’s never been in love. When Lily died and he watched Xavier’s pain, he never got close to anyone again. Instead he walked away from the love of his life. Angie is the first person he has connected with in a long time.”
He paused. “I understand more now and know I could never walk away from you no matter the consequences. I’d go through Hell itself to follow you.”
Xander lifted her off the bed and pulled her in close. His love for her was overpowering the memories, and he felt happiness flowing through him again. He couldn’t dwell on the past today.
He laid her back down across the bed and followed her, keeping them chest to chest. He needed comfort and the feeling of her love after the gut wrenching memories and the fear from the night before. The kisses quickly deepened and desire began to take over.
Xander could feel Kate’s energy pulling at her and the heat swamping her. Just as he was removing their clothes, he felt an electrical current blast from within her. The power knocked them both sideways.
Kate glanced at the bulge in his pants. “I could take care of that for you.” She smiled slyly. He laughed and stuck his thumbs in the loops of his jeans to keep himself from making a grab for her.
“Yes, you could, and it would be fantastic. We can’t risk unleashing anything else until we are safely in the Meadows, and I don’t want to be electrocuted. We were lucky the demons weren’t anywhere near us last night or today.”
He leaned back toward her and placed his mouth against her ear. “But rest assured, once we’re in the Meadows, it’s on! And I’m putting a spell on my room so we have hours of uninterrupted time to play.”
The phone rang at the same time Xavier broke into his thoughts. “Some of Zane’s men spotted Fury and a few of his assassins headed this way. According to Zane, their numbers are fairly low. He believes this is a personal vendetta for Fury and probably not sanctioned. Otherwise we would be swarming. My guess is that after the last debacle, the Omega wants to let it be and pool his energy. Best get ready for a hell of a fight.”
Xander jumped up quickly, changing his clothes and grabbing weapons. At the same time he sent the message to everyone in the house. They only had a matter of minutes to prepare for a fight. “Any ideas on how to strip Fury of that damn armor?”
“Zane’s brother told him that he ran across something similar at the last Rising, and only two things could strip the wearer of the armor. One, a shadow warrior can rip it off. Two, a Mystic can remove it with an energy blast. If you tap into Kate’s powers, you might be able to remove it. My main concern is that you won’t survive this battle.”
Xander wanted to tell him everything would be all right but he couldn’t. What it would take to kill Fury, would kill him. It also meant Kate would have to enter the battle instead of escaping. They would have to give Angie a post in the house for now. If he could get her to stay.
; They met in the living room in full warrior dress and gear. Lucia and Joseph were completely transformed into full warriors. They both wore black leather pants and protective vests including weapons belts around the waist and strapped across their chests. He smirked at Kate’s surprise as they entered the once living room turned war room.
“How did they find us?” Kate adjusted her weapons around her waist and tucked her gun into her shoulder strap. Her face had flushed, and she couldn’t hide the fear in her eyes.
Just when he’d thought he might actually survive all this, fate bitch slapped him. If they fought Fury, he’d never have enough juice to hide everything from Kate. He’d be lucky to make it to the portal before the aging process began. Assuming Fury didn’t kill him here and now.
Xander knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Fury had tracked them through their friendship to Joseph. He knew them well enough to know the few people they would trust with the life of the Mystic. Score one for Fury. “Fury is the best tracker I know. That’s how he found us. We should have been more careful.”
“To make things worse, this isn’t about you. This is a personal vendetta to cause us pain. My guess is that Fury is tired of serving others and sees this as his opportunity for the freedom from the hell we sentenced him to.” And he damn well might achieve it if Zane didn’t come up with something brilliant.
“It doesn’t make any sense.” Kate grabbed his arm to slow down his frantic movements around the room. “If his good magical abilities have been stripped, he’s stuck with demons anyway. Why would he risk going against the Omega?”
“His powers weren’t completely stripped. They were bound. If he kills either Xavier or myself, he can get his full powers back. We can’t allow that to happen. Our death could lead to your death, so it is a win-win for him.” Fury seemed to have a hell of a lot more luck on his side than they did right now.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand the –Oh shit- look on Kate’s face. Instead of holding him back, she was now dragging him along while she paced the room. Her urgency spoke volumes. They had better devise one hell of a fool proof battle plan.
Everyone took their seats around a massive table in the center of the room. Gregory was the first to speak, breaking the momentary silence hiding their inner fear. “What did Zane say about the armor? You mentioned one of his brothers was researching it.”
“According to Xavier, his armor can only be removed in two ways. One, a shadow warrior has the strength to reach past the protective shield and rip it off. Two, a Mystic can use an energy stream to disintegrate it.” Xander wished he had better news.
It was apparent that everyone had done the math and realized that they were zero for two. The fear of losing the Mystic became suffocating in the small room. He had to give them a little hope.
“Zane believes that I can tap into Kate’s current energy field through our bond. Together we can send a blast strong enough to at least disable the armor for a short time.” He decided not to mention how short of time Zane had predicted. Just a matter of minutes to be exact.
Kate would be tapped out of energy. Then, they all would die. Yeah, he’d keep that to himself.
Xavier was the last to enter the room, but Xander felt the relief at his appearance. He was known as the best strategist in the realm, or at least he had been. He was dressed all in black with his favorite sword on his side. So he had come to fight.
Xander hadn’t seen him like this since they had fought the demons to rescue Lily. Xavier’s old confidence and poise fooled everyone but him. This was revenge, a way for him to lessen his guilt over Lily’s death and to find a way to heal. He would kill Fury tonight or die trying.
“Fury and his most trusted followers are being careful according to Zane.” Xander couldn’t help but notice that even his voice had a finalistic edge to it. “We probably have twenty or thirty minutes before the attack. The good news is that there are only ten or so demons. The bad news is that he is also using his own shield to prevent other demons from tracking him. He doesn’t want interruptions. He wants revenge.
“If he overlaps our shield, it will render Zane useless at least for a while. It’s not a surprising move given our last encounter. We have what we need to win, but it is going to take absolute precision and an assload of luck.”
Everyone nodded toward him, waiting for their assignments. His mind was racing. He felt as if he was leading them to their death. Kate would have to be near him at some point, but she couldn’t defeat assassins on her own. Angie would need to stay near the house and keep their escape route clear. The odds were not looking good, but decisions must be made.
“Angie, protect the perimeter of the house. Kate, you will stick close to Angie in the beginning but will join me once we clear a few of the demons out of the way. Lucia, maintain our shield. Just in case Fury decides to let more demons in on the party. She also knows the escape route and can lead Kate to the portal if necessary.
“Fury will hang back to let the demons weaken us. I will tell you when to join me, but wait until I send the signal. If I give the order to escape, you must go with Lucia. We have to keep the bigger picture in our minds.”
“But…” Kate seemed a little irritated at being told what to do. He knew it had to do more with her planning skills and OCD issues than anything else. They didn’t have time to hash everything out or wrap it in a nice pretty bow.
“Not now.” She glared as he cut her off. “We have one shot to defeat Fury tonight. All of you will have to trust us and follow directions. The remaining four of us will attack.
“Once we remove most of the demons, Joseph and Gregory will make sure that Kate gets safely to me. Then, Joseph and Xavier will create a distraction while Gregory drops back to protect Angie and Lucia.
“Xavier and I have our own plan to kill Fury once the armor is deactivated. Any questions?” Who was he kidding? Everyone had a question, but not a single person spoke.
Kate stood up. With her right hand, she grasped Angie’s. With her left hand, she took his. Angie followed her lead, taking Xavier’s, and eventually their circle was complete.
She met each of their eyes. “This is our circle, our team. Strangers and friends joined together with a single purpose. Tonight, there are no differences that separate us. Tonight, we are one. We will fight and we will win.”
Xander had never been more proud of anyone as he was of her in that moment. She had managed to dispel the fears and reach for the warrior in each of them. Even if he didn’t survive the night, he would die at peace. His heart had been touched by rare purity and light.
Pushing his emotions aside, he reached for his anger and hatred of Fury. He had to keep his head focused. To save Kate, Fury must die tonight.
* * *
The remaining minutes flew by. Kate couldn’t help but glance at the large mantel clock every few seconds. Her heartbeat pounding in her ears made the time move that much quicker.
Xander’s face was unrelenting and fierce as he paced the front porch. She knew he was willing to die tonight to keep her safe, but there was still something she was missing. He expected to die for some reason.
With all of his powers and knowledge, it didn’t make sense. That fact alone terrified her. Even if they all lived tonight, this would be her life. Living in constant fear of each new battle on the horizon and losing those she loved.
For now, she focused on the current enemy to save her sanity. Closing her eyes, she began to draw all of the energy inside her. She would be ready to transfer all she had when Xander called for her.
Torches appeared in the forest line. Demons advanced. Time was up.
Out of the shadows stepped eight demons. Then one more stepped into the moonlight.
Fury.
Kate recognized him immediately. His face was a mask of rage, but his overall demeanor appeared calm. He had a firm belief that he would win tonight and rule all of the realms. She hated to disappoint him, but that was not gonna happen.
Xander rushed the two on the left while Gregory, Xavier, and Joseph split the others. Fury was toying with them. He didn’t even engage in the fighting. He was weakening them and using the demons as pawns.
His eyes scanned his surroundings until they met hers. Even across the huge field, she could feel not hate but interest fill his gaze. He shouted a few orders, and all hell broke loose.
She kept her mind open to Angie. Between the two of them, she could keep better tabs on the perimeter. A sense of awe enveloped her as the warriors began to fight. Somewhere deep inside, she had believed this could still be just a nightmare. Time to wake up.
Their speed was incredible. She was squinting to make out most of the movements. Each individual had their own unique style, but together they functioned like a perfect military unit.
Joseph jumped at least three feet in the air. He connected with the demon’s throat using a jump kick. He was impossible to catch as he zipped around the demon. He landed every blow.
Then he switched to his powers, and it was different from anything she had seen. Tiny red blasts shot from his hands. It entered his opponents like bullets. She could track the red traveling through the demon’s body. His first demon went down quickly and turned to ash.
His next demon was savvier. They continued to exchange punches, kicks, and energy blasts.
Gregory was the opposite. Xavier was right. He began with his magic. Once again, his was different. It appeared as if he was throwing curses or spells. They weren’t blasts of energy like Xavier, but she could still see the light emanating from him. As it hit the demons, multiple things happened.
One spell blinded the demon, but it was reversed. Then a thick vine encased another demon until he broke through. Finally, he covered the first demon in a thick black substance head to toe. He manifested a sword and took his head.
Xander and Xavier were the closest in their techniques. They worked together throwing energy blasts and using brute strength. Fury was observing them more intently than the others. It was obvious he wanted to learn how they had changed over the years.
