Page 29 of The Clash of the Damned
To the Sorcerers, a seance is taboo. We’re capable of performing them, though we pretend like we can’t. Our beliefs strictly prohibit us from the practice of anything magical interfering with the natural order of death. While our Goddess may have ties to death, her utmost desire is to let it happen naturally.
“Okay, I’ll bite. But we need to assemble the items, and it’s day time. I’ve never tried to do one during the day.”
“No need.” Remi walks over to a cabinet and collects candles, powdered calcium, a Ouija board, as well as chalk from it. “That’s all we need. The day thing is a myth, and the fact that we’re all related to Dad should be enough of an offering to encourage him to come forward.”
The twins draw a pentagram, lighting a candle at each point, and we sit in a triangle, holding hands with the board between us. “Place some of the powdered chalk on your forehead,” Remi instructs, passing the bowl around. “Between that and our relation to Dad, it should be enough to call his spirit forward. Remember every good moment you had with him. That’s important.” We are silent as we each go over our memories, and a breeze blows through the room, though all the doors are closed.
He’s here, or someone else is.
The marker on the board moves to ‘Hello,’ and my sisters and I look at each other. Yellow smoke unfurls from my Remi’s hands. “Show yourself,” she instructs the spirit, and the flickering form of Dad barely appears. He looks as I remember him. I am his twin with our shared stocky builds and dark blonde hair. Even his three piece suit could have come from my closet. I don’t cry; it’s not my thing. But at this moment, the chance I never thought I would get to see him again, I want to.
“Hello, children.” Dad’s face softens towards us as the twins’ sharp intake of breath sounds through the otherwise quiet room. “Why did you call?”
Remi, ever the brave one, takes center stage and doesn’t waste time with emotions. “We need help, Dad. The Siphoners are coming for us. You knew about them, and we know nothing. There is a war coming, and we’re already starting to lose.”
“I don’t have a lot of time. Block their magic and you’ve solved the problem. Don’t do this again. While I am at peace, knowing you have each other, I’m not the only spirit out here, and they’re not as friendly as me. I love you three.” Dimitri Hart’s spirit disappears, and the three of us sit back in shock.
“Call the other Sorcerer families, Dom,” Remi instructs. “I know what we need to do. Magic created this problem, and magic can solve it. If we can find a way to block Sloane’s ability to convert magic, she should be a normal human. But we’re going to need help. We can’t do this on our own.”
Cautious, I feel hope blossom in my chest as I listen to the seeds of the twins’ plan. “Do we trust the other empires to ask if they have anything in their records that could help?” I grimace, and they take the look on myface as confirmation to come back to this idea later. “Do you still have anything of Sloane’s?” Seeing the look on my face of disbelief, Reece hastily adds, “That’s not impossible, just more difficult. Between our history, chemistry, and a new spell or even a potion, I’m convinced we can solve this. Remember, we’re stronger together than we are apart.”
Chapter 22 | Red Flag
Dominic
With my fathers death, in the space of one moment, I went from party boy heir, to the leader of an empire and surrogate father. I don’t have time to grieve or be sad; I have a business to run and people that rely on me. Not fucking it up means more to me now than it ever did before. It’s for this reason that I couldn’t ignore her invitation and the underlying threat it involved. If there is danger on the horizon, I need to know what it could mean to my family. What’s left of it anyway.
“Mr. Hart, it’s wonderful to finally meet you.” The red head offers her hand in welcome, like we’re colleagues about to conclude a business deal. I pause, knowing that once I start working with her and accept her offer, there is no undoing it. I’m betraying everything the empires have ever known. But, if this keeps my sisters safe, I will find a way to live with it. I accept her hand, and she motions for me to take the seat opposite her.
“After my father’s passing and the challenges with inheriting my empire, I would have been a fool to ignore your message and potential dangers that come with it, even if I have…reservations.” Turning to look around the dingy coffee shop to make my point, I add, “Why here though? It seems…odd, considering the nature of our conversation.”
A server brings our coffee, and the redhead smiles at him before she answers. “Let’s discuss those reservations. I’m assuming your father told you about my kind?”
“I found his notes, but he wasn’t specific about your kind, just that there was a fifth. Your message said there was more to the Supernatural world than we thought we knew?” I have no idea why I’m spilling our secrets to a practical stranger, but she knows about the Supernatural so that’s enough for me to throw caution to the wind. She takes a long sip of her coffee. The silence after my question would make most people uncomfortable, but luckily, I’m not most. I’m willing to play her game and wait patiently if that’s what it takes. As I maintain eye contact with her, I try to ignore the beautiful hue’s of her gray eyes.
“I chose here because there is less chance you will attack me in a public setting.” Alert, I sit up, my hand at my side and magic at the ready to defend myself.
“Put your magic away, Dominic. If you can listen, instead of thinking with your ego, you will find this relationship to be quite beneficial to us both.”
I disperse my magic. “Why should I listen? Or trust you?”
“Trust has got nothing to do with it.” Disbelief colors my face. In response, her hand moves and glows slightly, magic crackling around us for those that know what it feels like. I feel my magic draining before she lifts her hand and creates a small flame in it. “You felt your magic leave. Believe me now?”
“You’re asking me to abandon everything I’ve ever known as our truth and accept the truth of a virtual stranger. Most people wouldn’t be handling this as well as I am.”
“You’re not like most people, Dominic.” She finishes her coffee. “We have that in common. I’m Supernatural, like you. Except, I’m a Siphoner; we’rethe fifth, the fifth family more specifically. We were created first, not the Undead, but we were seen as a failed experiment. Our two families have remained connected, a topic for another day, but I would like to continue that arrangement if you’re willing.”
My fingers tighten around my mug, the people around us irrelevant as I learn this life changing news. “No, we’re doing this now. If we’re working together, I need to know what I’m getting involved with.”
“Very well.” She tilts her head towards me in respect. “Your family and mine have an arrangement. One I would like to continue after your father’s untimely death. I believe it will benefit us both.”
The shock must show in my face as she continues laying out her terms. “My kind are coming for the rest of the empires. There is no stopping that. While I can’t guarantee all the Sorcerer’s will come out alive, I can help protect your sisters. How does that sound?” I want to ask if there is another way, but I don’t, since my sisters and their safety is at risk. Resigned, I accept her offer.
Instinct drives me into the office that was once Dad’s and is now mine. I haven’t been able to pack his stuff away yet, and now, as I hunt through his things, I’m relieved there is one less thing to do. I throw his boxes behind me as I look for his notes on the Siphoners.
Except, I can’t find them.
Sloane taking those notes with her before she left is exactly the kind of thing she would do. Of course she knew about them, even though I hid them from her. How many hours did she have to search our estate on her own? And she would have been able to siphon any spells I set. Even as I try to shake off the ghost of her memory, I can’t help but miss her. Everything she’s done, from the moment we met to our fake engagement, means I should hate her, but I don’t.
