VEE

By the time I arrive back at the Collector’s with Heath, the day has grown as dark as the atmosphere between us all. Heath stays close to me, and we grip hands as if gripping onto the time we had alone. He made me feel alive and human, lost in the physical sensations that fill me with belief I'm a person, not a power. But when the light shines the way it did the first time, it’s reminder we're not a human couple, and that I hold a strange power that equals Heath's.

Our time together at my old flat allowed me to forget the shocking news this afternoon, but also brought reminders of how intense everything in my life is. The tension rushing from me in mine and Heath’s shared moment was marred by the struggle in Heath’s eyes afterwards. He held me tighter than ever, loved and kissed me as if he never wanted to walk from the flat again. Because the first time I walked out of my flat with Heath, nothing was ever the same again. This time, we won’t return.

We wanted to hide and wrap ourselves in the world we withdraw into. Vee and Heath, the girl and guy fooling around on a Sunday afternoon. Not Death and Truth, desperate to forget who they really are, in each other’s arms.

We spoke about the taboo subject—whether I can resurrect if I need to.

Whether I would need to one day.

Heath carries my rucksack over his shoulder and dumps it in the lounge, which has become our makeshift living space.

"You took your time," says Xander. "We started to worry."

Heath runs a hand through his hair and glances at me. "We're okay. Where's the Collector?"

"He went to bed."

"Bed? It's 8 P.M.."

Joss chuckles. "A girl arrived an hour ago. Well, I presume she was a girl. I heard a female voice."

How uncomfortable is the Collector with the situation we’ve put him in? He's helped us more than we could’ve expected, or asked for, and understands the position we're in now. Without him we’d be homeless. Sitting somewhere else, facing an unknown future which barrels closer as the hours pass.

I sit on the sofa and curl up against the arm. My head aches, something that’s been happening more the last few days. I tell myself it’s the stress, but sometimes my hands tremble as pain shoots through. Is this the power already taking hold?

Heath sits beside me and takes my hand. Ewan, unsurprisingly, says little. He sits in the Collector's favourite chair, legs outstretched and bare feet resting on the low table. He focuses on his laptop, in a world of his own. I expected a greeting but know Ewan enough to recognise his retreat from the situation.

We have the books and the stone, confident we've found everything we need to know. Apart from one thing: when and where? The portal locations in the book match what the guys know, but there's not mention of us being at one in particular. There's also no indication whether any—and how many—have been opened by Seth.

We're certain at least one opened already, thanks to our visit from the fire elemental. Were the attacks against Ewan and Joss also creatures from portals?

"We're leaving tomorrow." Xander's firm voice and resolve encourages me. At least he regained his determination to move and is no longer the lost guy from earlier.

"Where?" asks Heath.

"The States."

I snap my head up to look at him. "Why there?"

"Because I want to be closer to where Seth is. The portal where he attacked the fae is located near LA. He wanted us to see what he did, but also that the portal is intact. For now. I think Seth wants us to go there."

"He could be anywhere," replies Heath. "The guy can teleport."

Xander's face sours. "Seth's obviously not coming for us, which means he's waiting for us to go to him."

"We're not facing him down, are we?" I ask and my chest tightens. Not yet. Not until we have all the facts.

Xander chews his lip and studies my face. "No. Just to the same country.”

"Xander wants out," says Joss. "We don't have anywhere safe to stay in the UK."

"And we do in the States?" I rub my eyes, tired and confused.

"We travel there occasionally," Joss explains. "Big country. Big population."

"Sometimes we need to sort problems with supes in the States, since the population is bigger over there," puts in Ewan without looking up.

"We've a place there where we can hide out," adds Heath.

"It's not strictly our place though, is it?" says Ewan and looks up. "It belongs to the fae who live in LA."

Weird. Doesn’t Xander avoided the fae as much as possible? "I bet the fae place is nice, considering their expensive tastes."

"Yeah, pretty good."

“Not that it matters," snaps Xander. "It's safe. Not razed to the ground by a crazy god."

"Plus, we have gear there." Joss pulls at his shirt. "Of the non-singed variety."

"Oh, and here I am thinking we'd have a nice trip to the shopping centre tomorrow." My weak attempt at humour is met with stony silence.

"I booked plane tickets already," Ewan replies gruffly. "We leave tomorrow."

"And we move on from the shit he's dumped on us." Xander stands. "Right, who wants food? I'm ordering pizza."

My head spins at the sudden switch from challenging Seth and preventing an apocalypse to discussion about food. Although my stomach growls appreciatively.

Ewan's phone sounds an alert and everybody turns to him. Apart from each other, people rarely contact the guys.

"Syv?" I ask hopefully.

Ewan snorts derisively. "Him. You reckon Seth knows when we’re talking about him?" As he reads his mouth parts, and he returns to his laptop, looking between the two screens in consternation.

"What's happening?" The phone sounds again and Xander stands behind Ewan so he can see too. “Answer the bloody thing.”

We hold a collective breath as Ewan accepts the call.

"You think you're fucking clever, right!" shouts a voice over speaker and my blood cools at the tone. He sounds like Seth, but flat. Distant. "How the fuck did you do it?"

"What are you talking about?" Xander calls to Seth.

“The text translation. Seth must mean that,” I whisper and glance at where Joss grips the book in his hands.

"No. The storm," says Ewan. "Look. There isn’t one."

He turns the laptop to face us while Seth's rant continues. "Who are you working with? No way can Vee do this."

I have no clue what Seth means and exchange a confused look with Joss. Standing, I approach to stand beside Xander.

Seth’s face half-fills the screen, but it’s tricky to figure out where he is. Inside? In the semi-darkness I can make out a small room’s walls, one with a noticeboard, but no window. The dim partially hides his face, but there’s no mistaking the hard, glittering eyes.

"Maybe Vee did stop the storm," retorts Ewan. "Maybe she can do more than you think. Watch your back, mate."

"Don't screw around with me, Ewan," he snarls. “Or I’ll be back over there and really fuck you over this time.”

I swear and step back, waiting for Seth’s appearance--or my disappearance.

"He won’t." Heath whispers in my ear. "Seth's still worried that you, plus the Horsemen combined, can hurt him. Otherwise I swear he'd be in this room right now, confronting us."

"You think you can win?" Seth’s savage tone grows. "You have no idea what happens next, do you?"

Seth's eyes turn a hollow black like the void I’ve seen before, and the darkness shimmers around him. My chest clutches with fear.

Seth’s eyes look the way mine did in the museum bathrooms.

"We have some idea, yeah," retorts Xander. "More idea than you, I bet."

"I suppose that's a snarky comment about your dumb book? Don't worry, I'll have that info soon. I have my means.” His eyes fade to their normal brown. “No. I'm sick of you fuckers thinking you can beat me. Interfering."

"We will. When we’re ready."

Seth's lips twist into a smile at my words as he gestures around himself. "I don't believe you, or you'd be looking for me. You’re skulking in that fairy’s house, scared."

I take the phone from Ewan and hold it so Seth sees my face and nothing else. "Think what you want. When the time's right, we'll destroy you. I’ll destroy you."

Seth holds his screen closer too. "I want to see you alone, Verity."

"Not happening," growls Xander. “We won’t let Vee face you alone.”

"Ha! So, she isn't able to take me down without you guys? There’s a chance I can kill Vee?” His face brightens as we don’t respond. “Interesting. Keep talking, Xander. Tell me more."

Xander sucks in a breath as the others glare at his slip-up. Not entirely true, but a big enough indication that the fight between Chaos and Truth isn’t a done deal.

"Nice one," Heath mutters to Xander. "Fucking brilliant."

The clock ticks on the wall as we struggle how to respond.

"Gotta go. Keep watching, guys." Seth’s parting words come with a familiar smirk, and Ewan’s phone screen blanks as he ends the call.

"Shit." Xander drags a hand down his face.

"Has the storm really gone?" I ask Ewan before an argument can start about Xander's loose tongue.

“Yeah. Look.”

Social media websites and news stories are filled with the same story. The storm stalled, completely still for a few hours, then switched direction and returned to the Atlantic. As the weather system dissipated, meteorologists across the world scratched their heads in confusion. Hurricanes don't pause to mock those fearing its arrival. Weather systems aren't controlled.

Unless by a god who's messing with us all.

Ewan points at the meteorology site on the screen filled with confusing scientific detail. "Who did this? How? Or do you think Seth is fucking with our heads again?"

“He sounded pretty pissed off. I doubt he stopped the storm,” puts in Joss.

"Well whoever did should bloody let us know who they are. If they can do something like this, they can help us."

“Yeah, but how do we find out who?” asks Heath.

Xander wrinkles his nose. “Dunno. Talk to Ripley and Portia, see what they know.”

My stomach grumbles loudly, breaking the atmosphere. Xander straightens and chuckles at me. "Pizza? Then we talk about this."

I sink back in the chair.

How can he jump from crisis to the mundane in the space of seconds?