CHAPTER 23

 

 

 

Synthetic rope bit deep into his wrists until the scent of blood filled the air. Leo slowly surfaced toward consciousness, his head swimming, lolling back on his neck.

“Wha…” The sound of his own groggy voice startled him. He grimaced, eyes squeezing shut. A swell of pain burst through his temples and down his neck. “What the hell is this?”

The bite of the rope brought him closer to the surface. Shrugging off the last of his foggy-headedness, he fought against the restraints. Immediately he reached for his magic, intent on manipulating the bonds. And was left frustrated when he realized he exerted no power over the plastic. He sent his magic seeking, recognizing the burlap over his face, the sturdy plastic chair and wooden floor. Binding runes on the walls, ceiling, and floor to keep him from using his gifts.

The thought had him struggling until his fingernails broke from scratching into the chair and his breathing was labored.

“I really am sorry for this.” The female voice came out of nowhere, and Leo zoned in on its location. “I didn’t want to. He made me.”

At once the bag lifted and silky blue light registered. He winced at it, his eyes struggling to adjust. The room swam in front of him after who knew how long in the dark. He made out a blurred figure somewhere in the distance and blinked.

“What is this?” He continued to struggle against his restraints. “What the fuck?” Fists clenched, he fought anew against the restraints, flexing his muscles until they ached. “Show yourself, asshole. Someone better start explaining this to me, and fast!”

With his vision restored, in the dim light of the room Leo took note of the plastic and polymer walls containing him within. Scrawled in red were the binding runes developed by mental dominants, meant to keep his magic under control. He knew where he was.

The Vault.

“I meant what I said,” the female said again. “I’m sorry.”

It took Leo another half a second to place the voice. He recognized the mousy brown hair and ubiquitous cardigan odd on a woman her age. The downcast eyes darting back and forth as though they couldn’t decide on a place to land.

He cleared his throat. “Kelsi, I swear to God, if you don’t let me go right now, there will be hell to pay.”

“No offense, Mr. Voltaire, but I am much more afraid of your father than I am of you. He told me to bring you down here. Do you know what he’ll do to me if I disobey?” She wrung her hands and refused to meet his gaze.

Her words gave him pause and Leo tensed. “My father?” he blurted. His jaw tightened and his eyes darkened in anger.

“I’m not at liberty to tell you more. He simply told me to stay here until you woke and then report back to him.” Kelsi bit her lip.

“Report back on what? He’s gone too far this time.” Leo thrashed again, and still the chair refused to budge. “Kelsi, you need to let me go right now. Right now!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Voltaire. Leo,” she said sadly. “Try to stay comfortable until he comes down. Maybe you can talk to your friends. They’ve been a little upset. A familiar face may help. I put you in the same room instead of the solitary cells in the back. It was the only thing I could do. I’m sorry.”

Kelsi turned to leave, her shoulders hunched. She flipped several switches on a series of panels before exiting. Fluorescent lights crackled to life and the two other holding cells flashed into view, along with their occupants.

The same kind of chair in the center of a similar room, the corners sharp plastic. Leo writhed and squinted to make out any familiar features of the man’s severely bruised face. He noted the ligature marks on his wrists, a pattern of bruises along the lines of his cheeks and near the hairline. At last, the pieces clicked into place and Leo put a name to the face.

“Zenon? Is that you?”

The man gasped and his split lip began to bleed again. He craned his neck, straining to see. “Who is it? Who’s there?”

“It’s, ah, Leo. I’m a friend of your sister Astix.”

“If you’re in here too, then that doesn’t mean much to me, does it? At least I’m conscious. The guy next door hasn’t said a word since I woke up hours ago. And when did you get here?”

“The guy next door?”

Zee swallowed and winced. “Yeah. I hear breathing but I can’t see who it is.”

Leo once again tried to move his body and found he could not. The chair remained solidly rooted to the floor without an inch of give. He caught sight of a salt-and-pepper beard and felt his gut sink down to his feet.

“Oh crap. I know who it is.”

“Mind letting me know?” Zee worked up a mouthful of blood-tinted saliva and sent it flying.

“It’s…” Leo sighed. “It’s your dad.”

“Well. Shit.”

“My sentiments exactly.” Leo shifted again in an attempt to get comfortable. Knew his comfort was not exactly the point of this confinement.

Whatever low-life hired scumbags working for Orestes had taken them, and not only made sure to catch them off guard but took the time to scuff them up a little. Leo was willing to bet Kelsi’s introduction had been a strictly off the books encounter.

He remembered nothing about his capture. He’d been in the car on the way to the cabin, pushing the pedal to the metal and wishing he could make better time. Cursing the weather for keeping him from the speeds he wanted and the office for asking him to stay late in the first place. His family needed him, not the one he was born into but the one he chose.

His soon to be mother-in-law was in a coma, stuck in the infirmary with strangers doing god knows what for her. And, from what he saw coming across his desk, there was a string of magic-related murders to attend to. Hell of a day, and all he wanted at the end of it was a warm cup of coffee and to kiss his girlfriend. To tell her everything would be okay and they would work through whatever came next.

That opportunity never came. Somewhere between his office and the cabin he’d gotten waylaid. The last shred of affection he felt for his father disappeared.

“Do you know how long you’ve been down here?” Leo asked Zee. To hear the sound of his voice. To hear something, anything, to fill the muted and heavy air of the Vault.

The other man sighed, the sound pain-filled. “Too goddamn long. How…you said you’re a friend of Astix? Is she okay?”

“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know. She was holding on when I left her. She’s a strong woman. All three of them are.”

“You’re telling me.” This time his tone held a touch of warmth. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know that either,” Leo admitted.

A soft chuckle answered him, and then a familiar, if unwelcome, voice. “You are going to tell me what I want to hear or stay like this until I can figure out what to do with you. Do you understand me, Leonidas?”

Orestes maneuvered into view, hands in his pockets and a cocky swagger to his steps. Soft-soled loafers made no sound on the floor as he strolled toward them, stopping at a wall panel to make sure security measures were in place. He flicked a switch and appeared satisfied with the setup before turning ice-cold eyes on his son.

A swell of fury took Leo and had him seeing red before struggling again with his bindings. “Dad? You have a lot of nerve—”

“Nerve is only one of the traits I possess in abundance, my boy. And has served me well through the years.” Unconcerned with the rest of them, Orestes might have been ready to go to a business luncheon or social event. He’d dressed to impress, though he would never admit it to anyone. Perfectly pressed matching slacks and suit coat were fashionable, but the button-down shirt in an uncomplimentary shade of yellow cast his skin in a sickly shade of pale olive.

“How did you find me?” Leo had to know and asked the question, though he had an inkling.

“I had you followed,” Orestes said. “Naturally. What, you didn’t really think a little swerving and backpedaling would keep me away? And the stupid little cabin of yours…a hideout to make a thief proud. At least, it was.”

Blood froze in his veins. “What did you do?”

“Let’s say it was nothing a little controlled burn could not remodel.”

“That was my home.” Leo bit his tongue until he tasted blood. “There could have been people in there.”

“Trust me, son. I’ve taken care of everything. Anyone inside is long gone. It’s better this way.”

“Let me out of here. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Leonidas, you’ve always been a smart child. You tell me why it’s a horrible idea to let you go.” Orestes laughed, a wheezing click of sound he reserved for private situations and personal humor. The skin at the corners of his mouth began to twitch. “Because you’d run back to your slut and her horrible family. Well, what’s left of it.”

“Dad, no.”

“And I can’t have you siding with them. Look at what’s become of the illustrious Cavaldis. A human boyfriend for the eldest daughter, the youngest possessed and causing mass destruction. The middle girl’s freak-of-nature birth. Her magically defunct twin is rotting in my prison alongside his half-dead father.” Orestes clucked his tongue. “No, I will not have my son cavorting with such riffraff or being a part of their downward spiral. No. Not when I’m so close.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course I do. I’ve had years to think about this and put my plan into motion. Now is the time for action.” Pacing while he spoke, Orestes moved between cells with fervor deepening his gaze. “I used to think it was the girl, the one with her father’s magic. I used to think she was the one who held the key to power and if I isolated her, manipulated her, she would fall into my hands. The Harbinger witch. But I was wrong, so wrong. It’s been someone else this whole time. I need to get them out of the way first.”

“What are you saying?” Leo knew the answer would be something he couldn’t understand. If Orestes were willing to give a lucid explanation. It was a peculiar thing, seeing the same familiar face he’d known since birth but having no idea who that person was. It felt like a betrayal of the worst kind.

“I’m the only one who can bring our society back to purity. Away from the dark and into the light. It’s been me the whole time, son, only I was too selfless to recognize it before. Now I do.” Orestes slammed a palm down on the nearest table. “And I am through going easy. With the arrival of the eclipse, the last shreds of the veil will disintegrate, and I’ll use the full force of power from the world of ancient magicks to make this world into what it should be.”

He was talking crazy talk. Leo switched tactics. “Let me out of here and we can talk about it. Just the two of us. We haven’t had one of those father–son chats in a while, have we? Have we, Dad? Let’s sit down and talk and you can tell me about your vision. Mom would be happy to see the two of us getting along again. Wouldn’t she?”

“You think those mind games are going to work? I’ve known you since before you were a thought in your mother’s mind. There’s no tricking me, Leonidas.” Orestes shook his finger. “You will stay down here with the rest of these weaklings until you can be made to see reason.”

“And if I can’t?”

Orestes shook his head and sighed, the perfect picture of the disappointed father. “Then we will cross that bridge when we come to it. It really is a shame. We could have been a great team, you and I.”

“You can’t keep us here like prisoners. Zee is hurt. He needs medical attention. A healer.”

“The aberration needs nothing. And yes, I absolutely can keep you here. No one is going to come looking for you, I’m sorry to say.” Orestes laughed again, finding the thought amusing.

“Dad, no, please.”

His face sobered instantly, an invisible hand wiping the enjoyment away. “One day you’ll understand why I’m doing this. When the world is a better place, you’ll understand.”

With his final words echoing in their ears, Orestes took his leave. On his way out, he made sure to dim the lights to obscure their view of each other.

Leo hung his head and listened to the echo of footsteps until they disappeared, thoughts of Astix consuming him. She would be frantic.

“Dude, your dad has serious problems.” Zee’s voice was weak but it helped Leo remember he was not alone.

“Yeah. And I was too stupid to see it sooner.” He sighed, tested the restraints once more though he knew it was futile. If his father were really behind this, then everything would be checked and double checked before the plan was executed. If there was the slightest chance of breaking through the bonds, the enchantments would take care of the rest. And Orestes would have thought of every possibility beforehand.

“Any idea how we can get out of this?” Zee asked.

“Not the slightest.”

They were trapped, tied down, and waiting in the dark.

 

**

 

Orestes linked his hands behind his back and whistled tunelessly on the way to the elevator. Everything was coming together. A measure of peace stole over him. His own son may be in the Vault, but with time Leo would come to see this decision as being for the best. How else did he expect to stay safe with rogue magic leaking through the veil?

“Orestes.”

The bulldog-ish voice came out of the dark. He turned his head in time to see Zelda Vuur stepping out of the shadows.

“Zelda.” Orestes inclined his head toward the petite woman with hair the color of burning coals. “You followed me?”

She stopped short, settling a stare on him. She could have been beautiful, he thought, with the right light. Might have been beautiful to others. The men who found purpose and joy in the flesh. He was above it.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m doing what I have to do. I’m not sure why you feel the need to ask.”

“You asked me to set the cabin on fire, and I did. You asked me to have the oldest child watched, and I did.” She tilted her head, studying him. “So now it’s my turn to ask you. What are you thinking? I didn’t sign up to push an entire family into extinction.”

“I’d think you, of all people, would understand.” He cocked his head to the side and studied her, practically mirroring each other’s stance. “We’re dealing with a war, here. We’re dealing with a fraying veil and rogue magic leaking into our reality. By securing the Cavaldis, I’m helping to assure an outcome favorable to the Claddium’s interest.”

“The Claddium’s, Orestes? Or yours?”

He ground his teeth. “The former.”

“I thought, when you first took the boy, you were exploring his potential as the natural-born Harbinger witch. When he turned out not to be the one we wanted, I assumed you chose to focus your attention on the sisters as probable matches.”

“So I did.”

Zelda met his eyes, then shook her head as though to clear it. “You’ve stepped outside the lines,” she said grimly. “I can no longer be a party to your war.”

“Then get out of my way,” he said pleasantly.

He brushed Zelda to the side, stabbing his finger at the elevator button. Then a thought hit him.

The elevator doors opened and, with a quick word under his breath, the floor rose around Zelda. She had no chance to react before the cage formed around her, trapping her on the inside. Enough air to breathe but not enough to call on her element.

Orestes tried not to smile as he entered the elevator, his lips rounded in an O. Whistling.

 

**

 

The girls waited in the car, Astix inconsolable and Aisanna at a loss as to how to proceed. Morgan and Karsia left them to their grief. They’d pulled over to the side of the road. Needing a minute.

“We’ll leave soon. There’s something I want to do first and then we can be on the road,” Karsia told him.

“Come on, then. Take my hand.” Morgan held his palm out to her, delighted when she took it.

She shot him a tired smile. “Thanks.”

Together they trod a path in the snow, winding their way deeper into the woods.

“Where are we headed?” he asked.

“I’ll know when we get there.” Karsia shook her head. “They aren’t dead, you know. I would feel it.”

“I only hope we’ll be able to deal with what’s coming. This isn’t over.” Morgan gave her hand a squeeze. “And it will only get harder.”

Karsia stumbled over a hidden root but stayed upright because Morgan strode forward swiftly to catch her. She shot him an appreciative glance. “It will be a fight. Someone torched the house, took Leo and Elon.”

Despite the tragedy, she felt light, a weightlessness that had been lacking for a long time. Too long. She was whole again, with only minimal staining on her soul as a reminder of what she’d been through. She would work on the stain when the time came. Having Darkness inside of her had made her stronger; she’d fought a great power and won. With Morgan by her side, she would be able to accomplish anything.

“The man from before,” he said suddenly. “What did you call him?”

“Which man?”

“The Claddium big shot you wanted to destroy.”

“Oh, that’s Leo’s father, Orestes. Although I have a feeling he’s only part of the picture.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I can’t put my finger on it. I just know.” Karsia tugged Morgan to a stop. The woods around them hung heavy with snow. They stood in the middle of a clearing with trees ringing them with long snow-laden boughs.

Morgan shivered and drew Karsia close, wrapping his long arms around her frame. “Will you tell me what we’re doing? We need to get going.”

“There’s something I want to do, and I wanted you with me.” She leaned into him, rubbing her cheek against his chest. “Something to focus on instead of dwelling on this horror. The blackness of a world caught in a storm.”

He nuzzled the top of her head, happy to have her close. “I’m sure you have a few things in mind.”

“We can’t stay long. My sisters will need me, and I can’t leave them alone. We should go and check on my mother and father. Get our affairs in order.” Karsia took a step back. She motioned him away. “You may want to take a few steps in the opposite direction.”

“What are you planning?” Morgan jumped away when a faint golden glow began to emanate from her hands.

She smiled at him, the sight so lovely his breath caught in his chest. “I should have done this a long time ago.” She sighed, tilting her head as her magic came flowing back to her, cleansing her. There was no ugliness left there. She would be forever grateful she held no residual markers from her time with Darkness. She could fully embrace the light and go forward.

“Despite everything, we can be thankful for this. For this love we feel. Thankful for having the smallest opportunity to make something beautiful.”

The glow rose to encapsulate her arms, her shoulders. It flowed over her in ropes of gold to illuminate her body and melt the snow around her feet.

“Thankful for my sisters coming together. It was always meant to be the three of us standing firm.” She turned to him. “And thankful for you, Morgan. You found me when I couldn’t find myself.”

Keeping her eyes fixed on his, Karsia let her magic flow freely. From within the earth a seed took root. Helped along by her enchantment, a bud sprouted from the ground and burst through the soil. Morgan watched the great oak shoot its trunk toward the heavens in accelerated growth. Soon its trunk was silo-round.

Earth magic throbbed beneath their feet. Her gift opened and flourished until the forest around them glowed with unimaginable color.

“This tree shall be a reminder,” she told him. The branches widened and great green leaves unfurled. “It will stand, preserved forever with the strength of my magic. A totem.”

Morgan stepped forward and pressed his palm to the ever-widening trunk. “And mine. May its leaves never fade and its bark never die. The heart of this tree, my heart, will forever stand firm. A memorial to our struggle. A testament to our perseverance.”

He’d found his place at last, and he knew his life was changed forever. Instead of endless centuries alone, he would have a home. A family. Children one day.

More, he would have love surrounding him until he chose to end his days on earth. And he’d spend them with the wonderful woman staring at him through eyes of the purest blue. Deepest green. Warmest yellow. He would have her warm body by his side when he lay down at night, and her heart and goodness adding excitement to his days.

“Love,” he said firmly, “is the strongest force in the universe.”

Karsia sighed and held her hand out to him. “You really are a softie, you know that?”

He took the outstretched hand and brought it to his lips. Would he ever tire of kissing her? She shifted to lay her head on his shoulder, close her eyes, and sigh.

“As long as you don’t tell anyone.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Her arms tightened around him. Whatever happened to them, whatever they were forced to face in the days ahead, they would deal with together. It was more than she could ever ask.

He lowered his lips to her mouth and drew her into him. Took more when she hungrily offered. “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure.” Morgan smiled. “Who knows what could happen when you close your eyes?”

She did just that, and behind closed lids, she saw hope. She saw happiness. And when the vision took her, she was surprised to see a girl. A girl her own age with dusky skin, ebony hair, and eyes of blue and green and gold.

If the girl wasn’t enough to shake Karsia to her core, the scene changed and shifted. Her mother in a hospital bed. Orestes laughing. Shadowy hands reaching out from the darkness.

She didn’t want to see more. Wanted to enjoy the time she had with Morgan without the taint of the future. Despite his assurances that he would help her fight, she knew the final battle would be shared by the sisters alone. The sisters and whatever strange woman flashed across her subconscious.

And before she came to, the vision releasing her, Karsia saw fire.

 

 

 

THE END