Chapter 7

"Burke Devlin" Amy said to herself, her fingers touching the Magician card. Then her mind was flooded with images of the man as others had known him.

Burke was only lately a warlock, but just as he, having been born poor, had managed to make a fortune as great or greater than the Collinses, so he, a late coming warlock, had accumulated more power than Nicholas... Enough to return from death, seeking revenge.

Elsa was important to him. Not as a lover, as Vicky had, but as a source of power, given their past connection.

Devlin should not be allowed to put his hands on Elsa again... And for that she was willing to bring Elsa into the labyrinth and use her as a trap for Devlin.

Or, if all else failed, kill her.

It was imperative that Burke did not get hold of Elsa, for if he did, there would be no stopping him. She would save Elsa, if he could. But first and foremost, she would stop Devlin,.

She saw Barnabas by her side, and decided that it was better that he did not know of her decision.

"You may be needed by Frances and Edmund. They will be trying to bring Elsa in. They can use your strength."

Did he guess? She hoped not. She did not want to start an argument with him, given how fond he was of the girl...

She saw him go and turned to the severed head.

"Maybe that is the difference between you and I," she said to it "We may do the same things, when there is no other choice, but I don't glory in it, and seek to avoid it, if I can."

A weak chuckle came from the dying lips " You'll get used to it. You'll get used to the power and love using it. And one day you will think back of what you said today, and call yourself a fool."

"It is not that!"

"It is that way. It has always been that way. Your are not weak. You are one of the strong ones. Accept your heritage! Restore our line! Train not the children of your body, whom you can't kill if they are weak in the craft, but take a slave to instruct. We had a glorious reign, and you can bring it back again!"

"Your time is gone, and you are dying. You are the last one to remember that time. When you die, it will be gone."

"It will come back. I may die and be forgotten, but it will be back."


"He said that?" Howard was shocked, or at least appeared to be. "Did he really say that to you?"

"Yes." he called me in.," Yegor said "He said he wanted to discuss the Youth Association. And then he said it, that it would be disbanded, and that would be it. But that he might reconsider if we... shifted allegiance."

Howard stared at the young man, wondering whether it was true or false. Had George actually made such a move? Or were these overeager young me goading him into taking a step from which he still shrank?

The young man knew that Howard could guess that he was lying, but also knew that Howard wanted to be deceived. It was not the truth what Howard wanted, but an excuse to throw out his unrealistic restraint based on personal fondness. He yearned to throw away those sentimental shackles and deal with the enemy as he always meant to.

"Continue" Howard said "How it was to be reorganized after it shifted allegiance?"

"I could have the top job and be seemingly independent. But he meant to keep me on a string, until he was sure of my loyalty."

"And how would he be sure of your loyalty?"

"I would have to sleep with him." the youth said, blushing, just as if such a proposition had been made. "there would be pictures of it, and he would keep them, so as to keep me in line... and..." let's make it real bad. Let's goad Howard into a mental scenario where rage would overwhelm his judgment "I might bring others to him."

It worked. The blood drained off Howard's face. He forgot how unlikely it was, he forgot all he knew about George, and how they had once been friends. He only saw his young men degraded for George's pleasure..

And Derek... Derek, with no Roxanne to keep check on him would ravage the young women and sell them into prostitution...

They would do it. Unless he stopped them.

He had hesitated, but no more. He had to get rid of George and Derek, before they moved against him.

Howard felt this urge, a red wave that crashed through his throat into his teeth. He swallowed and he grew more drunk with it. He wanted it. He wanted George Brant dead, swinging from the lampposts. He wanted Derek dead, and if Patterson fought it, he would die too... He and Roxanne would be alone at last.

And above them, invisible to their eyes, a face looked at them, amused. Kira Petofi, summoned from the dead, to lead another band of children into a murderous frenzy.


It was happening. Nicholas smiled. In spite of his weakness, he had summoned Kira Petofi and she had come.

The hour of triumph was at hand. It would start here, at the egg, and burnt through Collinsport, through Maine, though the entire United States

His weakness did not matter. The questions about Roxanne did not matter. Vassily's enemies were about to kill each other. After that he would summon Vassily and Nastassia back, let them reclaim their kingdom and reward him...

...Or not... for in spite of all, the fear did not leave Nicholas Blair. A voice kept asking him if he could trust the stranger who offered him power and then took it away? Why did he not show himself? Did he meant to reward him? Or just to make use of him and then throw him away?

Or worse, what if this new master was an old enemy of his... he had had so many...


The head was not still dead. While it lived the Petofis had power, and Kira and Vassily could make their friends kill each other.

It would die soon, but not yet. And the rules prevented Amy from hastening that death. If she did, the consequences could be devastating...

She hoped that Edmund, Frances, and Barnabas could bring Elsa in before Burke got hold of her...

The head laughed at her. "I am not dying fast enough for you am I?"

"Hope you do, or the Petofis will claim you again."


Kira danced over her devotees, naked. The dance of Kali, the dance of death. He let them into a frenzy of destruction, they own as well as that of their enemies. They did not care whose blood flowed on the streets as long as there was blood...

Pulled by Kira's invisible leash they went to rescue Roxanne, believing that they were led by Howard. And Howard believed it too.

George saw them coming and braced himself, This was what they had been expecting, what he had hoped did not come to pass.

This is how he would die...

He pushed back all regrets of not seeing Collinsport, nor Barnabas, nor Georgina again. All he could do was fight hard, and show them that he was not easy to kill...

"We have come to take Mrs. Pearce with us." Howard said.

George looked at him, thing to contain the rage that was mounting on him. To end this way... Why had he ever trusted, even befriended a killer like Howard? "She is not going."

"Let her go or we'll kill you."

George pointed his gun at him. "I will not be the only one to die. These are your children, Howard. How can you justify it to yourself leading them to their deaths?"

"We are here of our own free will" Yegor said.

"Don't do it!" Roxanne hollered from her cell. "Don't kill each other! It is Vassily, don1t you see? He wants us to do this!

She kept hollering, telling them that they were being manipulated. She said that Frances was not dead, that she would come back.

But Kali danced over their heads and they did not listen.

Derek and Patterson stood behind George, their guns ready.

"If it is a fight they want, a fight we will give them" said Derek, as he felt a surge of self-righteousness as he had never known before...


Elsa stared at the small whirlwind that that formed on the street.

It had come out of nowhere and now it stood in front of her. It was a small one, and carried only small particles in its way. But it was growing, and coming towards her.

"That is Burke coming for her!" Edmund shouted.

"Yes." Barnabas said. "If it touches her, she will be carried away."

"Run! Elsa, Run!" Frances shouted. "Come to us! We will protect you!"