Chapter Fourteen:

The Final Countdown

Tara Lynn continued to progress in ways that were awe-inspiring for every single one of us. She was developing like a normal human baby would in the way of physical attributes. It was her mental and magical development that was stunning everyone into silence time and time again. In the few weeks or so that she had been alive, she managed to learn so much about everyone and, while she couldn't speak, her understanding was phenomenal. Ben and I were trying to help her control herself when it came to her powers and it was easier for her to learn than it was when I gave it a go. She still shocked people when they said a bad word, so everyone avoided upsetting her for fear they were going to be sent flying across the room only to end up paralyzed. Occasionally, she'd slip up and misuse her gifts, but it was normally the simple things. If her father or I said we wanted something, it would suddenly appear within reach and we'd have to scold her. It wasn't easy reprimanding a baby that couldn't even walk yet. Nonetheless, we had to do it. We knew the brevity of the situation and she had to learn it wasn't good to treat her powers with such indifference.

She wasn't the only one that needed to learn. Each day, I inched myself away from my separation anxiety and was gradually able to be away from Tara longer. I could see her and watch over her from afar and that would have to do. After the first two weeks, Damon decided that it would be best if we got out of the house at least once a day. There were plenty of strong, capable bodyguards in the house to protect our little one, so we could leave for a couple hours and it would help everyone out. After that, Damon towed me out of the house for a short amount of time seven days a week and distanced us from the property by at least a few miles, but we stayed close enough in case we were needed.

It was on one of these trips that we were now enjoying the mid-January afternoon. The air was crisp, delectable in the way it carried so much of its surroundings—the pine trees clean aroma, the squirrels hibernating in their little notches, and the owl that insisted on letting everyone know it had gone to sleep and would not be disturbed. The snow beneath our feet crunched like M&M's, without the chocolaty deliciousness that I no longer cared for so much. It was beautiful, but I still wanted to be at home holding my newborn, watching her experience the world hour by hour and minute by minute. What use to me were the air, the pine trees, the squirrels, the owl, and the snow without her here to share in the experience with me? I had already seen all of these things before and I wanted to be with her.

All of a sudden, the phone rang and the first thing that came into my mind was that something had happened to our little girl. Damon took it out of his pocket and reluctantly brought the dreaded technology to his ear. "Yes, what do you want?" Oh, no. His expression changed from indifference to apprehension and he hastily stowed away the object and bolted through the forest back the way we had come.

I chased after him, unaware of what had occurred but wishing it had nothing to do with our baby. It wasn't long before I caught up with him and, shortly after that, we were home again. "What is it?" I breathed harshly.

Alphaeus. We rushed inside and everyone was instantly on the alert.

"What's happened?" Patrick inquired just as bleakly.

"Listen up, guys!" Damon called for their attention, rounding up the werewolves, vampires, and witches that were present—only our human player, Ian, was absent. Once they were all sitting around where he stood in the middle of the living room, he continued, "Alphaeus has been spotted outside of town in an abandoned house just off the highway. According to my source, he hasn't been here long, but there is a large possibility that he'll be coming directly in to town sometime soon. He's not alone. His numbers have grown at least half a dozen times what we had anticipated. We don't know much of the specifics, but we can assume they have some creatures we're not prepared to handle. What we do know is that we need to start knuckling down." He turned to my best friend. "Witchy, call up Ian and get his A-word over here." Then he switched his attention to Patrick. "Alpha dog, reset the perimeter and go with Strategy B. We need to lead these suckers to our own turf. Hopefully, they'll take the bait." Then he turned to me. "Evie—"

I vigorously shook my head. "Don't even think about making me stay behind. I know how to hold my own in a fight, so don't call me inexperienced either. Just let me in on this plan of yours and I'll do my part." I was going to sock the man in the neck and let him choke on his vocal chords.

Ben chuckled at the image and spoke his mind. "Why don't you stick with Cal? He'll watch out for you, won't you Cal? Someone needs to protect our most important player."

I hate you. "Yeah, I'll take out the big ones for you. We could use you on the field."

"No," Damon contradicted. "You're with me." Obviously. "Cal, just keep to the strategy and we'll be fine." There's no way I'm letting him within two inches of you. Not again.

I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arm around his waist. "Sure thing, honey. You and me."

Good. He smiled before he looked back to the others. "It's go time. Get to it and remember the signal. We need to make sure this works out. Until Alphaeus gets here, we're going to be at our stations around the clock. You need a break, you call one of us and wait until we can get there before you leave your post. This is war, people. No one's gonna slip under the radar while we're still breathing. Now get outta here. I don't want to see your ugly mugs until the time is right." He copied my pose, taking my waist and rushed out the backdoor to the backyard.

We stopped just short of the marble fountain, too frozen to function. Together, we sat on the bench across the way and waited for Damon to speak. He had something on his mind, I could tell even without my mindreading abilities, but this was something he had to say out loud.

"You can't come with us," he finally whispered.

"And why the heck not?"

He stared me down. "I can't lose you, Evie. I won't. I know you keep saying that you need to be out there, but I need you right where you are now, in one piece."

I didn't want to be insensitive, but as I had explained a hundred times already I wasn't about to get benched. "Ben and Rose have taught me a lot over the past few weeks. I'm really getting the hang of this, and I'm not just saying that for your benefit. I'm going to be in this. No offense, but I grew up here and these are my people even if I can't show my face around town anymore. I won't leave them while I'm perfectly capable of taking down some vampires. If we don't, we can't know what will happen, but it's not going to be good." Although, I may end up brainwashed and start sucking people dry alongside the enemy for the rest of eternity. That'll be fun… My Alphaeus nightmare from way back was practically branded into my head and no matter what I did it wouldn't leave. Either way, I wouldn't be dead, right?

"You won't even consider it?"

I tenderly caressed his cheek with my fingertips and pressed my lips to his. As I pulled away, I shook my head.

He sighed a thousand complaints into the air, turning the sweet smell into a bitter crabapple no one likes biting into. "You drive me crazy, you know that?"

Leaning against his side, feeling his arms cradle around me, I replied, "You wouldn't love me otherwise." He worried too much about aspects of life he couldn't always control, but desperately desired to. Often times, he would go to the most extreme measures, like this. He'd rather lock me up in a tower than let me fight for myself, but I understood why. I never enjoyed Damon going out and risking his neck for me, so it wasn't that hard to switch the roles and imagine how concerned he was for my safety.

Without any further discussion, we lounged on the frigid, uncomfortable bench and that's the last thing I remember.

Minutes seemed to pass before I awoke from what I thought was a dreamless sleep. Damon conveyed his surprise and both of us wondered how I could have slept at all out there, especially since the day was only half over. I merely shrugged off the feeling and led the way inside.

Ben met us at the door and had his arms out to me before I could understand what was happening.

In an instant, I dropped into his waiting arms like I suddenly hadn't any bones to keep me standing. The moment our skin touched, it all came rushing back to me. The images flipped through my head like the pages of an instruction manual, but it all made sense to me somehow. The first few were ingredients for a spell, some herbs, matches, a bowl, and the blood of a pure witch. Next came the image of an old, leather-bound book with Greek letters and a pentagram on the front. The last of these was a woman standing before the altar where Ben and I stood, performing the ritual.

Damon scooped me up and placed me on the couch as I came to.

I immediately glanced over at Ben when I could finally see and gave him a nod. He understood what I needed him to do and left on a retrieval mission.

Once he was gone, my husband knelt by my side. "What was that about? Are you okay?" It seemed like I couldn't go five minutes without hearing the worry in his voice. His wasn't like most. He would morph into the 7th grade History teacher who was wondering where you left your paper on the Revolutionary War, serious and unwavering.

"Yes, I'm okay." I didn't continue until a couple minutes later when Ben returned from Rose's room with the woman herself and the supplies we needed. He cleared off one of the end tables and organized everything around the metal bowl he placed in the center. Then he came over to me and kept me standing up until I was sure I could stay upright on my own. "In ancient times, during the creation of the first vampires, there were many more monsters born by God including the world's Original Witch. God cast these children into the light of day and, according to the counsel of God, she was sent forth to walk among the pureblood humans until the day that her deed was done and God called her back home. Before the Original Witch returned to the council of Heaven, she stayed on the Earth for thousands upon thousands of years."

"Whoa. Hold on," Damon called out as he remained by the couch and got to his feet. "How do you know all that?"

"I don't know. I just do. Since those pictures collided into me, I suddenly know a lot of things and it all makes sense now." Like why I'd ever walk down the street with Alphaeus and… Yuck. It wasn't telling me a possible outcome of my future. The dream was telling why she had to come back. Sariah. I opened the book to the page I knew would have the words and began chanting as I placed bladder wrack, white willow, althea root, and wormwood one by one into the bowl. The last ingredient I required couldn't come from me, though. The blood had to come from a pure witch, which I was not. I peered down at the dagger on the table and, picking it up, I turned to Ben.

His arm was already out and waiting, his wrist now directly over the bowl.

I skimmed the surface of his flesh, avoiding major arteries, and let the ruby droplets drip overtop the plants. Part of me craved the lollipop red liquid, but it was a considerably small part that was easily stomped out. I used the blade to mix the bowl full of interesting odors and lit a match, dropping it as I finished the ritual.

Immediately following the final words, the entire house shook as smoke rose from the bowl. Those who were presently inside stumbled about and clung to the floor or pieces of furniture. Grandma Rose, Ben, and Damon, but not me. I was somehow able to stay erect as the black smog enveloped me prior to shoving its way into my body through my mouth and nostrils. The ebony ash burned up my nose and up into my brain, encasing it until it eventually just took over.

When my eyes next opened, it was upon someone else's command.

The ground had ceased quaking by then and Damon slowly rose once more to a standing position. "Evie?"

"Sorry, no," my voice answered. "My name is Sariah. Evie was kind enough to lend me her body until her debt was settled."

"Where's Evie?!" he demanded.

She smiled. "She's here, Damon. I've only taken over the wheel for a while. She's still in the passenger's seat." She glanced down at Grandma Rose and Ben and helped each of them up, but quickly returned to speaking. "You and I have a common goal. We both want to see the poser Alphaeus's head on a spike."

Damon eyed her suspiciously and crossed his arms. "Oh, really? We want him dead because he's gonna turn the world to fig pudding. Why do you want his black light snuffed out?" His pointed pupils hovered over the form of his possessed wife.

Sariah could see my thoughts as well as Damon's and knew he would be no easy feat. "I have a score to settle, just like he has a score to settle with you for killing his sister." The corner of her lips turned up. "Nice job, by the way. Cerebella was a whore if I ever saw one."

"Ah huh." Damon pursed his lips and the depth of his brow plummeted, overshadowing his beautiful, blue eyes.

"I know you don't trust, and that's okay. I don't need your trust, but I do need your werewolves. While I am perfectly capable of tearing that abomination to shreds on my own, I rather not damage this vessel. I'm sure that's something you can appreciate."

"So you're not immortal?" She can't keep Evie safe?

"Not in that way. This is still her body. I am merely the consciousness of my former self. I brought with me my knowledge, my powers, and my memories, but when Evie and Ben called me from the Spirit realm they left behind a body of my own. That's why I need her and why I'd prefer to do this with you instead of doing so alone." She wasn't making the sale at this point. "If it will help, I will ensure your wife's safety."

He nodded, his jaw locked in place. If he did anything to Sariah, it would only be hurting me and that would be counterproductive. "Fine." That was his "I really hate what you're up to but I'll pretend I'm okay with it" word. Not likely.

With a sigh, she took a piece of paper from the pocket of my jeans and waved her palm over it, and then she handed it to Damon.

"What's this?" he inquired half-heartedly.

"That is the exact time and location this battle will be taking place. Be prepared and say your goodbyes while you still have enough breath to say them." She sensed a darkness within him and stepped closer. Without his consent, she grabbed his arm and placed one hand on the wound that no longer showed itself to human eyes.

"What are you doing?" These were the last words he would be able to say for a minute or two.

Her palm glowed brighter than the light of the sun and a black poison rose up from his blood cells like oil in water. Then she thought a word in our collective mind, a word that sucked the harmful substance from his arm and evaporated it into the air.

As she leeched the poison from the wound, he held back a cry of pain that would have deafened the ears of anyone within a mile of that house. Way back, my best friend Tara had turned into a werewolf and bit him, a simple gnawing motion that sent him into a state that could only be subsided and never cured, at least not by our methods. Thanks to her, any remnant of werewolf venom was gone.

"Your blood is now pure." Pivoting on the heel of our shoe, we left into the backyard after gesturing for Ben to follow leaving Damon to stare at his arm in wonder.

In the garden, she had many things to discuss with the primary witch and warlock of the group. She had to be sure their strategy was solid and, seeing as I knew nothing of their plans, she couldn't merely critique them based on knowledge she could easily access. Ben told her everything she wanted to know because he trusted his predecessor. His lineage could be traced all the way back to her, and for that purpose they shared a familial bond, much like mine and his. It was easy for him to speak with her as long as she looked like me. Other topics were discussed, questions answered, and not all of them pertained to the battle directly. Some were merely ideas that could possibly aid the outcome to turn in our favor. Sariah enjoyed speaking with Ben. She could see his potential to do much good in the world and knew that at least he would be fighting in her name, the name of justice and all things pure. He was a true warrior of God.

Once their magical matters were settled, she excused herself and stayed behind in the meeting place. She could feel a pair of eyes watching her every move from the upstairs window and felt a pang of guilt for taking me as her vessel. I had been a willing customer, but not all parties had been given consent and that was something she was going to regret for a while yet.

Sariah sat on the edge of the fountain and touched the ice with the tip of her finger, turning it back to its original state. The water acted as a mirror and reflective surfaces such as these gave sight to a person's true form. In this case, she was able to speak to me directly as she beheld my countenance in the clear substance. "Hello, Evelyn. I wanted to talk with you."

I shrugged. "It's not like I'm currently busy or anything. Shoot."

"With your permission, I would like to retrieve something. It will take some time and we won't return until an hour prior to the battle's commencement." Her tone was kind, like a loving mother who only desired her child's happiness.

"Sure. What will we be getting on this adventure quest?"

"A sword that has long since been buried. It is my companion and I will need it if I'm going to bring forth the entirety of my abilities."

I looked past her to my husband who was peering down at us from his window. He couldn't see me, only an Original Witch talking to herself. "Shouldn't we tell the others first?"

"Of course," Sariah agreed readily. "I will let your friend know and he will share the news of our departure with everyone else. We must leave quickly if we are going to get back in time."

I thought of my baby that was asleep upstairs, completely unaware that anything was different. "Okay."

"Alright, then. Let's go." She gracefully rose from her perch by the fountain and we ventured into the house to relay our plans. Then we took off towards the East in search of this mystical companion sword that she seemed to love so much. All the while, I wished that we could go back and say goodbye to my husband. He shouldn't have to worry. I would apologize once this was all over, and I would survive this so I could get the chance.

Without delay, we raced across the terrain until we reached the coast. From there, we swam across the Atlantic all the way to the island those British people referred to as England. Then on to the outskirts of a town called Lutterworth where a mausoleum was built for the Lockwood family. All of this took about two days. The weight of a second consciousness took its toll on our speed and it took nearly twice as long to arrive at that precise location.

Why here? I asked. It seemed like an odd place for someone like her to stash such a "valuable" object.

"After I was called back to heaven, my body was left to lie on the ground where I had been standing on January 26th, 1592. On the travels of a young man by the name of William from town to his home in the country, he happened upon my remains and took the sword from my cold, dead fingers. The sword changed hands many times after that until a man named Wilfred Lockwood asked that the blade be buried with him as one of his possessions for the afterlife. It's been here ever since." Her memories soaked into my head and I saw all the names of the people who had touched the hilt of that legendary blade.

So you think it's still here? Ever heard of grave robbers?

She laughed. "The power of my magic still reminiscent in the metal prevents malicious figures from touching it. If they have ill intent, such as robbing, it would kill them instantly." She acted like this should have been obvious for someone of my background, like I was so careful with all of my possessions.

Instantly? That's a bit harsh for picking up a sword. In other words, no. I didn't hex every piece of jewelry or gift I'd ever gotten. It didn't seem normal.

"I protect my things well," she clarified as we stood in the shadow of the mausoleum.

For a while, we stood there and she allowed me to take in my surroundings. I guess it was just like any other cemetery, they all seem to look alike, but it was very secure. We had arrived around twilight on the 24th, almost a couple days since I was in Wolfcrest. The full moon was two days away, but it still managed to light up the murky colored grass with its vibrant shine. The weather was clear, no scary movie fog or anything of the sort. It was just peaceful, the silence before the storm.

The decent sized mausoleum that sat in front of us was tall, at least taller than the willow tree planted beside it and probably just as old, like many of the grave markers and statues that adorned the place. It made sense since, according to Sariah, it had been around for centuries. The roof was a dome, unlike the other few that stood nearby, and the pillars went all around the building instead of merely at the front. Because of this odd shape, the wrought iron double doors were rounded. It was on those doors that the name of Lockwood was welded on. Surrounding the letters was a pattern of leaves that resembled the kind found with mistletoe around Christmas. It was odd to see something so festive on a place that meant death had conquered the lives of many. Then again, it all seemed odd to me to keep bodies lying around in such an expensive tomb. For me, putting them in a box and burying also seemed like a bit much, but I guess it was more a ceremonial thing for the families.

It didn't take long for me to get bored. I was tired of standing around. We needed to get back so I could join the action. I wasn't about to miss it now. Well, what are you waiting for? Let's crack this walnut.

Sariah stepped forward a foot and held up our left palm. With a simple thought, the door exploded right off its hinges and plummeted to the ground a few yards away.

Nice job.

"Thanks." She entered the large structure and looked at the marble coffin within, her voice echoing in the cavernous place.

There were torches by the doorway and sconces all around, but we didn't need light to see thanks to my vampire vision. I could tell how odd it was for her to have an immortal body. While she was alive, she was impervious to the elements, but in a different way. Her body still acted very much like that of a human's with normal eyes, ears, and legs. The only thing that was special about her was her ability to stay young forever and that in itself was a gift from her father.

In the dark, I could see the crest on the wall. Many of the decorations were gilded, like the shield and swords that hung in select intervals of the circular room. Even the marble coffin that was positioned in the very center was adorned with certain gold detailing. Then there were a few statues of the Greek gods and goddesses—Artemis, Athena, Ares, and Zeus—because who couldn't use a few of those hanging around. It was all a bit excessive for a dead guy who wouldn't be able to see anything for the next few hundred years or so, however long it would take for this world to end and start anew.

Dang. This guy certainly had cash to burn. What was he?

She pushed the half-ton lid onto the floor with ease. "A private collector born into a rich family."

I sighed. Isn't that always the case? The question was rhetorical, but I truly felt that way. A lot of people with money were born thus. Even the Morettis, a family of wealth, had come by their money a long time ago, so by the time it had reached Cal and Damon it had been in their family for generations. Their father had never worked for a dime of it and so easily became a founder of a town just by flashing his family jewels. It made me sick.

Inside the marble coffin sat the skeletonized remains of Mr. Wilfred Lockwood. He had a few million dollars' worth of necklaces and jewels in there along with a tailored suit I could only imagine cost more than I would make as a doctor for an entire year. Rich people seemed to do a lot of stuff like that. Despite all of his reach, he didn't look like the happiest fellow in the world, still clutching what I presumed to be the sword we were looking for. She broke away the bits of dead guy that clung to her property and held it out with a sigh of relief. As she touched it, the sword glowed gold as if it was happy to see her, too. "Hello, old friend." She searched the coffin once more and picked up a brown, leather belt that carried the weight of the sheath. Hastily, she put on the belt and returned her blade to its proper place by her side.

Why exactly do we need this heirloom of yours again? What else can it do? Unfortunately, my questions would have to wait.

Police sirens rang out like cries as squad cars approached the cemetery. In that moment, Sariah could feel my hunger. I hadn't eaten in a while and if we weren't careful one or all of those policemen would be dead. To prevent this terrifying event, we sprinted all the way to the border and made the return journey as fast as we could go in my condition.

Due to my hunger, much of my eternal strength was drained, so we got there literally five minutes before the battle was to take place. As we arrived, we took a shortcut through the forest and ended up face to face with the one man neither of us wanted to see.

Alphaeus.