Chosen Chapter 17: War of the Wizards

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As the afternoon sun began to set, Violet Morgan stood in front of a large window overlooking the San Francisco Bay. It had been three days since she had been captured by Ambrose and she felt like a bird in a golden cage in his mansion. She was surrounded by luxury and was unharmed, but she was still a prisoner. She wondered how her friends were doing and if they were even still alive. A gleeful Harper had informed Violet that her father had released the virus, meaning that the entire magical community was in danger of extinction. Only those with wizard blood were immune.

Violet turned from the window and sat down on the bed. During her dream, Merlin had told her she was in the right place and that the answer was close. There had to be a way to help her friends, though she would never find it trapped in this bedroom. Frustrated, she threw a pillow across the room, just as the door opened. Ramsey entered the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

"Hi." Ramsey said.

"Hi." Violet said surprised, as she had not seen him since her capture. "What are you doing here?"

"Father should be home soon. He wants you to attend dinner." Ramsey replied. "He said to pick a dress from the closet."

"Why would he expect me to have dinner with him?" Violet asked. "He's a monster. His virus is killing people as we speak."

"I know." Ramsey admitted with a look of shame.

"Why are you working for him?" Violet asked. "I can see you don't agree with him."

"I asked him to stop." Ramsey admitted. "But he wouldn't listen. I tried to…"

"Did he hurt you?" Violet asked.

"No, he wouldn't do that." Ramsey replied. "He loves his children, just in a different way. He doesn't like it when people disagree with him."

"He is a tyrant, Ramsey." Violet said. "He only cares about power. His children are just pawns to him."

"No, that's not true." Ramsey said angrily. "He cares. He has to. After everything I've…"

Violet noticed a tremble in his hands as he fell silent and looked away. Violet realized he was struggling with the choices he made and that he felt regret. He wanted to please his father, though he was also afraid. At that moment, Violet realized that she wasn't the only prisoner there.

"After everything you've done for him." Violet finished his sentence. "You created a virus that could wipe out the magical community. All for him."

"It was never meant to be released." Ramsey admitted with tears in his eyes.

"Ramsey, listen to me." Violet said as she walked over and took his hand. "It's not too late. We can still fix this. We can work together."

"No, we can't." Ramsey replied. "If he finds out about…"

"About what?" Violet asked.

"No, I can't be talking to you about this." Ramsey said as he pulled away. "You have to get ready for dinner."

Ramsey quickly left the bedroom. Violet picked up the pillow from the floor with a newfound determination. Ramsey was hiding something, even from his father. That secret could potentially save her friends. It had to be the answer she was looking for and why Merlin had told her she was in the right place. This fight wasn't over yet, and she had a dinner to get ready for.

Xxx

A soft breeze passed through the Enchanted Forest, which was eerily quiet and gloom. The beautiful flowers that were once tended to by Nymphs had withered and lost their color. A puff of smoke appeared and formed into Billie Jenkins and Nick Ross. Billie looked around and felt saddened by the state of the forest, a result of the virus that had been sweeping through the magical community. It had already taken dozens of lives, despite everyone's best efforts to stop it from spreading and heal those infected.

"Should we really be here?" Nick asked as he covered his mouth. "The virus was released here, right?"

"The potions Duncan brew should protect us for the time being." Billie replied. "They were based on recipes from the wisest Witch Doctors and Soothsayers."

"Still, it feels like tempting fate." Nick noted.

"No place is really safe." Billie said. "The virus is spreading quicker than anyone could have anticipated. The Elders have sealed off Magic School and ordered Whitelighters to remain in the Heavens, which means it falls to us to find a solution."

"I don't want to die because of some stupid virus." Nick replied. "I'd rather go down fighting."

"Don't talk like that." Billie said. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't." Nick said confidently.

"Of course." Billie said as she pulled herself together. "We'll get through this."

"It's alright to be scared, you know." Nick said. "I know you want to stay tough in front of the others, but it's just the two of us."

Billie looked at Nick and realized how much she cared about him. He was right about her putting on a brave face in front of the others, she always felt like she had to be the strong one. It was the same as Nick acting like a jerk most of the time, to hide that he is really vulnerable and sweet underneath. They were similar in that sense, they had both built walls around themselves. Billie hugged Nick tightly and stared into his eyes, which led to a passionate kiss.

"It's weird how well you know me after such a short amount of time." Billie said with a smile.

"I just paid attention." Nick replied. "I never felt like this about anyone before."

"And how do you feel?" Billie asked teasingly.

"Don't make me say it. You know I don't like it." Nick replied annoyed. "Fine, I love you."

"I love you too." Billie said.

"Good to know." Nick remarked. "So let's get this over with so we can get out of here. Why did we come here in the first place?"

"I was hoping to find something." Billie replied. "Anything really. People are dying and Violet is still a prisoner. I feel useless."

"You're not useless." Nick said. "You've been helping everyone get to safety. Hope, Tyler, the Charmed Ones. They're safe because of you."

"For now." Billie replied. "Unless we find a way to stop the virus, it's all for nothing."

Billie noticed something lying on the ground. Pieces of glass that were once the vial containing the virus. Ambrose had released it right here. She resented him, how could someone be so cruel in his reach for power? He didn't even have the excuse of being a demon. He was a wizard, not that different from witches or even mortals. Only a few people in the course of history had ever been so evil. It made her determined to stop him. She would not admit defeat to such a tyrant.

"We should get out here, Billie." Nick said.

"You're right, there's nothing here that can help." Billie replied.

"I wouldn't be so sure." A voice sounded.

Billie turned around and saw a young man stepping out from the shadows. He had wavy black hair and was entirely dressed in black. When Nick saw the man, he turned pale and trembled in anger.

"You!" Nick screamed. "You killed my mother!"

Nick charged at the man, though before he could land a punch, the man repelled him with a concussive blast of energy. Billie held out her hand and telekinetically pinned the man against a tree. She knew who he was, Nomed, a demon that previously worked for the Triad. He had worked with the Charmed Ones during the Ultimate Battle.

"Give me one good reason not to snap your neck." Billie warned him.

"I came to talk." Nomed replied. "About the wizards and the virus."

"Don't listen to that son of a bitch." Nick said as he got back on his feet.

"Nick, wait." Billie replied. "He had no reason to show himself unless it was important."

"I don't care, he killed my mom." Nick argued. "I want him dead!"

"Quite a temper." Nomed remarked. "Better get that under control before it gets you killed."

"Shut up." Billie said as she increased her telekinetic hold and slowly crushed him. "You said you wanted to talk about the virus, so talk. Why do you even care?"

"In case you forgot, demons are magical beings too." Nomed replied. "The virus targets all of us."

"Good." Nick remarked. "At least one benefit."

"I hope you're more reasonable than that, Miss Jenkins." Nomed said. "You know the stakes."

"Talk faster, you're losing my interest." Billie replied.

"I want to work together to stop Ambrose." Nomed said. "I can offer information and demons to aid you in the fight. That wizard and his virus threaten to destroy both sides. The Grand Design will be thrown off balance."

"What do you have so far?" Billie asked.

"Not much, but I keep an ear to the ground." Nomed replied.

"He's worthless." Nick said as he glared at the demon. "Just let me kill him."

"Nick, I know how you feel, but we need every advantage we can get, no matter how wrong it feels." Billie admitted. "This is about everyone's survival."

"Fine." Nick called out. "Just get him out of my face."

Nick walked away to get some distance. Billie released Nomed and he rose with a smug smile that made her want to punch him in the face. It felt wrong to work with a demon, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Nomed reached into his pocket and revealed a small black crystal, which he handed to Billie.

"It's a communication crystal." Nomed explained.

"I'm familiar with them." Billie said. "I'll call you if we need anything. Let me know if you learn anything new."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you." Nomed replied.

Nomed tilted his head and disappeared in a shimmer. Billie felt a chill run down her spine. The moment this battle was over, she and Nick would vanquish that demon for all the horrible things he had done. She just hoped they could find a way to actually end it, as things were looking pretty desperate at the moment.

Xxx

In the ruins of Atlantis, Duncan walked through an encampment filled with various magical beings. Prince Emyr had allowed those infected by the virus to take refuge at the island for treatment and to contain the spread. Duncan couldn't just sit at home and wait, so he had decided to help out by handing out water and blankets. It was horrifying to see the results of the virus, but he wanted to help every way he could.

After handing out the last blankets, Duncan heard a heated discussion coming from the main tent in front of the grand tower. He entered the tent and saw Arthur and the prince standing face to face around a table. Arthur was clearly upset, while Emyr seemed impatient with him. Duncan could already guess what the discussion was about.

"With all due respect, we need the other wizards to fight Ambrose." Arthur argued.

"My people have been through enough." Emyr countered. "I'm not freeing them in this chaos. They need time to mourn and adjust. I won't plunge them in the middle of a war."

"But they're immune to the virus." Arthur said. "All wizards are. We need to defeat Ambrose and…"

"And free Violet. I know." Emyr finished with a frown. "You're not thinking clearly. We need to think about the greater good, which means not taking unnecessary risks."

"Guys, calm down." Duncan said. "I could hear you from outside."

"Duncan, what are you doing here?" Arthur asked surprised as he turned around. "The virus…"

"I wanted to help." Duncan replied.

"That's noble, but also very dangerous." Emyr said. "You're part of the Chosen. We can't risk you being infected."

"Guys, don't worry." Duncan said as he astral projected from one side of the tent to another. "Only my astral form is here, my physical body is safe back home."

"Alright." Emyr noted.

"And what about Violet?" Arthur snapped at the prince. "She's Chosen as well, but you don't seem to care that my father has her."

"Of course I care." Emyr said. "But we need to be smart. If we rush in with an army of wizards, Ambrose will surely kill her."

"The prince is right, Arthur." Duncan said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "We all want her back, but we need a solid plan."

"I… I guess you're right." Arthur admitted after a moment.

"You need to rest. You look exhausted." Duncan said. "Go grab an empty tent and sleep for a few hours."

"You sound like Violet." Arthur replied.

"Then listen to me." Duncan insisted.

Arthur contemplated his words and finally gave in. He gave Duncan a quick hug and whispered thanks before leaving the tent. Duncan turned to the prince, who sat down in a chair relieved that the discussion had ended for the time being.

"Thank you." Emyr said.

"He is really worried about Violet." Duncan said. "We all are."

"Of course. I share your concern." Emyr replied. "But Violet is not the only thing we need to worry about. The virus is spreading at an alarming rate. If this continues, the entire magical community will be wiped out in a matter of weeks."

"What can we do?" Duncan asked.

"We need a cure or at least a way to stop it from spreading." Emyr said. "The Elders have sent a sample to Magic School for testing, but they haven't found anything yet."

"The same goes for the mayor and her scientists." Duncan said. "Murphy is keeping us updated."

"I wish there was more we could do." Emyr admitted. "But I have my hands full here with the refugees and keeping my own people safe."

"How are your people?" Duncan asked.

"They are still petrified but safe." Emyr replied. "I placed a protection spell around the tower. As I told Arthur, I won't bring them back in this chaos."

"I get it." Duncan said. "Have you found any loved ones?"

"Not yet." Emyr admitted. "I can't afford the time to search."

"Don't you want to know?" Duncan asked.

"Of course I do." Emyr replied. "But I am prince to all my people. I must put their collective safety first and not be distracted by personal feelings. I need to stay strong."

"I can't even imagine the burden you carry." Duncan said.

"Of course you can." Emyr replied. "That is why you are here helping those poor souls. As part of the Chosen, you carry that responsibility."

"You're right." Duncan admitted. "We will do whatever it takes to stop Ambrose."

Feeling that his body was getting tired, Duncan said goodbye to the prince and astral projected home. He woke up in his bed and stared at the ceiling. They would find a way to stop the virus and defeat Ambrose, though it would be the hardest fight of their lives. Emyr was right, they needed to put the magical community first. He was just worried about what the cost would be.

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