Chapter 20

Semyon had slept unevenly that night; not to do with the effects of vodka but due to Anna's absence. Stingray had done a nice job cleaning up the toxins in his body before he went to bed for a few hours before morning. But the loneliness of being without Anna was beginning to affect him. His mind kept wondering in and out of the Gloom, deciding upon whether the stay there forever. There was hope lingering while Nadya, Vyacheslav and Stingray were trying to find her, but he still couldn't help but wonder if he's lost her forever.

Stingray entered the spare room where Semyon was still sleeping; lying on his side and not making a sound. His former tutor had not stirred an inch during the night and his energies were still wondering in and out of the Gloom. Stingray sighed and shut the door; they needed to get to Anna quickly before Semyon gave up all hope of ever seeing her again. He picked up the phone and dialled Vyacheslav's number. Surprisingly, it was Nadya who replied.

"Lev," she greeted.

"Err… not Vyacheslav…?" Stingray trailed off, confused.

"He's entitled to visitors, isn't he?"

"Visitors, Nadya?"

There was a pause. "Yes."

Stingray laughed at her stern tone.

"I can see energy of the phone Nadya; you're blushing."

"Semyon's right, you do this too much."

"It's my best skill, you know that."

"You know that Vyacheslav and I have always wanted this."

"Of course!"

"Anyway, where are you?"

"I'm just leaving home now."

"Is Semyon still with you?"

"Yeah, he's sleeping. His energy is steady for now, but he keeps shifting into the Gloom. I'll feed him a little light and positive energy to keep him going while I'm at the Headquarters."

"Make sure he's alright, Lev."

"I'll catch up with you two on the metro."

Stingray put the phone down, slipping his mobile into his pocket. He looked in on Semyon again, switching on the light; it was a special kind of light crystal that Geser had given him to help treat injured Light Magicians. In this case, it would give Semyon some hope. Stingray left his flat, drawing his Gorsvet jacket around him as he stepped outside into the beautiful, cold Moscow winter. He walked down a few streets away and entered the Moscow station, following the usual lines he took for the Night Watch offices.

Ay the second change of station, he met up with Nadya and Vyacheslav. They grouped together and took the next train slightly out of the city centre. Surfacing, they walked round to the Gorsvet buildings and entered its ambient warmth. The atmosphere kept you at a personal level of warmth; for Stingray it was about 14°C, but he knew that for Anna it was usually 8°C. The three of them took the stairs up to Geser's office, leaving small puddles of melted snow behind them. As usual, Geser was in his office, sat at his desk and looking grave.

"I take it you haven't found her yet," Geser questioned.

"Of course not," Vyacheslav replied, sadly.

He sighed. "How's Semyon Lev?"

"Not coping well," Stingray replied.

"Did you use that light I gave you?"

"It was beginning to have some affect on him."

"That's what matters for now."

"But we need to her Anna back before he loses all hope."

"That might be difficult."

"I've spoken with Maxim," Nadya began. "The Inquisition cannot force Zavulon to give her back. Firstly, by the Truce, it is seen as the Day Watch's 'turn' and secondly, Zavulon is technically helping Vsevolod if he's offering assistance or negotiation."

"Kostya suggested something," Stingray added.

Geser glanced at him disapprovingly. "Your Vampire friend."

"Last night, Anton asked if Kostya knew any reason why Zavulon would need both Vsevolod and Anna. As a Vampire, he might have known. Anyway, he suggested that if Vsevolod were to become human, he would need to give up something important to Zavulon. He thinks Anna maybe the deal rather than the witness."

Vyacheslav sighed. "That may be the case."

"That is a possibility," Geser agreed.

"Can it be reversed?" asked Stingray.

"It can't be permanent, Lev. No matter what Zavulon does, Anna is a Light Magician and she has chosen Light. The only exchange that can take place is the use of her power only once and then she's set free. However, we must set her free from that before she can use her powers to do Evil; that will have a terrible affect on her."

"Is that is what's going to happen," Nadya cut in.

"True, we do not know this for sure," Vyacheslav agreed.

"We need to find out," Geser replied. "Before it's too late."

Nadya went to reply, but she was cut short as Semyon burst in through the office doors. He must have driven all the way over to the offices from Stingray's Lyubertsy flat to arrive in such good time. He looked flustered as Geser and the others turned to face him. He sat down at the long table.

"What is it Semyon?" asked the boss.

"He's had a vision," Vyacheslav replied. "The residue of it is left over in his mind and he's sweating. Semyon has always done that after a vision because he is not a properly trained Seer like Nadya or Anton."

They all turned to Semyon, who nodded.

"It woke me," he explained.

"What did you see?" asked Geser.

"I saw Anna. She's still alive, but not in control of her actions. No vortex, but she still has a curse. Then there was lightning; a massive storm of lightning over the city and Anna was being controlled to conjure it."

Vyacheslav and Geser glanced at each other.

"Zavulon," they agreed.

"My poor Anna," Semyon noted, sadly.

Stingray checked his friend's energy.

"That light and the vision did you some good," he stated. "It's nice to see you're back with us now. Your knowledge that Anna is still alive has brought your energy back to ground level. So long as we can get to Anna, you're safe from the Gloom and relatively back to normal."

"We can save her can't we?" Semyon questioned.

"You should know that we can," Geser told him, sharply

"Sorry sir, but it's hard for me. I miss her."

"Just think she's bound to feel the same."

---

Anna had been waiting a while at the Day Watch headquarters in a backroom. All she could here was the hum of an air conditioning unit, the clicking of a small radiator and the deep bass of dance music. As sure as she had been before, the Day Watch did have the sleazy nightclubs in their offices. They still echoed the evil feeling she had when she first came across them; the Dark Others of Moscow all had parts to play in that. How different they were at fitting in with the human race compared to the Night Watch.

Anna got to her feet and walked around, observing the walls but all the exits were locked. There were forcefields all around the place, not allowing her to see inside the building for an escape route. Even the electric circuits blocked her out. The building was protected by Dark Magic that she could never compete with. This was the work of Zavulon himself; the man who only Geser equalled.

Eventually, one of the fire escape doors opened and Zavulon came in first, followed closely by Yuri. Wolf came in last, who brought Vsevolod with him and slammed the door shut behind him. Vsevolod was in a bad state and looked like he's seen better days. Anna made a move to go over to her father, but Zavulon stopped her.

"We're not handing him over," he said, simply.

"Then I'll break out of here with him!" Anna snarled.

"Not likely. I've protected the exits myself and not even your beloved Semyon can rescue you."

"Geser can."

"But he doesn't know you're here."

He smirked, Anna glaring at him.

"You bastard," she muttered, dangerously.

"Please," Zavulon waved that off. "I haven't told you why you're here."

"You've always wanted me to turn Dark once you knew of my power."

"Yes. It's such a pity that we didn't appeal to you like we once did to your father."

"Thankfully she can see the Light," Vsevolod growled.

Zavulon smirked and turned to him.

"You've caused me much trouble," he began. "But I've finally come to realise that I can help you achieve your goals after all, even without Geser's help. I can give you back your humanity, Vsevolod Kepalenko."

"What must I give up to you?"

"Anything important to you."

"Like what?"

"Your job, your flat, your Moskvich, anything like that."

"But I can get a new job?"

"Yes. And a new flat, and a new Moskvich."

"You won't take those then?"

Zavulon shook his head. "Only what you have now. Will you give them up to me?"

Vsevolod sighed. "The most important things?"

"Yes."

"For humanity?"

You will by mortal; an Other and a Vampire no more."

"Then why do you need my daughter?"

"Just a witness to the procedure so that someone of the Light may inform the Inquisition that the deed with done fairly. All I need is for Anna to see that you were not forced into this."

Vsevolod turned to Anna.

"It's a gamble," he said.

"Are you willing to do this?" Anna asked. "Lose your job and your home?"

"I can finally leave my identity behind! Anyway, I'll still have you."

Vsevolod missed Zavulon's smirk.

"It's a fresh start for you," Anna smiled.

Vsevolod nodded and turned back to Zavulon.

"Everything important to me," he told him. "My job, my flat, my car; it's yours."

Zavulon smiled. "Thank you."

As Yuri stepped forwards, Anna began to sense that something wasn't right. If Zavulon wanted her to witness this, why didn't he just ask her and the Day Watch politely? Why did he need to kidnap her, because the Watch may have agreed? She watched the energy of Vsevolod dissipate not only into the Gloom, but into the control of Zavulon. Everything Vsevolod had that was important to him was being taken, and Anna realised that herself had been eased into the bargain. But that was without Vsevolod's knowledge or consent, and neither he nor she could do anything about it. Anna felt dizzy; there was nothing left she could do. She had been a little confused by the thick Gloom of the Kremlin and that prevented her from predicting Zavulon's moves. Her mind and power would be in the hands of Darkness for one turn during the battle between Good and Evil. No one, not even Boris Ignatovich Geser could know this as she began to daze out into darkness.

"You only have her for one use," Yuri explained.

"That's why I need you," Zavulon replied.

"For what boss?"

"I don't want her."

There was a pause.

"I see," Yuri said, slowly.

"Anna's made her choice; I need someone who hasn't."

Then Anna head no more as she slipped into unconsciousness.

---

During the cold winter evening, Tiger Cub was outside her flat, fiddling around with the engine of her motorbike while Bear was sat on the wall drinking beer. Semyon came walking down the road towards them with a thick, black coat on over his Gorsvet gear and his yellow van parked further back. Tiger Cub saw him walking over and stood up, using some snow to wash the oil and grease off her hands. Bear got down off the wall and put his bottle of beer down into a snow drift, approaching Semyon and laying a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Are you holding out?" he asked.

"As well as I can," Semyon replied.

"Geser's still on the look out."

"If I had Zavulon's strength, I'd kill him."

Semyon leaned back against the wall.

"Where was Anna going with the lightning storm?" asked Tiger Cub.

"If only I'd kept hold of her in the Kremlin," Semyon replied, hanging his head and ignoring Tiger Cub's question. "I should have gone and found her straight the way and left Stingray to deal with Fox, and Anton is perfectly capable of fending off Vladimir. I could have found her and Zavulon would not have been able to take her away from me."

"Semyon."

Tiger Cub lifted up his head.

"Come back Semyon," she told him.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"The lightning; where was she taking it?"

"I don't know, I didn't see that much."

"You know Anna," Bear noted. "How would she conjure the lightning storm?"

"By now with full power, she could create the lightning storm herself. But, from what I understand, if a Light Magician is forced under the control of a Dark Magician, they are limited. I imagine, from the strength of the storm that I saw, Anna would have to charge herself from a power station or something like…"

Before he could finish, the lights around them suddenly drained for a moment, plunging the street into darkness. All they could see was the two orange lights rotating on top of Semyon's van down the road. Not long after, the lights came back on and the street was flooding with light again and back to normal. None of the residents seemed to take any notice of it.

"Damn faulty power grids," Bear grumbled.

"Is that normal?" Semyon queried.

"Oh yeah."

He wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Tiger Cub replied. "It always happened around here. Anatoly lives in that flat across the road and he complains about the power grid messing up his computers. I think one of the generators supplying electricity to this part of the area is affected by winter a bit more than the others."

"Nothing to worry about then."

"Not at all."

Bear picked up his phone as it rang.

"Bear, it's Anatoly," was the answer.

"What now?" Bear replied.

"Has there been a power cut in our area?"

"Yeah, why?"

"That was not an ordinary one like we always get. Ever since Semyon had that vision about the lightning, Geser's asked my to check for unusual electrical surges throughout the city power grids and stations. We've just had one in the power grid connecting our area and the drain was now caused by a snow drift."

"So someone has drained it."

"Exactly!"

"Like a badly made high voltage appliance."

"I don't think so Bear. I've just put up Rambler and the MET Office has just picked up on the beginnings of a small thunder storm. It's building up in central Moscow but they haven't identified any mysterious weather systems. You know this kind of weather is not normal for winter."

"Looks like it's started."

Bear looked up at the sky, watching the thick mass of black cloud coming up over the sky scrapers. A deep rumble of thunder sounded overhead, setting some crows off cawing in a tree.

"Where's that storm heading Anatoly?" asked Bear.

"You're not going to like this," Anatoly replied.

"We need to get there pronto."

"It's heading towards where our offices are."

"Crap."

"Geser will meet you outside."

Bear put the phone down just as a small fork of lightning lit up the black skies. People had begun poking their heads out of the windows to see what was going on; this weather was never seen in the winter. They couldn't understand that a Light Magician was making this happen. Bear took Tiger Cub's hand, following Semyon's lead back over to the Gorsvet truck.

"Where's it going?" Semyon queried.

"Gorsvet," Bear replied.

"I take it the hackers don't think it's a normal storm."

"Since when have you seen thunder storms in winter?"

"True."

"Could Anna have created this?" asked Tiger Cub.

Semyon looked up as another huge flash of forked lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a loud explosion of thunder. The electrical discharge had set off some car and burglar alarms.

"Yes," he replied, simply.

He climbed into the driver's side of the van, Bear and Tiger Cub joining him in the passenger seat. They drove off quickly towards the Gorsvet headquarters, the dark clouds following them. It had all the markings of a conjured electrical storm; the obvious join between the clouds, the lack of proper weather conditions and at the wrong time of year. There was no snow falling from the black clouds, not even hail, but there was snow falling from the usual grey clouds. Semyon parked the van in his space outside the offices, the rest of the team standing there with Geser. The three of them got out and joined them.

"It's coming," Tiger Cub observed.

"Was this in your vision Semyon?" asked Nadya.

"Yes," Semyon replied.

"Then what Stingray's friend Kostya said was true. Zavulon somehow forced Vsevolod to give up Anna to him in return for humanity. And this is how Zavulon will use this power given to him; he's going to make Anna burn the Night Watch to the ground."

"He can't do that can he?" Anton asked.

"He can't use Anna to destroy the Light," Geser explained. "But he can use her to temporarily disarm the Light of their headquarters. Can the Inquisition do anything at all to stop this?"

They all looked at Nadya.

"No," she said. "We cannot choose Light or Dark."

"Then we shall do it ourselves."

A black car pulled up just behind Semyon's yellow van; the Day Watch had arrived at the scene. Piotr and Alisa got out of it, followed by Zavulon who left the car door open.

"You bastard!" Semyon snarled.

Bear and Anton restrained him from running forwards.

"Stand down," Geser warned.

"He took Anna!" Semyon exclaimed. "He'll pay."

"Don't risk it Semyon Pavlovich."

Zavulon smirked and turned to Geser.

"I'll honour the second part of the deal," he said. "You may have Vsevolod Kepalenko now I have released him from the side of the Dark. He's now only a human aged 41 years."

He reached back inside the car and grabbed a man by the collar of his jacket. He pulled out Vsevolod and pushed him to the ground at Stingray's feet. The young Magician looked at Vsevolod's energy. Zavulon was speaking the truth; the former Vampire was now only human.

"I'm sorry Semyon," Vsevolod sobbed.

"Get him in the van," Geser ordered.

Semyon and Stingray took Vsevolod between them and dragged him over to the yellow van, Anton and Vyacheslav following. Geser turned back t Zavulon, who smirked at his nemesis.

"It cannot be undone!" he proclaimed.

"We'll find a way," Geser assured him.

"Your young Magician is mine for one purpose."

"You cannot destroy the Light this way."

"You overestimate me, Boris. I only want to hurt you deeply."

"Should we evacuate?" asked Ignat.

"Maybe you should," Piotr agreed.

"Never!" Geser snarled. "I'll not give in to you."

Anton had helped get Vsevolod inside the yellow van. The thunder was on top of them now and the snow had suddenly ceased to fall. Vyacheslav stood watch outside, seeing a bright electric blue glow coming from one of the streets. The centre of the storm was reaching its target very quickly. Semyon turned to Vsevolod, who was still trying to control his sobs.

"How did Zavulon do it?" Semyon asked.

"I'm sorry," Vsevolod sobbed.

"I know. How?"

"I didn't think he meant Anna, but it seems so obvious to me now. Zavulon asked me to give up all I valued in my life for humanity; he only suggested my job, my flat and my little Moskvich. Instead he took all of it and Anna."

"Do you know how to release her?" Anton questioned.

"The object of the curse needs to die," Stingray replied.

"You remembered!" Semyon noted.

"I remember you teaching me that, Semyon Pavlovich," Stingray began. "In any curse, to lift it, the object of the curse must die if it is not the Magician himself. It's not Zavulon, so who is it?"

"Me," Vsevolod replied.

"I suppose in this case it would be."

"Then I have to die."

"Is there another way?" asked Anton.

"Kill the Magician," Stingray replied.

"That's not possible."

"Then it cannot be done," Semyon explained. "There are only three possible solutions to this. Kill Zavulon, Vsevolod or Anna if you cannot wait for the curse to expire. Seeing as that would be the end of Gorsvet, then that is not an option."

"She's coming," Vyacheslav cut in.

Semyon, Stingray and Anton got out of the van and joined Vyacheslav, looking in the direction he had indicated. Down the street, Anna was walking slowly towards them; her palms outstretched either side of her as she controlled the storm. Semyon shuddered; he remembered that from his visions. The way Anna moved without control herself. She was under the influence of the Dark and Semyon could feel her energy crying out to be saved.

"Don't run to her," Vyacheslav warned.

"She wants to be set free," Semyon replied.

"Resist the urge to go to her; you'll die."

"We have to do something."

"You cannot!" Zavulon laughed. "Finally, I can actually win at a battle between Light and Dark! I've found a way to disable the Night Watch and this time, not even the great Geser can stop me! You have can have Anna afterwards, for I can take something even better than that."

"Perhaps not Zavulon," Vsevolod replied.

Everyone turned round to watch as Vsevolod clambered out of the Gorsvet van; he'd lost a lot of grace since becoming human again. He turned to watch as his daughter approached the Night Watch headquarters with the lightning storm, controlled by the Dark. He smiled and turned to face the Day Watch.

"There is a way to end this," he continued.

"You cannot," Alisa snarled.

"You have not won. Yes, one way to end this madness is to kill the Magician who controls Anna, which is Lord Zavulon. Or Anna can be killed by the Night Watch, which is also an impossibility because only Semyon can agree to that. However, those two answers aren't the only ones; the object can be destroyed."

"Not possible," Piotr replied.

"You won't be destroyed," Zavulon replied, harshly. "The Day Watch will not do it and the Night Watch is not allowed to kill humans. You are now human and neither side will kill you."

"That is true," Vsevolod agreed. "But there's another way."

"Don't do this Vsevolod," Semyon stated.

"I must, my friend. I am human and I now have the right to take my own life. By sacrificing myself, I can save Gorsvet and my daughter. I have nothing left to live for; I'm human and I've only got around 40 years left. As a human I can choose between life and death; something I could not do as a Vampire."

Anna was now dangerously close to the offices.

"For my daughter," Vsevolod finished. "For the Light. I choose death."

There was a gigantic fork of lightning followed by five or more branches radiating out from the centre of the storm. It all came with a giant explosion of thunder that even made the side panels on Semyon's van reverberate. Vsevolod withdrew a long knife from his belt; one he used to cut the meet he bought from Kostya's father. He raised it out in front of him, the Night Watch only able to stand there and observe. By the law of the Truce, they could not interfere with humans.

With only a faint glimmer of hesitation, Vsevolod plunged the blade into his heart. As he called out in pain, the lightning shot out from the centre of the storm above Anna's head, she faltering in her stride. Vsevolod collapsed to the street floor, his blood spilling out and staining the snow red. Stingray rushed to his side and knelt down besides him, taking his head in his hands.

"I'll ease your pain," he stated.

"I can feel," Vsevolod sighed. "I can actually feel."

The thought was enough to astound a man who had been capable of feeling anything for over 100 years.

"I can feel pain…" he murmured. "I'm dying."

"I can ease it for you," Stingray replied.

"I can't say a like it, but I am not afraid."

Zavulon watched helplessly as Vsevolod's breathing slowed, Stingray easing the dying man's pain. The General of the Darkness looked up at Anna, whose eyes were now open. Her face wore an expression of shock and she looked up in wonder at the lightning storm flashing on above her.

"No!" Zavulon exclaimed.

"What am I doing here?" Anna's voice sounded afraid.

"Don't release your energy yet," Semyon told her.

She looked at Semyon and smiled. "My loyal Semyon. I knew you'd rescue me."

"Yes, but at a cost my love."

Sighing, he stepped aside and revealed Vsevolod, who had passed away into death with the help of Stingray, his body still bleeding. Anna's expression became one of sorrow, but she knew that had to be done.

"I shall release the storm!" Anna proclaimed.

She lifted her arms into the air and released all of her charged electrical energy into the sky. With one, massive fork and a blast of thunder, the branching discharge of electricity struck a part of Moscow. Alisa's face became angry, Zavulon beginning to cower away from defeat.

"My headquarters!" the Witch cried.

"A price you pay for this," Anna snarled.

"And now you'll pay the final price."

Anna recoiled slightly from that.

"I summon the second deed upon you!"

There was a violent flash of dark green light and the Day Watch vanished, including their car. Anna stumbled and fell into the snow by the road side, completely drained of electrical energy. Semyon immediately ran to her side and knelt down next to her. He lifted her body up against his and held her tightly and closely, burying his face into her neck.

"How I've missed you," he murmured.

"What did Alisa mean?" Stingray asked. "The second deed?"

"I don't know," Geser replied.

"It's not over yet," Vyacheslav replied. "I can sense physically the beginnings of another curse forming around Anna. Not a visible curse like a Black Vortex, but one that will make its mark upon her sometime in the future. How and when, I am not certain."

"I'll find out," Semyon replied.

"I don't know if you can Semyon."

"I will not allow any more harm to come of Anna."

Geser nodded. "We'll check on her in the morning."

From there, the Light Ones disbanded, Nadya vanishing into the Gloom to discuss the matter with the Inquisition. It was highly possible that they could do nothing about the problem, but Semyon asked her to do so. Semyon picked up Anna and carried her back to the van, lying her down on the passenger seat, still unconscious. He drove them home, noticing that she was slowly beginning to wake. Still drained, Anna just about managed to get out of the van, but Semyon carried her the rest of the way into his flat up the lift. He carried her into the bedroom and sat her down on the bed, allowing her to use him for support because she was still off balance.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

She nodded.

"I'm sorry about Vsevolod," he noted.

Anna smiled slightly, her face expression sorrow over her father's death, but she knew it had to end that way. She drew herself closer to Semyon, putting her arms about him and resting her head against his chest.

"What did Alisa mean?" Semyon asked.

She didn't reply.

"Do you know?" he queried again.

She sighed and sat up against him, taking his round, podgy face in her hands. She smiled at him fondly and gently stroked his stubble. The kiss she gave to him clearly expressed how she's missed him and Semyon instantly understood.

"No talking eh?" he asked.

Anna smiled and nodded.

"Then no talking until morning," he added.