Page 2 of Beloved Charmer

Earth magics and low-level casting were present, but nothing of any real power. Conrad wondered why the Charmer wasn't registering. Someone as powerful as he professed to be must put out strong markers, but all he could read was the basics. Master Hadden had received the name of Evan McCormick, the youngest son of Sedric McCormick, as possessing the energy of a charmer. He contacted the family, spoke with the father, Sedric, sent the agreed upon payment and set up a meeting for that evening.

Sedric assured Master Hadden that his son would be prepared and ready upon his arrival. The minute the meeting time arrived, they were on their way. They appeared outside the home within minutes with the aid of the sorcerer Batiste who,like everyone else, looked forward to an end to the curse that was slowly crippling the city.

Conrad and three others spread out and waited keeping watch as the Master and Killian entered the home. The family seemed conducive and welcoming, but it wasn’t long before Conrad and the others were called by Master Hadden to enter and join them inside.

The Master had a connection to all his members, but he possessed a special mental link with his soldiers and guards. The message was clear and urgent and indicated that the meeting was not going as well as they had assumed. They moved quickly inside and through the house to the large living area where everyone stood.

Master Hadden and Killian were up front and stood before the father Sedric who had four men standing behind him. Killian's men fanned out across the room, and Conrad joined them as did the others. The McCormick's looked concerned but not afraid which meant they had something planned.

"I have two sons, both powerful and worthy of your interest. They are capable of handling any malady that you and your coven may be experiencing." He shifted from foot to foot, all the while keeping his eyes on everyone in the room. Master Hadden was following him closely, and Conrad could feel the power building in the room.

"Evan has never shown ambition or abilities, and truth be told, he has been nothing but an embarrassment to this family. He is a useless drain on the atmosphere and not worth your time." He finished and tried to hold the Master's gaze but ultimately had to look away.

“The arrangement I made is for Evan McCormick, and I have paid you a considerable amount of money for his services.If you do not want him traveling alone, I will allow a companion of your choice to travel with him, but it is Evan that I require.” The Master was firm, but Sedric started shaking his head.

"No, no, Evan is not who you want." Sedric's tone was dismissive, and the Master's patience was running out. "My two sons, Landon and Wren, are highly trained and capable of assisting you. They deserve the recognition whereas Evan has accomplished nothing in life and at nineteen barely managed to graduate high school."

Conrad was not fully understanding the issue. Why was the father so adamantly trying to dissuade them from hiring Evan seemed strange especially after making the agreement and accepting payment. Master Hadden was not amused and was beginning to push his presence onto the man and his influence was filling the room.

"Bring me Evan McCormick." He demanded, and finally, the father seemed to be getting the message.

Sedric quickly turned to the four men standing with him and started shouting. “Show them out!”

Master Hadden responded with, “Find him and take him.”

It was a known possibility from the beginning, so when Master Hadden called the order, everyone reacted immediately, moving methodically through the home while subduing and restraining the occupants. Master Hadden was not going to leave that house without the Charmer, and he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to secure that end.

Sedric tried to backtrack as soon as he recognized that he was failing and his muscle was no match for Master Hadden."Wait!" He yelled but to no avail, his control of the situation was over, and Master Hadden was collecting what he came for.

CHAPTER TWO

Evan heard the commotion taking place inside the main house, but that was not unusual. His father had a way of infuriating people that often resulted in violence. Evan rolled over and put his back to the door of the small shed. It wasn't his business; nothing about his father was his business, which was made clear to him on a daily basis. Evan was part of the help and not part of the family. He had no power and no promise, not like Landon and Wren, who were making Sedric proud.

Even sat up and slipped on his shoes when he heard the chaos moving into the backyard. He stood and stepped back putting the cot between him and the door. Someone was approaching they weren’t rushing the shed or acting aggressively, so Evan wasn’t sure what was going on.

The knock really surprised him, and he instinctively, without thinking, said. "Come in." The man that opened the door and stepped inside scared the absolute shit out of him. His heart stopped, and he was suddenly afraid to breathe as his eyes blew wide in anticipation of some serious pain. He was tall and large in a toned, muscle-for-hire sort of way. His face was dead serious and dark as the night that surrounded them.

The man sized him up and then spoke in a tone that was as terrifying as his presence. “Are you Evan McCormick?” Evan took a deep breath and tried to shake out the fear that was consuming him before responding.

“Who’s asking?” Evan asked with just a mere hitch in his voice.

“Killian Frey.” The man responded without hesitation.

Evan was going to deny who he was, but with a name like Killian Frey, he probably didn't like playing games. "Yes." Evan told him and just left it at that and waited.

"Come with me." He said, turning back toward the door.

“I prefer to stay here, thank you.” Evan stepped back and came up against the wall of the shed. He had nowhere to run; this shed did not have a backdoor. The man turned back to regard him, and without a shred of anger, just complete sincerity, he responded.

“You can walk out of here or I will carry you out the choice is yours, but understand that you are leaving here with me.” Straight and to the point.

“I’ll walk. Being carried wouldn’t be a good look for me.” Evan answered and stepped around the cot and toward Killian.

"I agree; now follow me." Killian stepped out, and Evan followed him down the stone path and onto the back patio. There were several men there that Evan was not familiar with, but he was familiar with the four men kneeling on the bricks with their hands bound behind their backs. Sedric, Manfred, Landon, and Wren were at the mercy of these seriously large and unhappy vampires.

He noticed they were bound with iron bracelets rendering their magics useless. They were similar to the bracelet thatSedric forced Evan to wear although Evan only wore one on his left wrist and it was made of amber and steel. The amber was enchanted, and the steel made the bracelet impossible to remove.

Evan didn’t have magics or skill he simply had an effect on people and things. These effects infuriated Sedric and the family so he was bound with the amber to control him and to mute his effects. They stayed away from him for the most part because they claimed that he made them uncomfortable even with the amber inhibitor. He wished Manfred would stay away as well but that was too much to ask for apparently.

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