Chapter fourteen:
Angel spins around to see Darcy standing there with a wide smile on her face. "My witch." She gasps taking a step back.
"Long time no see my familiar. I can see you still dislike shoes just like when we were working together." Darcy greets back moving closer to Angel though Geoff moves slightly between them. She doesn't look at all impressed when this happens as she stops walking towards the other.
"Are you the one kidnapping others?" Geoff demands with his wand at the ready and Jack turns into his familiar form at his side. He will do what he needs to in order to stop her though he does need information like where the victims are.
"I am doing what I have to. I am the rightful heir." Darcy tells Geoff not looking concerned about the battle ready stance the two have. She moves a few steps closer and Geoff fires a small ball of magic at her feet in a warning. "Everyone has forgotten the truth about familiars. They are only tools to be used as the witch pleases. This was covered up because they are a bunch of cowards." She pulls out her wand and flicks it. "But I am not like them."
Shadowy beings appear and go after the two pairings who send attacks at them. They disappear into the ground when struck.
One of these figures grabs a hold of Angel and throws her into a portal that closes afterwards.
"Consider yourselves lucky." Darcy continues as the four turn to her after destroying all of the shadowy beings. "That I am not here to take you four to be like the others. There is something that requires my attention right now." She hurries through a portal that closes behind herself, not giving the others anytime to do anything to try to stop her.
Geoff turns to look to Michael and Gavin. "You two. Find the place that was mentioned. Try to get the scrolls before that lady can." He orders in which the two take off to do so. He looks to Jack who meets his eye. "We should try to figure out where her base of operations is. Can you see if you can smell anyone that we know around here? Maybe we'll get a clue."
Jack nods his head and he begins sniffing around with Geoff following him.
Gavin starts to head for the house though has to swoop back up when the place explodes into a flaming ruin of a house.
"We're too late." Michael realizes as he clenches his teeth. He is glad that the flapping of Gavins wings is helping with the smoke so it doesn't come for them. "Lets go back to Geoff and give him the news." He pats his familiars neck and the two head back to where Geoff and Jack are.
Jack and Geoff turn as the two land by them. They quickly understand when they lower their heads slightly and when they notice the smoke in the distance.
"You tried." Geoff tries to assure the two. "We will just have to do what we can now. We might have to get out of this area. She might come for us."
"We still have no idea where their base of operations is." Michael points out to Geoff as he remains riding on Gavin who moves a few steps forward. "Where exactly are we going to go?"
Jack huffs and nods his head in one direction away from the direction of where the smoke is coming from. He turns taking the lead in which the others follow after him. He leads them to a home with a lady watering some flowers on her front lawn.
The woman looks a little older with her black hair starting to look more grey than black. She has it in a long ponytail and her skin is tanned a little.
Geoff smiles and gives Jack a scratch behind the ear as soon as he sees the woman. "Of course. Cassandra." He can remember what had happened back then…
Geoff and Jack once lived next to two friends of theirs.
Cassandra and her familiar Jolene who was a black she cat with some white spots above her nose as well as pink eyes. The two were a force to be reckoned with. The two of them would often duel with Geoff and Jack for fun for the title of the strongest for the week. They had went out for a bit with Geoff and Jack for a bit of a trip to an outdoor farmers market.
"Look at these fresh farm picked strawberries." Cassandra had mentioned as the four of them stood at the stand belonging to farmer Joe, as mentioned by his sign. She takes a moment to take in the smell in the air. "It smells so much fresher than those you get in the stores."
"You love picking your strawberries by snorting their freshness." Geoff lightly teased his friend who gently nudged him with a laugh.
"Oh shut up you." Cassandra began deciding which bunch of strawberries she wanted this time around.
Geoff has his attention brought to his partner who suggests that they get some of the blueberries that were there for some baking. He agreed so they began checking out said blueberries.
Just before either of them could pick out what they wanted there was suddenly an explosion that came from a parked car.
Geoff was sent flying and slammed on the ground hard. He was knocked out for a bit though as he slightly came around his ears were ringing as well as his vision being blurry.
The farmers market was a mess with others laying on the ground just like Geoff was doing.
Geoff's body felt so heavy he could only really raise his head. He noticed his familiar. He noted how Jack was blinking which gave him hope even with his fuzzy mind at the time. He then turned slightly and he caught a look at Cassandra who reached out toward her unmoving familiar. He didn't have to hear her words to know that she had been calling out her familiars name.
"JOLENE!"
Geoff started to black out again as Cassandra managed to pull Jolene's limp body into her arms. He fell into darkness after he had witnessed that scene. He later woke up in the hospital and he had learned that Jolene had passed away.
Cassandra had been devastated and she had gotten a home away from the city. She had wanted some peace and quiet until she could join her familiar in the afterlife. She did make sure that Geoff and Jack knew since she said that they could visit her.
Back in the present Geoff takes the lead moving closer to Cassandra who turns to look to them hearing them approach.
"Geoff. Jack." Cassandra greets them with a smile. "It is so good to see you both. And who are these young group? Are they some children I wasn't told about you adopting or something?" She playfully crosses her arms across her chest.
"Actually they are students." Geoff corrects though he can't help smiling softly at her light teasing. His expression quickly turns to serious as he remembers Ray. "There is actually something that we need your help with. Do you mind if we come inside?"
"No. Of course not. Come come. Let us head on inside and discuss whatever is going on. I have some lemonade made in the kitchen. I can get a cup of it for all of you. I made it with lemons I grow myself so you know it is going to be awesome." Cassandra leads them inside with the familiars making sure that they are in human form. She lets them settle in the older western style living room with comfy couches with a carved wooden coffee table. She brings out a glass for each of them and sits down with them. "Okay. Go ahead. I'll see if I can help out in anyway."