Mystic Bonds

by C C Solomon

  I lay frozen. Why didn’t I tell the others and have us all get out of here when we could? Mae said I didn’t have to fear Phillip. Could she have been wrong?

  I showered, dressed, and later made my way to the town center. Since no one came to the door to drag me away, I could only assume that I wouldn’t be the one punished. But the thought that they were going to yell out my name when this thing started like the Price is Right didn’t escape me, so I wasn’t exactly breathing easy.

  When I got to the town center, it was packed with people. Turns out the town center was in the middle of the entertainment area. A stage was set up in the middle of the pedestrian-only street bordered by shops, restaurants, and a movie theater. We were standing way in the back, facing the stage where the spectacle would take place. Although we couldn’t see anything, Phillip made sure the large TV mounted to a brick wall of one of the shops farthest from the stage showed the event.

  “This is bullshit,” Felix said, crossing his large arms and shaking his head. “Why are they forcing us to watch some poor dude get punished?”

  “Haven’t you learned from the pack fight?” Faith began. “This place seems to like outdated practices.”

  Phillip, decked out in a tailored black suit and blue button-down shirt and tie, walked onto the stage and stood in front of a microphone stand. Seth, Blake, Mae and another older Asian man whom I never met, stood beside him. I was soon coming to believe that they were his top advisors.

  “Good afternoon, I’m sorry that we have to be here for this on such a beautiful afternoon so I will be quick. As you know, we lost our brother Donte earlier this week in a fight for pack high position. No matter how we may feel about such things, these are part of the natural being of many were-types and are instinctual. Therefore, when such fights are interfered with by those outside the pack, we take that very seriously. Someone was helping Donte through magic the evening of the fight.”

  Whispers broke out in the audience.

  “I understand everyone’s concern. Yet, even with this assistance, our brother, Erik, was able to succeed and win. However, it is with heavy heart that I must say that Wilfred Flannery used magic and must be punished.”

  I looked to the right of the stage as we saw two pack members bring to the platform a short, white male, appearing to be in his 40s, with glasses and a receding hairline of brown hair. The witch from the pack fight.

  I turned around to face Grace who was watching the screen, a hand to her mouth.

  “Who’s Wilfred?” Erik asked her.

  “Wilfred is a witch and was a huge fan of Donte’s when he played football. Practically worshiped him. Think it just made him feel normal to have a celebrity around. He’s a good guy. Harmless. Guess he didn’t want to see his hero die. Or Donte could have asked him to help. He wasn’t a very honest man,” Grace explained.

  “Wilfred,” Phillip began, staring down at the man who was now on his knees. “Do you admit that you helped Donte with your magic in the fight?”

  Wilfred, who did not look the least bit scared, nodded. Odd. I would be petrified.

  “The punishment for such assistance can be as high as death. But I try to be a fair leader and I don’t take killing anyone lightly. Therefore, Wilfred, your punishment shall be the loss of your left hand and you may not use magic for a year, unless requested by a town lead.” Phillip nodded over to one of the pack henchmen, a large, bald, white male, who held a machete in his hand. The other henchman, a black man with a low fade, placed a large bucket in front of Wilfred on the ground.

  I looked over to Erik who was staring at me. He leaned in and placed his hand on the small of my back. “We don’t do anything,” he whispered. He knew from the look on my face that I was getting antsy. “We have to accept this.”

  I held my breath as a henchman brought Wilfred’s arm out over the bucket. Wilfred closed his eyes tightly and bared his teeth. Then the machete came down, and in one swift motion the hand was removed from the wrist and fell into the bucket. Wilfred cried out in agonizing pain. Blood dripped from the severed opening into the bucket.

  The henchmen dragged the crying Wilfred off the stage, while the crowd remained silent and in place.

  Phillip began to speak. “Let this be a reminder that rules are in place for a reason. If we break them, this society cannot work. The consequences are swift and real. Follow the rules and this town will continue to be an excellent place to live.” Phillip looked over to me and smiled. “Please enjoy the rest of your day and look out for each other.”

  The crowd then began to disperse, recovering too easily from the maiming they just witnessed. I, however, remained standing, still in confusion and shock.

  “Maybe I can help reattach his hand,” I said.

  “If you do, Phillip will remove it again,” Grace stated, walking closer to me.

  “Has Phillip done this before?” Charles asked.

  Grace shook her head. “The prior leader did, though. You break the rules, you get broken,” she said solemnly. “They’ve taken people’s eyes, fingers, toes, feet, ears. Branded people. We can’t afford to have people be unproductive and sit in a prison. So, he does the punishments. It doesn’t happen often though.”

  “Mae wants us to meet her at her place in an hour,” Lisa stated, suddenly. “Apparently she is telepathic and she just sent me a message.” She shook her head in surprise.

  “Well, does she want to meet about leaving this place?” Faith asked, hands on her hips and face frowning with anger. “For me, living in a town that chops off people’s hands seems like a place I don’t want to live.”

  I was beginning to agree.

  We met in Mae’s apartment and there was a face I had never met before already there along with the six of us, Carter and Grace. It was a packed house.

  Mae being Mae, had coffee and tea available and oatmeal cookies sitting on her wooden dining room table.

  “Hi, everyone, so glad you all could make it,” she announced. “Please grab a cookie or something to drink and make yourselves at home. I know you all are wondering why I asked you to be here.” She clasped her hands together and smiled at everyone. There was some excitement in her eyes and considering we all just witness a man lose a hand, I couldn’t figure out what it was about. “But first, let me introduce you to my partner, Bill. He’s the head med mage so if your own magic doesn’t work to heal, Bill can fix you up as well. He’s the best there is.”

  I looked over to the older man, drinking a cup of tea or coffee, sitting at the dining room table. He was in his late 60s, Native American, with short, gray hair, and kind-looking, almost-black eyes. He had a bit of a stomach threatening to hang over his jeans but was otherwise in decent shape. Bill wore a brown leather vest over a white T-shirt that stated, “Keep Calm and Carry On.” Around his neck was a long silver chain with a turquoise feather pendant. He had a pleasant face. I liked him.

  Bill gave a nod to all of us with a smile. I had no idea Mae had herself a boyfriend.

  Mae grinned at him proudly before turning to us. “I’ll bet y’all were a little unnerved by today’s events,” she stated.

  “Grace explained that this is your form of crime control here,” I stated.

  “This is true. It’s not as awful as it seems.”

  “I beg to damn differ,” Faith spat. “You have a prison here, put his ass in there.”

  “And how productive to the community would that be?”

  She shrugged and crossed his arms. “Or he could make people do forced labor to pay off their crimes like in Hagerstown.”

  “Maim them or enslave them for a period of time. I suppose it’s all unwelcome.”

  I wanted Mae to share with the group what she’d told me. Phillip was a bit more sympathetic, if you understood his history with being out of control. Having a witch break the rules without punishment would offend his sensibilities. He hadn’t had justice for the death of his brother or mentor but he would get it in other areas. I was surprised about how
much I understood him.

  “So, people are all cool with Phillip doing this?” Charles asked.

  “It’s been this way for a while,” Mae replied. “And Phillip has a gift that allows him to keep people in control. Similar to Amina’s magic. He uses it from time to time, to maintain control. It works on most living paranormal beings that don’t possess any mind control powers themselves. Like myself, Amina, or Lisa as a fairy.”

  I looked to Lisa and she waved at the rest of us. I’d forgotten that the Fae could make others see things that weren’t there, as well as cause people to sleep and be confused.

  “Or me,” Grace chimed in. “I’m a siren, if anyone didn’t know.”

  “Sweet. Wait, sirens control minds? I thought you just sang well and crashed ships?” Charles asked, faced confused as he shook his head and grabbed a cookie.

  I eyed Charles with a look of disappointment. I didn’t know much about sirens either, but I certainly wasn’t going to disrespectfully brush her off as just being someone who sang songs.

  Grace lost her smile momentarily and then smiled again, looking to Charles. “You’re allergic to cookies, Charles,” she said in sing-song voice that was actually quite sweet and soprano like.

  I squinted my eyes. Charles was far from allergic to cookies. I don’t think he was allergic to anything, especially if it was edible.

  Charles frowned at the cookie and put it back on the plate. “Why am I picking this up? I’m allergic.” He shook his head. “What do I have, some type of death wish or something?” he muttered.

  We all stared at him. He looked around at the room with wide eyes. “What? Miss Mae, did you make any cake or pie? That was really good last time.”

  Mae smiled and walked to the kitchen. She was holding out on us.

  “You aren’t allergic to cookies, Charles,” I stated. I crossed my arms. “Ha, Grace made you think that!” I was impressed.

  I looked back over to Grace, who looked like the cat who ate the canary. “Beyond what the fairy tales say, sirens are much more than women hanging off cliffs, sending sailors to their deaths. Admittedly we aren’t high on the folklore pyramid, therefore, most people don’t have a clue about us. The basics is that I can sing very well and when singing, what I want someone to do they do it. Or I can kill them with the sound of my voice. I can even narrow the sound of my voice only to those I want to hear it. And since I have that control, like Mae, I can’t be controlled by others who have similar mental powers.”

  “Does your power trump Phillip’s?” I asked, still standing.

  She tilted her head back and forth. “Not so much trump but rather works alongside. I can’t compel you not to be controlled by Phillip, in general, but if Phillip tells you to do something specific, like sitting down, I could sing to you to never sit down when Phillip tells you. I have to be specific.”

  “So, we just let Phillip do whatever?” Erik asked.

  Mae looked to him, bringing back two plates holding slices of peach cobbler. One she gave to Bill and the other to Charles. “We don’t let him do whatever. That’s why we are here. And with Lisa and Amina, you both can also make sure he stays on the straight and narrow. And I have faith that you will help us do that. Phillip is a good soul. With the six of you here, I think we’re going to all be okay.”

  “What exactly about the six of us is so special? You alluded to it before but is there more?” I asked. “I’m assuming that’s why you asked us to come? Is there a new vision?”

  Mae nodded, sitting down at her dining room table. “I thought you were special. It’s why I reached out to you, Lisa. But I didn’t want to lead you astray. I’ve been having visions of the six of you displaying power in a way I’ve never seen, only read about. You have a connection that’s meant for something great.”

  “Even how you worked together to heal Erik after the fight was very impressive,” Bill added before taking another bite of his dessert.

  “I understand that magic is new to us all, but it was here even before the world changed. And when it came and took over the world, the magic that was hiding in us all came to exist. Your life is what it is because of the special connection you have,” Mae explained.

  Erik shook his head. “How do you know this?”

  “I’ve had a weaker version of my current power all my life. I’ve seen things and connections in the world and studied to understand them. The literature, as I’m sure those with witch gifts are aware, was already out there because of others sensitive to magic knowing of it. After the magic hit us, my curiosity only grew with my visions. I had to understand. There are patterns in history. Special groups of six have changed the world behind the scenes and sometimes in the spot light. They’ve ended plagues and wars. They are brought to the world to help humanity survive. And this time is no different.” She looked around at the group, her eyes pleading with us to understand. “I just don’t know what your purpose is specifically yet. But something dark is coming. You must ready yourselves. What I know now is that magic is ever growing. No matter what type of magic you have, you will be better as time grows. Erik, you are a stronger werejackal than you were years before. Never doubt your powers. That would have been an easier fight for you, if Wilfred hadn’t helped Donte.”

  “Right,” I said throwing out my hands in exasperation. “That’s why I helped Erik. To even the playing field.” I hadn’t told them before because the week became busy after the fight and it didn’t seem like information that needed to be shared, especially since Erik had won anyway.

  The group murmured in surprise.

  Erik looked down at me with shocked eyes, an incredulous look on his face. I’d never seen that look on him before. “Mina, I wish you hadn’t. I could have won that fight on my own,” he said a tightness in his voice. “I didn’t need your help.”

  Was he angry? I gave a confused frown, remembering how I nearly passed out throwing him all my power in that weight room. So much for showing some appreciation. “Erik, you wouldn’t have won that fight if I hadn’t helped you.”

  “Aw, shit,” I heard Charles murmur.

  Several other mutterings ensued by the men in the room. Felix gave bug eyes, Bill lowered his head and shook it, and Carter let out a loud cough.

  Erik’s jaw tightened, and he looked down at me with a cold stare. “It’s always nice to hear, yet again, how little faith you have in me. Next time you think I’m too weak, walk away.”

  I huffed, thoroughly confused. I didn’t understand men in the Pre-world and in this world I still didn’t. Clearly, instead of learning to fight off crazed gremlins, I should have studied up more on the male sex. “This is why I didn’t say anything before. Because of the fragile male ego.”

  “What the? You don’t want to get married, do you?” Charles asked, face scrunched up in frustration.

  “Even I know she shouldn’t have said that,” Felix whispered loudly.

  “Oh, hell no, I won’t be drawn into yet another lover’s quarrel!” Faith shouted. She pointed at Erik. “Look, suck it up, dude. Magic was being used for your opponent and that was an unfair fight. Mina and Felix figured it out and Mina did what she had to in order to make sure you didn’t die out there because she cares about you. I’m sure Mina wouldn’t have interfered if magic weren’t being used, right?” She glanced over to me and I nodded vigorously. “And you, Amina.” She pointed at me this time. “Some things are better left unsaid. And have faith in your man, woman.”

  She was so right. I already regretted saying anything. In retrospect, he hadn’t needed to know what I’d done. Erik was a strong man and getting help from someone wasn’t going to be something he’d appreciate. I also had to confront the very concern that I was doubting our capabilities. We were supposed to be special, but I still didn’t have trust in us or myself. That doubt had been a part of a lot of my troubles in the past. I had to shake it and believe that I could win something. There was too much to do and none of us had family that we knew of still alive. We were
each other’s rocks. So far, I wasn’t being much support. I needed to get to why.

  Erik reached over and grabbed my hand, giving it a tight squeeze. He didn’t look at me, but I could see his face was now relaxed. I stifled a smile. Guess we had made amends for now.

  “You guys are so damn cute,” Lisa squealed.

  “Can we get back to the main issue?” Erik grumbled, still holding my hand.

  Mae nodded and smiled at me. “I know that I keep saying that the six of you are not only strong but connected. For now, you might have found that you have a good sense of each other’s feelings. And a need to touch each other.” She waived her hand at Erik and me.

  And here I thought it was just were sense and Erik’s hidden affectionate nature.

  I looked over to Lisa, leaning on Felix who was propped against the wall and then to Charles, sitting on the arm of the sofa next to a seated Faith, who was resting an arm on his thigh. How had I never noticed the others staying so connected before? Was I so wrapped up in my own thing with Erik to spot it? Of course, I was.

  “You work almost like twins would. Don’t run away from the natural instinct of what you feel. You are family. Some of you are like sisters and brothers, others are like lovers. But it is meant to be,” Mae explained.

  I looked over to Charles and noticed him gazing over at Lisa from across the room, who gave him a sweet smile in return.

  “You six represent the various forms of power, which is part of this special connection you have. The were’s animal connection, mage’s earth connection, the fae’s otherworldly connection, the succubus life and death connection.” She looked to Felix. “And you, which I’m still working on figuring out.”

  Felix lowered his shoulders and sighed.

  “I’m here to guide you all to your fullest potential and help you experience your powers in ways you never imagined. I just ask that you be brave, loyal, and love each other.”

  “That, we can do,” Erik replied. He paused. “If one of us dies, does this bond we all have get destroyed?”