The Chaos Tree
Chapter 28
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JT scaled the ancient metal ladder attached to the building west of Main and slipped out onto the roof. On the far side a man leaned against the building ledge watching the street. Moving with all the stealth of a cat, he crossed the rooftop and put the man in a silent headlock. Choking slightly, the man kicked and struggled before going still a few seconds later. Lowering him to the ground, JT pulled a strip of duct tape from his sleeve and put it over the man's mouth. He then dragged him across the roof to the back half of the building, zip-tied his feet together and zip-tied his hands around the ladder frame. Just as quietly he scampered back down the ladder and dropped silently onto the dirt-covered alley ground. Grunting, he rubbed at his arm. The pain had been steadily increasing since he'd been hit with the potion. But it wasn't debilitating, and he could wait for treatment a little while longer.
Lifting a plastic pouch from his pocket, he pinched some dust and blew it over the alley. One protection line zigzagged between the buildings.
JT had felt the spells reactivate around Lebanon soon after he left James and Max out on Chicago Street. Freezing in his tracks and overwhelmed by a sense of wrongness, he'd turned and stared back down the darkened alley toward the street. The temptation to run back and check on his Triad had been powerful, but he forced himself to keep his mind on the task at hand. He could trust Max to watch out for James, and visa-versa.
When he'd blown powder across the alley, there had been revealed a maze of protection lines crisscrossing the alley, spiraling out in bizarre directions. It made sense that the spells would increase the closer they came to the Community Center. There were, however, large blank spots in the maze where the earthquake had disrupted the spells. Eyeing the buildings, he'd mapped out a path through the lines by using the building ladders, drainage pipes and window sills. It had taken time, but he'd been able to avoid the protection magic and make it to the next building.
Now with the first two buildings cleared, he skirted the protection line, dodged another and jogged to the third building. Quietly he scaled the ladder and peaked over the roof ledge. There were two people on this rooftop; a man and a woman. Reaching into the corner of his sling, he fingered one of Adam's sleeping spell pouches and considered his options. There was a much greater chance of one or both persons hearing him as he crossed the tar-covered roof. And if he threw the pouch, there was an equal chance they would sound the alarm before the sleeping potion took effect. Shooting them wasn't an option, and he'd already used the few tranquilizer darts he'd brought during the earlier altercation coming into town. Suddenly, an unusual idea popped into his head. Rolling quietly over the ledge onto the roof, he moved quickly across the surface before he had a chance to change his mind.
When he got close to the two watchers, he moved with speed and deliberation. Just as the woman turned around and saw him, he grabbed a side of each head and knocked them firmly together. Both people dropped instantly to the ground, unconscious.
A voice whispered, "I didn't just see that, did I?"
JT whirled around to see Max coming over the edge of the roof, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "Come help me," he groused, his voice a shadow in the air.
Grinning, Max glided across the roof and grabbed the feet of the man. As he pulled him to the rear of the building, JT took care of the woman. Once they'd secured the pair to the railing, they climbed back down to the back pathway.
The question that had been percolating in JT's head since the protections line lit back up burst out. "Jimmy?"
The smile fell from Max's face. "He's fine," he rushed to assure his best friend. "He got caught in one of the protection spells. I got him out, and Onida is taking care of him."
JT watched Max and knew there was a lot the other wasn't saying. How bad was he hurt? How was Onida taking care of him? But instead of voicing those questions now, he asked in a hushed tone, "You see anyone else?"
Max nodded. "That's why I'm here instead of across the street. Ethan and Elijah are over there along with Joel and Daniel. Many of the spell lines were broken when Onida unleashed the earthquake."
"That was her?" JT asked, his expression wondering.
"Yeah. She did something with clay and volcanic ash, whatever, but it really tired her out. She, James and Adam are in the basement of City Hall."
"Adam?"
"He drove straight into a protection line; protection wall, more like it. It crunched up the Tourer and he was hurt pretty bad. The coven leader used a potion on him, and he's better, especially now that he's with Onida."
"The coven leader," JT murmured slowly.
"Long story. Right now we got two more boogies on the building two doors down, seven people down the alleys on this side of the street. Across the street there's twelve in the alleys, four on the rooftops. Ethan and Elijah are up top. They'll join Daniel and Joel down below once the roofs are cleared." Pulling out a chain with a pendant, he handed it over. "The coven guy said these would protect us against most of the protection lines."
JT took the pendant slowly. "You trust this coven leader?"
"He was apparently strong enough to avoid getting whammied," Max whispered. "And he set three of his people free before we arrived. I guess those creds are as good as we're gonna get."
Nodding slowly, JT slipped the pendant over his head. "Then let's get on the next roof, take out those people," he remarked, hugging the building wall as he trotted down the alley.
"Maybe you can do the Marx Brothers thing again," Max called out softly.
"Shuddup," JT muttered, feeling his face heat up.
Max grinned as he moved through the darkness.
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Ethan descended the drain pipe hand over hand. The two men atop the building were incapacitated and zip-tied to a pipe on the roof. Jumping to the alley floor, he turned to face someone he was very glad to have back at his side: Elijah.
He and William had left City Hall in search of anyone else who might have been hurt after the protection lines had been restored. Within minutes they'd come across Max, who carried an unconscious James draped over his shoulder. William immediately went to give the woman accompanying them a quick hug. Ethan found out her name was Elena, and she had done a spell to help stabilize James' bodily functions until they could get him to Onida.
"She's in a basement nearby," Ethan said quickly. He attempted to take James' weight in order to give Max a break, but the other man wouldn't hear of it. Instead of pressing the issue, he led the way into City Hall, then downstairs.
Onida scrambled to her feet when they brought in James. Max laid him down on the couch and she rushed to check him out. "Damage to almost all his major organs; heart, liver, kidneys. His brain got a jolt, but seems to be recovering."
"Can you help him?" Max asked anxiously. He knew Onida was a healer, but also knew she'd probably used an extraordinary amount of energy already today.
Onida nodded. "He'll be fine." Sparing only a quick look of reassurance for Max, she said, "Now, everyone go way and let me do my thing." The two coven members as well as Ethan and Elijah moved out into the hallway, but Max remained a few feet away, watching.
In the hallway, William introduced Elena. "She's a coven member. She was watching the northern side of the town."
"Did you see what happened?" Elijah asked.
Elena shook her head. "I was coming down Main from the church when I saw Max pulling at the younger man. I could only assume the young one…"
"James," Ethan supplied.
Nodding, Elena said, "James, had been caught in a protection trap. By the time I got there Max had jumpstarted his heart, but I could tell his vital signs were weak. I used a spell to stabilize his organs until he could get some help."
"Elena specializes in biological magic," William explained to Ethan and Elijah. "While she isn't a healer, she can prevent organ deterioration, and that in and of itself can be healing."
"But your healer is working now," Elena said comfortingly. "I'm sure James will be…"
A clatter on the stairway had Ethan and Elijah shoving Elena and William into the basement room, and facing the stairs with guns drawn.
Two men holding up a third froze on the stairwell. One's eyes were wide; the other's calm and unconcerned. The latter immediately murmured, "Tin cha'aj u le calma yéetel le tranquilidad fluyan ti' le kúuchila', le seguridad le Jets' óolal." (Let calm and tranquility flow through this place, assurance of peace.)
Ethan felt a peace permeate his body, and though he wanted to, he didn't let his gun drop even an inch. "Neat trick. Let Adam go and step aside, or get shot."
Sighing, the black haired man who had murmured the incantation said, "I apologize for attempting to go around your defenses. I am Cadmael, coven leader to those enthralled by the wizard. This man," he nodded in Adam's direction, "was in a car accident. He has been healed, but needs rest. May we pass?"
Ethan merely stared at the man, not moving to drop his weapon. He didn't like that the man had attempted to use magic on them instead of just saying that in the first place. To him it showed elitism and a disregard for others.
"Adam needs our help," Elijah murmured to Ethan. "The guy stepped in it, yeah. But let's take care of Adam."
Instead of speaking, Ethan merely stepped back from the door, though his gun remained trained on the two strangers. Nodding to Elijah, he allowed them to take Adam inside where Onida could tend to him.
Cadmael and Keith laid Adam on the open couch. When Cadmael bent down to check Adam out, Ethan stepped in. "No, let her," he nodded to Onida, who still had her hands over James.
Keith rose to argue against the slight lobbed at his coven leader, but Cadmael shook his head. Facing Ethan, he said, "I humbly apologize for attempting to get around you so this man could rest. It was an error in judgment." Sighing, he shook his head. "This situation, with my people held hostage, has been trying. I hope you will forgive me."
Ethan merely eyed the man. His pride and stubbornness were warring with his years of experience in making snap judgments in the field, and those instincts were telling him this guy was genuine.
Elijah didn't say anything. He just waited for his brother to accept the man's words.
Finally Ethan lowered his gun and said gruffly, "Apology accepted."
Cadmael nodded, then gestured over at Adam. When Ethan nodded, he went over and held his hands over Adam's body much like Onida was doing over James.
Sighing, Ethan said, "I'm going back out, see if I can find Joel and Daniel."
"They're heading up Main," the man with the coven leader said, looking over his shoulder.
"Then I'll meet up with them," Ethan stated, heading for the door.
"I'm going with you," Elijah stated.
Ethan spun around, shaking his head. "You were just unconscious. You need to…"
"We're on a hunt and I've been cleared by Onida," Elijah retorted firmly. "Right now there are people out there that need our help, and a maniac that needs to be stopped."
Ethan sighed. "Fine. But you get hurt again and it's back to the basement."
"Agreed."
Now after clearing one roof, they were on to the second. Daniel and Joel were making their careful way through the alleys.
Grimacing, Ethan rubbed at his temples.
"Headache?" Elijah murmured.
"Naw. That damn buzzing is irritating." Sighing, Ethan looked reflexively in the direction of the park. "I'd say the Chaos Spell's been completed."
Elijah's brows rose. He'd been feeling a buzzing along his skin as well, but had attributed it to being caught in one of the protection lines.
"Let's get this done," Ethan murmured. Gripping the metal ladder bolted to the side of the Post Office, he began to climb. It was short work to take out the man and woman up top, and secure them to the metal railing before descending back into the alley.
"You know, the Watchers should sense our taking their pieces off the board," Elijah murmured.
"Nothin' we can do about that. We clear as many buildings as we can, then take them out front-on when we need to."
Elijah pulled his shirt aside and dangled the pendant Cadmael had given them. "At least we won't have to worry as much about the protection lines."
Ethan wasn't as sure about that, but nodded anyway. Before they'd left the basement, Cadmael had handed over four pendants: one each for him, Elijah, Joel and Daniel. He'd said it would help them cross the protection lines without getting injured.
"I trust him," Elijah said with a smile.
Ethan ignored that and continued down the alley. If they made it through this complicated hunt in one piece, then maybe he'd trust the guy.
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Cadmael watched as Onida slept in the leather lounge chair. She had healed every one of the young man's injuries, then took a moment to check over Adam before dropping into the leather chair and immediately dozing off. With a sigh, he walked over to the man he knew was called James, and stared down at the very young, baby face. The nearly full-on black hair was mussed, and a very faint shadow colored the boy's chin in what would someday become a defined five o'clock shadow. But now in sleep, that shadow just made the boy look as though he were playing grownup, and he felt his eyes moisten. This boy, this child, could have died because he hadn't wanted to take on his three coven members who were enforcing the wizard's enthralling. He had the power to do just that at his disposal; he had a powerfully magical heritage and was himself a highly gifted witch. Yet he had delayed, tried to free the coven members one by one. He hadn't considered that someone else would sense what they had, and come to take down the wizard. His eyes went back to James, certainly not one this young. Sighing, he dropped into the high back wooden chair. And still, he was delaying the inevitable.
"You're troubled."
Cadmael turned to Elena and nodded.
"We have help. The wizard will be defeated."
"Possibly," Cadmael murmured. He did not know these people, but they seemed skilled in their quest. But he couldn't base his decisions on the possibility of their success. He needed his people free, he needed to do his part in stopping the wizard from completing his task. Pulling in a bracing breath, he stood. "I will be back as soon as possible." He nodded to James, Adam and Onida. "Watch over them," he looked past Elena to where William and Keith were sitting, watching. "If you are willing, I would ask that you both act as sentinel. You won't be questioned as you watch the door."
Both men scrambled to their feet.
Concerned, Elena said, "You're going to stop them, aren't you?"
Cadmael nodded.
"What of the consequences?" Elena whispered. "Wresting them away without sufficient power could kill them."
"I know."
"Are you sure about this?" William asked.
"I believe in these people," Keith interjected. "I've seen them fight, seen them under pressure. They can take down the wizard."
Cadmael nodded. "I want them to succeed as well. But this young man almost died; the twin of the warrior was brutally injured," he nodded to Adam, "this one; they all could have died because I was not willing to do what I knew had to be done."
"But…" William murmured.
"I will do my best for the welfare of all," Cadmael said softly. "It is my duty to my heritage and my coven."
Keith nodded slowly. "Then we too will do what is needed to help."
"Thank you." Turning to the door, Cadmael led the way out of the basement and out into the darkness.
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James opened his eyes and groaned.
"Jimmy?"
"Ummm," James hummed, squinting to see who was speaking. He gave a slight smile when he saw Onida's face. "Hey," he murmured.
"How do you feel?"
James opened his mouth, then frowned as he saw her pale face and shadowed eyes. "Better question; how do you feel?"
"Like crap," Onida smirked. Holding up a sandwich, she said, "This is my fourth, along with three power bars and five bottles of water. I'll be better soon."
Slowly James levered himself up into a sitting position and focused on the small, cinderblock room. "We're in a basement?"
"Beneath City Hall," Onida confirmed.
"You're kidding."
"Apparently the coven leader has been taking shelter here while trying to free his coven from Piruz. He freed three people." Onida pointed across the room. A woman with long, dark hair was sitting beside Adam, bathing his forehead. "That's Elena. She's a specialist in biological magic. She helped stabilize your vitals until you could be brought to me for healing."
"I think I remember her from the street," James mused. After a moment, he looked back to Onida and asked, "How am I?"
"You're fine. You sustained damage to your heart, kidneys and liver, other minor damage. It looks like the protection spells reactivated right on top of you, and you took the full brunt of the resurgence."
James' eyes were wide. "But I'm fine now?"
Onida smiled and nodded. "Right as rain. Elena's magic really helped. She was able to reverse some of the damage to your body before you got here. I did the rest. You'll be tired for a while, but will make a full, one hundred percent recovery."
Sighing in relief, James looked back over at Adam. "How come he's not awake?"
"He's sleeping, like you were," Onida admitted. "I gave him a cursory exam after I healed you. It appears as though their coven leader has healing abilities too, and he used them on Adam before he was brought here." She looked over her shoulder. "I'll give him another look as soon as I've replenish my energy reserves."
"He will be fine." Elena dipped the washcloth into some water again and wiped it over Adam's face.
James' eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the other woman. "How do you know?"
"Cadmael's magic is powerful."
"Then why isn't he awake?" James asked.
"Sleep is healing. He will wake when he's ready."
James' eyes went to Onida, who gave him a slight shrug. "Where is your coven leader?"
"He's going to stop the Watchers."
Onida and James both looked in her direction.
"How will he stop them?" Onida asked.
"Yeah," James said, frowning. "If he could do that, why hasn't he done it already?"
"The wizard's magic is too powerful."
"But you said he's going to do it now," Onida stated in confusion.
"The wizard has more power than anyone I've ever seen aside from our coven leader. He conscripted nearly every member of my coven and several of the townspeople. To control so many minds and maintain the integrity of the spell is very difficult even for one as powerful as this wizard. Thus to strengthen his hold and conserve his power, he used three of the most accomplished members as a fulcrum. The body of the spell rests on them."
"Not your coven leader?" James asked. "Wouldn't he be the most powerful member of the coven?"
Elena gave the young man a wan smile. "Cadmael is extremely powerful, but he is protected."
"Protected, how?" Onida asked.
"Magic," Elena answered obliquely. Instead of elaborating, she went on. "These three coven members are bound, and through them the wizard controls the others. Cadmael had hoped if he could free enough of the coven, together we would be powerful enough to break the wizard's hold on the others. Then you came, and we had hoped the wizard would be stopped. But you almost died," she said to James, "and he was injured," she looked down at Adam. "More were injured even when the protection spells were dampened." Shaking her head, she whispered, "Cadmael said the cost was too high, and that they must be stopped."
Onida sensed the darkness in Elena's words and asked in a measured tone, "How will he free them?"
"He will assault the wizard's spell with his might. It is possible for some to survive."
"What?" James exclaimed. "They'll die?"
"It's possible," Elena whispered. "As I said; the wizard's magic is strong. But we cannot let more die."
"I didn't die!" James exclaimed. Pointing to Adam, he cried, "He isn't dead!"
"Cadmael did not make this decision lightly," Elena explained. "There are powerful spells crisscrossing the entire town. Everyone walking the streets is in jeopardy." She pulled a pendant out from under her shirt. "Even these won't protect us from the worst of the spells. To the wizard, we are all disposable."
"You said the power of the coven could have subverted Piruz's power," Onida stated.
Elena frowned. "Piruz?"
"The wizard."
"Oh. Yes, Cadmael believed the power of the coven would have been enough to break the wizard's control. But now he will break the spell and do his best to keep his … friends alive."
Onida caught the catch, and suddenly she knew. "One of them is his wife."
Elena's eyes filled with tears as she nodded.
Standing, Onida asked, "Would it benefit your leader to have someone who is an energy manipulator on board?"
"And someone very skilled in defensive magic?"
Everyone turned around to find Adam awake. He had obviously been listening to the conversation.
"You cannot!" Elena exclaimed, turning to put a hand on Adam's forehead.
Onida walked over and removed Elena's hand. Closing her eyes, she ran her hands over Adam's body, focusing on his head. When she finished, she said, "Well, you should get more sleep. Your body is worn and tired, but your injuries are healed."
Adam swung his legs off the couch and sat up. His head pounded some, but he pushed himself off the cushioned surface and stood. Looking down at Elena, he said dryly, "Take us to your leader."
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Max watched as JT sidestepped a protection line and moved up behind the Ladow's Market building. After clearing most of the roofs and one alley, they had now taken up a position near the rear of the alley behind Ladow's market. As Max watched JT move, it was obvious his friend was in pain. He wanted a look at JT's shoulder. To finish this, it needed tending. His own body felt worn, and the sense of electrical currents running along his skin was uncomfortable. Quickly he pulled the small bottle of potion Adam had given each of them, approached his friend and tapped him in the shoulder.
JT turned to find something right in his face. Jerking back, he was able to focus on the small bottle, then rolled his eyes and pointed to the street.
Max merely stood there, holding the bottle until JT sighed. Placing his things silently on the alley ground, he shifted off his sling and out of his jacket.
Max's eyes widened as he saw the burned and raw flesh of his friend's arm and shoulder. It must have been killing him, especially climbing the ladders with the sling and gear. Swallowing his rebuke, he poured a little of the liquid over the burns and rawness. He could feel JT's shoulder relax as the pain subsided. By the time he put the bottle away, his friend had geared up once more and was peering down the alley. There were three men at the other end watching the street.
Max tapped JT's good shoulder, then pointed to himself and up to the roof. There would certainly be people on the rooftop.
JT nodded and started for the ladder when Max stopped him.
Shaking his head, Max motioned for JT to stay down here, and he would go to the roof.
JT sighed. He could press the issue, but it was easier to just let Max have his way. Thus he nodded, and watched as his friend climbed the ladder and disappeared over the top ledge of the roof. Silently he kept watch on the three in the alley and tried to figure out who else was around. It was inevitable that others they immobilized would get free at some point, and then there would be an all out assault on Main Street. They needed to take the Watchers before that happened.
Footsteps from behind told him Max had completed his task. The Knight-to-be held up two fingers. There'd been two on the roof. Nodding, JT pulled out the plastic baggie. Brows raised in question, he held it up. If they used it in the alley, those down the way would know. They couldn't miss the exposed lines being lit.
Suddenly the three men at the edge of the alley straightened and began looking around, down the street and back through the alley where JT and Max were concealed by shadows.
"I think an All Points was just called," Max murmured in JT's ear. Reaching slowly into his sling, he pulled out three spell bags. It looked as though the Watcher knew pieces were being pulled off their chess board. Pointing to the spell dust, he gave his best friend a nod.
JT smiled. Pinching some of the potion, he stuffed the baggie back into his jacket pocket and pulled out three spell pouches. Nodding once, he blew the spell powder from his fingertips.
The alley lit up and the men down at the other end spun around to face a barrage of spell bags as Max and JT charged.
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Joel and Daniel saw the lights coming from the alley across from the Community Center and heard the altercation and knew there would be no more covert excursions in this battle. Throwing dust in the air, they raced down the main street, sidestepping and jumping over protection lines until five people hurried out into the street to meet them.
Daniel leapt forward and delivered a roundhouse punch to one man's jaw, knocking him about seven feet back where he fell and didn't move. A second man got in a punch, but he countered with a spin kick to his middle, knocking him back. Joel sidestepped his own opponent to deliver a punch to Daniel's falling man, knocking him down and out.
"Thanks!" Daniel chortled, blowing a bit more spell dust in the air.
The sidewalks and road were cracked where Onida's energy had made their mark. Thus there were broken spell and protection lines all over the place. A large crack about seven inches wide went from near Ladow's straight across the street to the Community Center. More people poured from the side streets and from inside the Community Center, spell bags in their hands. Daniel threw two of his spell bags, and two women fell to the ground, retching and scratching at their skin. But the three others continued on, tackling Daniel and taking him down.
Just then Max and JT exploded from the alley near Ladow's and joined the fight. JT grabbed a man from atop of Daniel and delivered a hard punch to his jaw, knocking him out. Daniel kicked the other two off and regained his footing just as JT threw a spell bag directly into one of his opponent's face. The man fell like a stone, and Daniel dealt with the other, dodging a punch and nailing him with a blow to the throat.
Max drug a woman away from Joel and kicked her back onto the street, following that action with a spell bag. The woman merely smiled and knocked the spell bag away with her palm before rising again. He threw another spell bag, but she backhanded that one away as well. "Great," he muttered. Hauling back, he quickly punched her in the jaw. She went down like a bag of rice. "Thought I wouldn't punch a girl? Guess again."
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Cadmael walked down the now deserted alley between the Post Office and the Community Center. He heard the commotion in the streets and knew the fight between their saviors, the townspeople and his coven was in full swing. He couldn't join them right now, but there was one thing he could do immiedtely to help those who had come to their aid: he could take down any remaining protection lines.
Motioning Keith and William to stay behind, he stepped onto the sidewalk, veiled himself and lifted his hands. Calling on the centuries of magical heritage and the magic that had been nurtured in his family for generations, he dismissed the spell lines throughout the street. Speaking with deliberation, he called on the earth to swallow the lines and free the surface from magical intrusion. Then before anyone could really focus on what had happened, he disappeared back into the alley.
Down the wall there was a side door entrance to the Community Center, one rarely used by anyone but the Lebanon town Mayor and his assistant. Closing his eyes, he prayed for strength as he opened the door. "Wait," called a soft voice from behind him. Turning, he saw three people standing a few feet away.
Elena smiled and stepped aside, allowing Onida and Adam to walk forward.
"We'll help," Onida said. "I manipulate energy."
"I'm a defensive magic expert," Adam. "We want to help you stop those inside without loss of life. Just tell us what to do."
Cadmael turned to Elena and felt his eyes moisten. Nodding, he held up his hands. Onida stepped forward and let him sense her abilities. Then Adam did the same. The coven leader felt their power and their strengths. Nodding, he stepped back and felt considerably lighter. Together, they could end this without loss of life if they acted quickly. "Thank you," he murmured. To William and Keith, he said, "Help the others." The two young men nodded and hurried off while he told Onida and Adam how he wanted to proceed.
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Ethan jumped over the body in the alley and stepped up to the street. Joel and Daniel were fighting down near the crossroads of Main and Kansas. Pinching some dust, he blew it out into the street. Not one line lit up. Eyes wide, he blew another pinch full into the air. There were no light signaling spell lines.
"Either Onida's earthquake was more effective on the main arteries…" Elijah said.
"Or someone has taken down the spell lines," Ethan finished.
"It was Cadmael," Keith said, coming down the alley from behind.
Max and JT tackled several townspeople, knocking some out and dusting others. Joel and Daniel were in a full frontal battle.
"Let's get out there before all the good Death Eaters are gone," Elijah remarked. Throwing Ethan a grin, he ran out into the street.
Ethan frowned. "The what?" he asked, before following his brother.
"I know what Death Eaters are," William said, just for clarification purposes.
"Who doesn't?" Looking over at the other man, Keith asked, "Are we joining in?"
William's eyes were wide. "I don't really know how to fight, but I can pull the bodies away so no one trips over them."
Keith laughed. "Then let's do that."
.
It was an all-out brawl in the street outside the Community Center. Ethan pulled one of the men off Max and knocked him flat before pulling out a spell bag and throwing it at two men approaching from the northern side of the street. Some of the townspeople looked worse for wear, like they'd been contained and gotten free. Others looked like they'd been held in the wings until the Watchers had need of them. However the townspeople had gotten to Main Street, Ethan figured there had to be a least twenty-five people against the six of them. As odds went, they weren't great, especially with everyone throwing around spells like Piñata candy.
Elijah stood back to back with his brother, knocking a woman back off her feet, then tossing a spell bag in her face. It knocked against a protection spell she wore, but a quick second spell bag seemed to overwhelm the protection, and a thick cloud of blue mist surrounded her head. She wilted, falling to the street and lying still.
Keith ran up, grabbed her arms and began pulling her to the side of the street.
"Here!" Elijah called, tossing him a handful of zip-ties.
Nodding, the young man caught them one handed and continued his chore, William watching his back.
Two men came up on JT, but before they could attack, the young man spun around. He was able to kick one away, but the second slammed a fist into his shoulder. Grimacing, JT used all the Winchester stamina he'd inherited from his indomitable father, shoved down the pain and punched the man in the face, knocking him back several feet. Not deterred, the man charged again, only to get a side kick to his knee, knocking the kneecap out of joint. Screaming, the man went down, where JT delivered a bruising punch to his jaw. The attacker didn't get up. The second man, unfortunately, was already back on his feet, and he rammed the young hunter from the side, knocking him down. HT's wounded shoulder hit the asphalt and pain exploded throughout his body. Before he could retaliate, the weight of his opponent was gone, and Ethan had the man by the scruff of the neck.
"You want to finish this?" Ethan asked.
JT rose and growled, "Definitely." Hauling back, he slammed his fist into the man's face. Down he went in a heap. Dazed, the man flailed about a bit before JT tossed a spell bag in his face. A reddish mist wound around the man's head, causing him to choke and gasp as he fell back onto the asphalt.
JT and Ethan stepped hastily back out of the mist's range. "Yeowch," Ethan muttered, wincing.
"Uncle Joshua sure knows how to make a great spell," JT murmured.
"That he does," Ethan stated, turning to knock away a woman who had a spell bag in her own hand. Yanking the bag away, he pocketed it as JT knocked her to the ground.
"Punch her," Ethan warned.
"I know," JT muttered, giving her a punch to the jaw and knocking her out. He hated fighting women, and wished he could picture them as supernatural monsters rather than innocent victims held under Piruz's spell.
William hurried over, dodged one of the townspeople, and pulled the woman off the street toward where Keith was zip-tying another unconscious person to a drainage pipe attached to the Post Office Building. As he turned to head back into the street, a shadow had him swinging around. James walked to the mouth of the alley, watching the battle.
"What are you doing here?" William asked urgently. "You should be lying down."
"My team is out there," James stated, shoving the sling full of spell bags around his neck. "My place is with them." He started out into the street, only to find his arm held in a firm grasp by William and Keith.
"You nearly died," William said fervently. "You're not fully recovered."
"Onida said I was one hundred percent okay," James argued stubbornly.
"After you rest," Keith countered.
"Rest can wait." James gently pulled his arm free and ran out into the street. Coming up behind Max, he used his the butt of his gun to knock the man on the back of the head, then stepped back as he fell.
Max's eyes went wide. "Jimmy?"
"Behind you!" James shouted, then he spun and hurled a spell bag at another man coming up the street.
Max shook his head. "JT's gonna kill me," he muttered as he ducked a spell bag thrown at his head and slammed his fist into the burly man's face. It was satisfying, as he wanted to do that to James right about now. Instead of dwelling on it further, he made it a point to keep the younger man in his eye sights.
.
Inside the Community Center, Onida stumbled through the lobby and down the hallway, crying out, "Help! Help me!" No one emerged from the rooms Cadmael said were being occupied by the three Watchers. Falling dramatically onto the ground outside the first room, she forced her bodily functions to slow and her energy levels to drop, simulating unconsciousness.
The older woman inside the room stared out the door, frowning. Raising a hand, she felt the energy of the person lying there, and found the life signs weak. Was she a townsperson? Closing her eyes, she sent out a call, and a few seconds later the older man had stepped up to Onida, his hand at her throat.
"She is unconscious," the man said.
Frowning, the old woman peered through the doorway just as Onida raised her head and threw an energy orb inside the room. The woman was able to counter the energy quickly, but she wasn't quick enough to stop Onida from taking down the man in the hallway. Rising, the woman's face became a mask of anger and rage as she strode to the door. She threw out a spell at Onida and was surprised to find it blocked by a tall man of Native American descent. The old woman threw another spell, but it was blocked again. Adam wasn't valued by his coven merely for his potion making. He was an adept spell master and had been given the job of guarding Joshua years ago because he'd earned it.
Onida scampered away from the pair and pulled the old man down the hallway. Her way was blocked by a younger woman with long, black hair and the golden skin of South American descent. Quickly she shoved energy at the woman, and wasn't surprised it was countered quickly. If Cadmael didn't finish his spell soon, her energy would be gone in a stalemate. She didn't want to hurt this woman, a woman she knew was Cadmael's wife, but neither did she want to engage in a lengthy battle. She didn't have the energy stores. Pulling in the red and black auras of darkness and fire, Onida pulled the energy into her hands and hurled them at the young woman.
The woman was able to counter one of the reddish-black energy orbs, but not both. The second hit her square in the chest and she dropped like a stone. Hurrying to pull the older man further back into the hall, Onida quickly checked the woman's pulse, and sighed in relief that it was strong and steady. Pulling two pieces of duct tape off her sleeve – a technique Caleb had shown her on a hunt a few months before – she placed the tape over each of their mouths and bound their hands and feet with zip-ties. Neutralizing the three was only the first part of the magical deprogramming, as Cadmael said. Onida would put them to sleep, freeing any conscious effort to fight Cadmael's magic. He would then need to do a spell to free their minds.
Turning, she looked back down the hall to see Adam and the older woman facing off, the sparks and lights of their spells flying back and forth. Soon it became clear that Adam was only drawing out the process to tire the woman out. He was easily countering her moves, though he remained vigilante in the task. Finally he dodged to the side, then flipped an underhanded dark spell at the woman, one that hit her in the chest and knocked her back into the hall door. Slowly she slid down onto the floor, her eyes dazedly half-masted.
Walking forward, Adam said, "Check on Cadmael; I'll secure her in this room, and bring in the others."
Onida nodded and hurried down the hallway into the building's main atrium. There Cadmael was mixing ingredients on the floor, praying and murmuring incantations as he worked. Waiting until he looked up, Onida then said, "They're down."
Cadmael nodded and continued to work.
After a moment of watching the coven leader, Onida dropped down onto the carpeted floor and crossed her legs. A couple minutes later she looked over her shoulder and saw Adam leaning against the doorjamb, his gaze intent on the spell the black-haired coven leader was mixing.
Finally, Cadmael's shoulders slumped slightly and he nodded.
"Ready?" Onida asked softly.
"As I'll ever be," Cadmael murmured. After another moment or two, he straightened his shoulders and climbed to his feet. "Adam, you'll need to protect me from their retaliations should they wake. The wizard will have equipped them with special abilities to protect the binding he placed on them."
Adam nodded.
Turning to Onida, Cadmael said, "I entrust their vital signs to you, energy manipulator."
"I will work to keep them alive."
"Then we must begin." Picking up two bowls and his wand, Cadmael led the way into the room once used by the older woman.
Suddenly the older woman's eyes opened and her lips started to move almost imperceptivity.
Adam, though, had been expecting her to fight and had a spell ready. Stepping forward, he said, "Tunweya najin tallikut," (shield and protect) just as the woman finished her spell. A burst of energy flew from her and smacked into something solid about a foot in front of Adam. Angered, she tried again and again, and each time Adam blocked her spells and prevented her from stopping the coven leader. When another spell came at him, he realized the man was awake and glaring in his direction. He sent a spell of energy draining, and the man's eyes closed, and he went back to sleep. The older woman, however, was not to be deterred, and she was very adept at blocking Adam's sleeping or draining spells. She threw a larger spell at Adam, one that rocked him back on his heels. "Kilinyetikhaiyi," Adam barked, and the spell she'd thrown at him rocketed back onto her, eliciting a cry of pain.
Cadmael was working, his eyes closed. Suddenly he dropped a crystal into the potion bowl and column of light went straight up from the bowl, and like a serpent it wound through the room, settling on the older woman, the old man, and the younger woman. Suddenly the three began to shake, as though their minds were fighting against the magic that had enthralled them. Cadmael continued murmuring, faster and more urgently.
Onida glanced back at Cadmael, then over at the three coven members. She didn't know whether she was supposed to stabilize their bodily functions in the midst of the spell, and whether that would affect the outcome or not. Hesitating, she looked over at Adam, whose eyes were focused on the writhing bodies. Deciding that Cadmael would not have asked her to help keep the three alive if she wasn't meant to help, Onida crawled forward and, focusing on blue, healing light, she touched the younger woman's foot. Immediately the woman took a gasp of air and the shaking calmed. Turning, Onida eyed the coven leader again, but he didn't look as though this interrupted his work, so she did the same to the older woman and the old man.
Suddenly the older woman sat straight up and shouted, "You will not succeed!" and she heaved a massive spell toward Cadmael. Adam leapt into the air, his hands outstretched to block the spell. A concussive boom sounded, and the woman fell back, unmoving.
Onida's eyes went immediately to where Adam lay, and she scrambled over, her heart in her throat. Frantically she reached out for his prone form.
Adam lay still a moment, then shifted slowly onto his side with a grimace. "I'm fine … probably," he mumbled.
Grinning, Onida ran her hands lightly over his body anyway. Finding him bruised and buffeted but in good health, she crawled back to the old woman. Not willing to get too close, in case the woman used another spell, she touched the tip of her toe and felt faint life signs. They were weak, but steady. Pulling at the last remnants of her energy, she sent more blue healing light into the woman's body, then retreated to hunker down near Cadmael. The coven leader looked almost worse than those he was attempting to free, and she needed to be nearby.
Cadmael's face was the color of whey. Sweat ran down his temples and cheeks as he wrestled with the spell that had taken his people. His hands were shaking as they moved over the potion bowl until suddenly, they slowed. Frowning, the coven leader reached out a finger as though he were touching something, then his shoulders relaxed and he smiled. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small packet, then dumped the contents into the bowl.
A glimmering blue light rose up like a ribbon. It curled around Cadmael, then wound its way across the older woman, the man, and the young woman before returning to its source. Only then did Cadmael's hands drop and he slumped forward. "They are free," he murmured, exhaustion in every syllable.
Onida moved over and raised a hand, but Cadmael shook his head. Meeting her eyes, he smiled. "I will be fine soon enough. Do not use your energy on me when there are others more worthy than I."
Adam frowned. "A stronger wizard took your people. You may be unaware, but Piruz has lived for a few thousand years. You could not have prevented the enslavement of your coven, but you had the skill and the power to free them." His eyes went to Onida, then back to Cadmael. "Focus on the fact that they are free, not on how they were stolen."
Cadmael look up, tears in his eyes, and nodded. At that moment a small sigh was heard. Smiling, the coven leader crawled to his wife and pulled her into his arms.
"Cadmael?" the woman murmured. "Where … have you been?"
"On a journey," Cadmael whispered into her hair. "A long journey. But I'm back now."
.
The battle in the Lebanon streets was getting dirtier by the moment. Not many were even taking time to hurl spell bags any longer. Fists were flying, kicks were being delivered, and by some hair was being pulled and faces scratched.
"Ouch!" exclaimed James, as he shoved a young woman away. Touching his face, he felt the wetness of freshly drawn blood. "Damn it! That wasn't nice," he growled. Thrusting a spell bag in her face and holding it there till she fell to the street. Unfortunately, the ten seconds he had taken to hold the spell pouch in place was enough for a man to tackle him from behind. Pushed forward, he and the woman both fell to the ground, him on top.
"Get a room," Max drawled, pulling the man off James' back.
James rolled his eyes, used to Max's inappropriate battle banter.
Clocking the guy on the chin, Max dragged him to the sidewalk, but didn't have time to secure him to anything before an older woman threw a spell bag at him. Dodging to the side, he pulled his tee shirt over his mouth as he ran to avoid the noxious, yellowish mist. He was just readying a retaliatory spell bag when the woman went down to reveal JT standing before her. "Nice. Thanks."
JT didn't have a moment to reply as another woman holding a spell bag attacked. He kept the pouch in her hand by immediately reaching out and clasping her fist shut. "No thanks," he remarked. "I've had my fill today."
Max came up behind her and shoved a sleeping potion bag in front of her face, and she fell.
Ethan swung his fist and knocked a tall man to the ground, then tried to secure his hands and feet, but he was pulled away by a woman whose features were twisted in fury. Instead of gentle handling, he merely punched her too, though he pulled that one a bit.
"You couldn't have just pushed her?" Elijah yelled, throwing a woman who was attacking him back several feet.
"No. Mine's down and yours is coming back like a boomerang. Which was the better tactic?"
Elijah spun around, then hauled off and hit the woman in the jaw, knocking her out. "Yours."
Ethan grinned. "Damn straight."
Joel stumbled by, nearly going to his knees before he growled and charged back at a man who was continuing to swing even though no one was in front of him.
Ethan frowned, watching as the man's strange antics were ended when Joel clocked him. Turning an eye to Elijah, he said, "Chaos?"
Ducking a kick aimed at his head, Elijah shouted, "I'd say yes!"
Daniel clipped a tall man with a scratchy beard. Rubbing his knuckles, he said, "When did sophistication in battle go out the window?"
Dragging a younger man by his feet, Joel laughed and said, "Close quarters, mi hombre." At the side of the street, he zip-tied the youth's hands to the mailbox and dove back into the fray.
JT was rearing back to take down a large, burly man with red hair when all of a sudden, many of the townspeople or coven members suddenly stopped in mid-swing or mid-motion. A few stumbled to the side, some dropped to the ground. Others tottered and stared around them in bewilderment. Some were still swinging at whatever was handy; another person, street lamps or air.
Ethan stared, his mind going back to the fight outside Viceroy's Cabaret.
"The spell on the Watchers must be broken," Elijah said.
"Some are still going at it," Ethan said. Pulling out a spell bag, he shoved it into the face of a man who was about to punch the woman at his side.
"Secure the ones still fighting," JT called out. While Max, James and the other hunters began subduing the aggressors, JT watched as fear and panic began to rise within the crowd. These people were confused and floundering. Having something to do often helped calm people more than anything else. Taking a quick look around, he spotted William. Hurrying over, he asked, "You were raised here?"
William nodded.
"Where can we send these people that's large enough for them to get medical treatment, to maybe sleep off the spells, get something to eat and drink."
William looked panicked for a second, then his eyes widened. "The high school! The cafeteria is large enough for everyone, and if people need to rest, there are gym mats. Plus there's the sleeping bags the sports teams use for away games."
JT looked surprised. "Sleeping bags?"
William looked a little sheepish as he said, "The rural Midwest doesn't have a lot of hotels, and less money. Often on away games the players sleep in the gymnasium."
"Oh, well, that works." After a quick looked down the road, JT said, "The high school is four blocks away. Any ideas on how we can get people down there?"
Grinning wickedly, William said, "How about the school bus?" With a wink, he turned and ran off down Main toward the school.
"Okay, that guy is a budding criminal."
"He said he was devious," Ethan said, coming forward. "We need to establish some control. Want me to do it?"
JT look surveyed the crowd. While the cop approach would usually instill calm, when people were this skittish and under the effects of the Chaos Spell, he thought it might be too much. "No, I'll do it." Casting an eye around, he spotted a fire hydrant nearby and hopped on top. "Attention everyone!" Waving an arm in the air, he shouted, "Over here, people!"
"What's going on?" a woman shouted.
"Who are you?" called another man. "What's happening here?"
More voices were being raised as panic and bewilderment were taking over the crowd.
"Please!" JT boomed. "I know you're confused and we're going to get you the answers to all your questions!"
"Why are there people lying down?" One woman shouted.
"Are they dead?" came an hysterical cry, which sent more people into shouting and others to crying.
"No One is Dead!" JT bellowed. At least, he hoped no one was. Infusing his voice with strength and calm, he continued, "We're going to be busing you all to the high school where you can get some water and some first aid help. If there is anyone around you that needs help, please help them now. Let's get organized, and help our neighbors. All your questions will be answered when we're together!"
The urge to help someone else seemed to calm people as nothing else had, and suddenly the townspeople were helping others to their feet, checking injuries and black eyes. Ethan, Elijah and James started ushering people onto the sidewalk near the Community Center to wait for the bus while Joel, Daniel and Max subdued the rowdier element with either a sleeping potion or a strong arm lock.
Onida stepped outside the Community Center and sent out a soothing energy of calm into the panicking crowd. Adam walked around and used his stoic, calm presence to instill a sense of security.
JT was about to call out another message of calm when Cadmael came up beside him. "Let me," he said. "Many of these people know me." Nodding, he jumped off the hydrant and Cadmael stepped up.
Raising his hands, the coven leader called out, "Everyone! Many of you know me. Everyone is going to get help and some water very soon." Scanning the crowd, he spotted the owner of the diner. "Mr. Watson, could you get some hot soup down to the high school?"
"We'll be paying," Max shouted.
Mr. Watson touched on several people and they started moving to the diner.
Mr. Samuelsson, owner of Ladow's said, "I'll get some drinks," and he ambled off followed by several others who wanted to help.
Soon the thirty-five or so people were helping others, cutting zip-ties where needed and hugging. One woman finally walked over to where JT, James and Max were standing. "My family… Where is my family?"
Max frowned. "Do you remember what happened to you?"
The woman nodded. "I was told to keep silent, or…"
"You're from the diner."
The woman turned to see Elijah, Ethan by his side. Face crumpling, she began to cry.
"Oh, hey," Elijah murmured. Reaching out, he pulled her loosely into his arms as she began to sob. "Hey, you're all right; you're all right."
"Where…" the woman choked out, "are … my family."
Others started crowding around, as though starting to remember what had happened, asking about their families.
"We'll find them," Elijah called out. "I promise."
Ethan stepped over to the Cadmael, Keith and Elena. "Any idea on where people would be held hostage?"
Keith frowned. "The town is small, and there's only a few places big enough to hold a hundred or so people. They aren't in the Community Center, but there's the high school, the United Methodist Church, and the Midway Co-Op Elevator Factory on the southern edge of town."
"William went to the high school," Elena said fearfully.
"He's going to break into the garage and hijack a bus," Keith said. "No one will be held there."
"James and I will check the high school," Max said, stepping forward. "We secured people there when they attacked us."
"We need to divide up," JT said. "Daniel, Joel, why don't you check the elevator Factory. Ethan and Elijah can check the church."
Adam threaded his way through the milling people, Onida using his tall form to ease her way through the throng. When he reached JT, he said, "We're needed at the park," leaving the question of transportation implied.
JT sighed and nodded. The pain in his shoulder was distracting and tiring, and this wasn't over. He was about to respond when screams from entrance to the Community Center sounded, and several people were suddenly rolling on the ground, fists flying. "Great."
Max rolled his eyes and strode over, followed by Joel and Daniel. All three waded into the ruckus in an attempt to separate the brawlers.
"Isn't the enthralling over?" James gripped, following.
JT looked to Adam. "The Tree," they said simultaneously.
"And the Chaos Spell," JT added.
Onida closed her eyes and tried to send some soothing energy into the crowd, but suddenly her head spun and she stumbled. It was JT who kept her from falling. Smiling, she nodded. "Thanks."
"You've used a lot of energy. Can you get some food?"
Eyeing City Hall, which was two building down from where they stood, she wondered if she had the energy to get there.
"I'll go," said Elena, and she hurried away.
Onida nodded and dropped down onto the sidewalk.
JT rubbed at his forehead then sat down next to her.
"I could clear that up for you," Onida offered.
Shaking his head, JT smiled. "No, thanks. It won't clear up until the Tree is gone."
"I know. And when will that be?"
"When we get you to the park, I guess." JT looked up and down the street, but saw no cars, buses, motorcycles, not even a bicycle. "Think there's a midnight bus?"
.
Sam and Caleb were both looking at Dean with identical expressions of horror and astonishment, their mouths handing open.
Shifting uncomfortably, Dean turned to face Death. "Uh, hi." He refrained from saying how are you? Truth was, he didn't remotely want to know; though an irrational part of his brain wanted to know what Death would say. Instead, he asked, "Why are you here?"
"I have unfinished business," Death replied languidly. Turning lightly on his dapper, highly polished shoes, he gave the wizard a very cold smile. "Piruz zadeh Vahid. I have wanted to meet you for a very long time."
Piruz frowned.
The tall, thin man took in the wizard's confusion and chuckled dryly. "Of course. English as a second language … or ninth or tenth, in your case. I'll repeat just this once; laqad 'aradt muqabalatuk lifatrat tawilat jdana."
Piruz frowned. "min 'anat?" (Who are you?)
The elegantly attired man smiled, though not one ounce of humor glinted in his eyes. "almawt."
Piruz's eyes widened comically, and his sense of unconcern and smugness dropped away.
Caleb and Sam both turned to Dean. Caleb's voice echoed in Dean's head: He's scary.
Oh, yeah.
Dean had only met Death once in a small pizza parlor in Chicago with the Apocalypse and a pending hurricane on the horizon. The encounter had been frightening in the extreme, and he'd never wanted to meet the casually dangerous supernatural figure ever again.
"lays ladayk alhaqu fi astihabi. 'ana lm 'amt," Piruz said, his face pale and wan. (You have no right to take me. I am not dead.)
Death merely regarded the man with a curious expression. "la 'ant last kadhalika. kayf madadat hayatuk?" (No, you are not. How have you elongated your life?)
"hadha lays dhu silat," Piruz stated. " ma yuhimu hu 'anah la yumkinuk 'an takhudh shkhsana ghyr mayit." (That is irrelevant. What is relevant, is that you cannot take a person who is not dead.)
"tama tahdid maweid wafatik qabl arbet alaf wathalaithimiayat watisein sanatin." (Your death was scheduled four thousand, three hundred and ninety-seven years ago.)
"walam yahduth dhalik." Pirux gloated. "kan judulk khatyana." (And it did not occur. You're schedule was wrong.)
"jaduli alzamaniu lays khata." (My schedule is never wrong.)
Piruz decided to conceded that point, saying instead, "walakun yumkin takhribuh." (But it can be subverted.)
Death inclined his head. "fi bed al'ahyan." (At times.)
Sam didn't know what the two were saying, but he could tell by the cadence and tone of the conversation, that Piruz was sparing and debating Death. He did not think that was a wise course of action. One did not argue with Death.
"hadha hu mithl hdha alwaqt," Piruz boasted, his confidence rising. "'ana last mytana , ldhlk lays ladayk mutalabat mini." (This is such a time. I am not dead, therefore you have no claim on me.)
Death considered the bound man, then turned away in a dismissive manner and strolled over to where Dean was standing. "I do not have all night, so would appreciate you're tending to your business. There is a new pizzeria by the name of Lucali's in New York. I would like to sample the fare while I am … in town," he finished. When no one moved or spoke, Death eyed each man intently, then sighed. "This may take a bit longer than I'd anticipated." Stepping back a few feet, he snapped his fingers and a high-backed leather chair appeared. Taking a seat, he said, "Come now, Dean. I do not have all night."
Dean swallowed and turned slowly to Caleb and Sam. "Come on."
"With an audience?" Sam hissed.
"He'll see it whether he's here or not," Caleb reasoned.
Sam made a nervous sound. "I feel like we're executing someone."
"We are executing someone," Dean muttered.
"I didn't need you to point that out," Sam snapped.
Turning back to Piruz, all three of them tried to ignore the figure sitting still as … well, death, in his leather chair.
Piruz's eyes narrowed as he regarded Merlin's Warriors. "Hoc ipsum homicidium. Non potes facere." (This is murder. You cannot kill me.)
Though Dean and Caleb had gotten the gist of the words, it was Sam who stepped forward. "Ut putes te occidit, faciemus? Quam quod est praeter te non obtinuit Fratrum in praeteritis; nostris per bonitatem." (So you think we won't kill you? That's how you've gotten past the Brotherhood in the past; using our goodness.)
"Tu honesta hominum." (You are honorable.)
Dean stepped forward, eyes narrowed. He'd definitely caught that last part. While Caleb and Sam were as honorable as they came, he had done things much less ethical. "I'm not that honorable." He would do what he needed to do to spare future generations from having to deal with this monster, especially his children.
Suddenly Piruz muttered a few words and a spell shot out, hitting Caleb squarely in the chest. He flew back several feet. Grunting in pain, Caleb was, nonetheless, back on his feet in a flash.
Dean reached for the wizard, but was thrown back as well. At another word from Piruz, long gashes like those made from massive claws suddenly appeared on Sam's chest. Stumbling back, Sam was kept from falling by Caleb's grip on his arm.
"You good?" Caleb asked as he blocked another spell with the Dragon's Talon.
Sam touched the shirt and his fingers came away red. Growling, he borrowed a phrase from Dean, saying, "I liked that shirt."
Caleb grinned and blocked more spells as he tried to protect Sam as well. "Where did we leave our shields?"
Sam snorted in laughter, a sure sign he was nervous and exhausted. "I think mine is watering the lawn."
"Guess mine is too," Caleb remarked. Reaching out, he blocked another couple of spells. "Stay behind me. The Talon is faster at countering spells that either of us."
Sam nodded and tucked in behind Caleb, but his gaze went to the place where he'd last seen Dean. His brother had dodged another couple of spells and as he watched, a shield sprang up in Dean's hand, blocking another. Shaking his head, Sam marveled at how adept his brother had become at using his Guardian skills.
Dean frowned as he dodged another spell slung in his direction. Piruz was bound in the silver. Was there another way he could use the silver to end this?
Piruz was muttering and throwing spells with such swiftness and accuracy it was truly unnatural. Eyes following the action playing out in front of him, Death casually pulled an ornate watch gold watch from his pocket, the intricate matching chain dangling slightly, and checked the time. A spell flew his way, though it crinkled into smoke a couple inches away. Death merely slipped his watch back into his pocket and rearranged his suit jacket.
A wave of power buffeted Piruz. A quick glance at the tree line showed Joshua, his arms outstretched. "Mage," he hissed vehemently. Ignoring the pain of the spell as well as the witch, Piruz kept his focus on thwarting these three unusual Warriors. He could not believe they would murder him in cold blood. That was not his experience with Merlin's Chosen, and it angered him greatly. If he couldn't count on Knights to do the proper thing, then the world was truly lost. For perhaps the first time ever, he felt fear and a desperation to escape. With a word, Piruz opened a portal and sent it flying toward Merlin's Child, the producer of silver. If the child were gone, then the silver that bound him would, he hoped, disappear.
"Dean!" Sam yelled, and both he and Caleb started to run in his direction.
Dean's eyes widened. Instantly a thick silver spire shot up from the ground. It looked somewhat like a horse's hitching post complete with a silver ring at the top. Grasping the ring, he pulled some moisture into his free hand. At the moment the portal would have engulfed him, he flung out his wet hand and pictured a web of silver. The portal in space abruptly halted a mere six inches away from Dean's boots. The portal and the silver filament merged slightly, with the golden sunlight glimpsed through the window silvering slightly, and the portal winked away.
Piruz's eyes widened in surprise. "ma hdha?" (What is this?)
Death looked on with more interest than a moment before. "Ah, so that is how you escaped," he mused. "A lost art, conjuring cracks in space. Clever."
Joshua had seen the portal go after Dean. This needed to end. Closing his eyes, he called on every ounce of Triad power he had at his disposal. Murmuring a quick incantation, he flung the spell at Piruz.
Power snapped around Piruz's body like the crackle of flame on a log. Back arching in agony and pain, Piruz screamed. Caleb took advantage of the opportunity Joshua had presented him and rushed the wizard.
Sam raced over to where Dean was lying.
"Sonofa…" Dean grunted, pushing himself up off the grass. The moment he let go of the post, it melted into water. Nodding to Sam, he clamored to his feet.
Through the pain, Piruz used every last ounce of strength he had to fling spell after spell at Caleb, but the Dragon's Talon countered every move until finally the Knight was right in front of the wizard. Without hesitation, Caleb sank the Talon deep into Piruz's throat.
Red light flared from the wound as blood poured down the wizard's throat and onto the cloth he'd so painstakingly carried through time, that last remnant of the cloths woven and dyed in his parent's shop. Eyes wide in disbelief, Piruz choked, desperately trying to force air around the blade lodged in his throat.
Breathing hard, weariness and stress causing his limbs to shake slightly, Caleb pushed himself laboriously to his feet. Staring down at the witch who had killed untold numbers of people through the centuries, who had terrorized this town and threatened the world, he whispered, "I should have done that two days ago," as Dean and Sam approached.
Eyes clouding over, Piruz slowly slipped to the grass, and the silver melted away from his body like water.
"Excellent," Death said. Rubbing his hands together, he rose from his comfortable chair, and the chair vanished.
The Triad whipped around, startled. They'd forgotten Death had been watching and waiting. Slowly they backed away as Death approached the body.
"Come along," Death said casually.
As one, Dean, Caleb and Sam's eyes jerked back to where Piruz lay. The thick, grayish figure of a man rose from the body.
Frowning, the wizard glanced around at the Triad of the Brotherhood, then over to Death. After a moment, he looked down and his eyes widened. "la! hdha la ymkn 'an yakuna!" (No! This cannot be!)
Death merely pulled an ornate box from his coat pocket. Opening it, the ghostly figure of Piruz became vapor and poured inside. Snapping the lid shut, Death slipped it back inside his jacket. Finally he inclined his head to the three men standing nearby. "I am off to New York. Good night, Gentlemen." Turning, the figure of Death walked back into the white mist and disappeared. The haze rolled up behind him like a carpet, leaving the park grounds dark, green and empty in his wake.
No one spoke for several minutes until Caleb finally broke the silence. "That, was one, scary, dude."
"You spoke to him during the Apocalypse," Sam murmured.
Dean nodded.
"How did that go?" Caleb asked, turning to eye his friend.
"I'm lucky I didn't soil my shorts," Dean quipped, though his tone was flat.
The silence in the park was almost heavy, a solid weight after the explosions and spells of the battle. In the distance, Dean could still hear activity coming from the town, and knew that Lebanon was still in the throes of battle. This wasn't over yet.
Caleb retrieved his blade and wandered toward the magnificent Tree, getting his first up close and personal look. "Wow," he murmured. "It's … beyond words." Luscious fruit hung from their stems, glowing slightly in the night. Graceful branches sprouted with intensely green leaves, all combining to make the Tree perfect. After the fighting, after... He needed this balm to his soul. "I wish I had paint and a canvas," he mused.
Dean smiled. Caleb was a magnificent Knight and Warrior, with the heart of a poet. When Piruz said honorable, he was talking about Caleb.
"Don't eat the fruit," Sam commented, only to receive an elaborate eye roll from Caleb.
"That ship has already sailed," Dean murmured, staring up at the glorious Tree.
Sam smiled at his brother, then winced slightly as a particularly sharp pain stabbed behind his eyes. His head was pounding again, or maybe still pounding. The fight with Piruz must have distracted him from the pain; not to mention the terrifying experience of meeting Death. Looking up, he said, "There's still chaos going around, if my head is any measure."
Dean swung around quickly. "You okay?"
"Pain, pounding like a migraine," Sam answered as his eyes went to Caleb.
"A jack hammer," Caleb concurred, though his eyes remained on the magnificent Tree.
"Is it the Spell or the Tree?" Sam asked.
"Probably both, unless the Spell died with Piruz," Dean said. "Is that possible?"
"Maybe," Sam said, "but it was tethered to the Tree, not to him. I don't know if a spell dies when the caster dies."
"When Agatha Hennings put that spell on me, it didn't die when she did," Caleb stated, finally turning and walking over to the other two. "Joshua had to counter it with a potion."
"Then let's ask…" Dean turned to see Joshua approaching, Ryker supporting him under the arm.
Caleb hurried to his stepbrother's other side, asking urgently, "Are you all right?"
"Of course I'm all right," Joshua remarked testily. Then as Caleb continued his visual assessment, he admitted, "Tired, I'm very tired."
"Sit down," Caleb said, helping Joshua down onto the grass. After making sure he was all right, he turned to Dean. "I'm going to check on the people…" he made a vague gesture to the people Piruz had used in his spell. They were all still lying in the field.
Dean nodded. When he looked back at Joshua, the older man was staring at Piruz's body. "We'll salt and burn him as soon as we check on the others."
"We'll take care of that," Joshua said, nodding to Ryker. "I want to do a ritual to prevent him from coming back."
"Salt and burning does that."
"For most, yes," Joshua agreed, "but Piruz was an exceptional witch. I wouldn't put it past him to have worked a spell that would enable him to return from death should death ever occur. This ritual will prevent that."
"Oh, all right."
"Before you start," Sam interjected, "can you tell us about the Chaos Spell? Since Piruz completed it, did it die with him, or is it still in play?"
"Still in play, since Piruz tied the spell to the Tree," Joshua said. "When I draw my spell line around the Tree, it should contain and neutralize it."
"The spell you're using to send back the Tree will cancel the Chaos Spell?" Sam asked.
"Part of my spell," Joshua confirmed. "I figured it might be a problem, so I worked the neutralization into the circle portion of my spell. While I suspect the Chaos Spell would have been neutralized once the Tree was returned to Eden, its poor manners to send a compromised Tree back home."
Caleb walked up just then and overheard Joshua's last statement. Grinning, he shook his head. Leave it to Joshua to worry about how something looked. Of course, after spending decades in the Public Relations game, it was probably second nature at this point.
"The people?" Dean asked.
"I checked the ones on this side of the circle. Their pulses are steady, breathing is fine. They look like they're either unconscious or put to sleep."
Ryker asked, "Will neutralizing the Chaos Spell cause pain for any of the people involved in the original spell?"
"Possible, but unlikely," Joshua said with a slight shrug. "I believe they were used in maintaining the spell that bound the Tree, not the Chaos Spell. They were tools, like the people enthralled in Lebanon. My guess is that with Piruz's death, all the townspeople and coven members have been freed, though the Chaos Spell – being bound to the Tree – remains."
Sam looked over at the people lying about on the grass, and said, "We'll gather the people and carry them over to the tree line near the parking area." He, Ryker and Caleb started toward the sleeping victims.
Joshua looked behind him to the tree line, then over towards the town. "Adam and Onida should have been here by now."
"You need them to make all this happen?" Dean asked. At Joshua's nod, he said, "Okay, when we finish taking these people to the tree line, Sam will stay here with you and Ryker, help with the spell where he can. Caleb and I will head into town and bring back Adam and Onida."
"We'll need JT, James and Max as well," Joshua added.
Dean nodded, his eyes drifting to the body of a young woman lying near the Tree. "Maybe we can bring back some help to tend the ones here."
"My advice would be to administer a sleeping draft if they're stable, and leave them for now," Joshua said. "I don't want the townspeople coming to the park until our business is completed."
"Will do." Dean eyed his Advisor and friend, and said, "Get some rest."
After several minutes spent carrying twelve unconscious people to the side of the park, Dean exchanged a few words with Sam before he and Caleb headed for the Impala. Sam and Ryker gathered all of Joshua's gear and carried it out into the park.
When Dean turned the key in the ignition, the welcome purr of the Impala's engine relaxed and comforted him. The evening had been exhausting and unsettling, and it wasn't over yet.
As they backed out of the parking slot, Caleb glanced over at Dean. This had to be one of the most bizarre hunts ever … at least until the next one. But it wasn't every day that Death, actual Death, came sauntering into your presence. It certainly made one consider one's own mortality. As they turned onto US 191, he confessed, "That was the creepiest thing I've ever seen."
Dean nodded, pointing the car toward Lebanon and gunning the engine. "I know."
There was more silence until Caleb said, "I mean, I never thought of Death as being personish, you know?"
Nodding again, Dean merely said, "Yeah." He did know.
"And I've never seen a ghost get out of his own body before." Road noise hummed through the confines of the car. "So … that's a first."
Dean couldn't help it; he huffed out a laugh. "Yeah, that's a first."
After a moment, Caleb added, "Let's not meet up with him again."
Dean smiled, but didn't reply. His first meeting with Death had been the scariest moment in his life, and he had never wanted to repeat that experience. Today, he thought it had been worse. Maybe meeting in a place as mundane as a pizzeria had lessened the impact of whom he was meeting. … No, it really hadn't. But in the dark of night in the middle of an empty park, the impact of Death sitting casually in a high-backed chair was just too creepy to ignore.
There was silence for a bit before Dean said, "You had to do it."
Caleb slumped slightly and stared out the window. "At least I didn't have to execute him."
Dean glanced over. He knew his friend, and knew that simply cutting Piruz's throat would have been against Caleb's Knightly code. That Piruz had fought them had made it easier.
As they approached Lebanon, Caleb said, "Watch out for protection lines."
Dean nodded and stopped a couple miles before entering the town. Getting out, Caleb took a handful of spell dust and blew it out into the air. He climbed back inside and watched, but nothing happened.
"You think the dampeners are still working?"
Caleb shook his head. "No. The lines went back up," he tapped his head. "But it looks like they're down now. Just drive slowly, and I'll continue to let Joshua's spell dust loose."
"I thought Adam made it," Dean mused, putting the car in gear.
"May have been Ryker for all I know. There was a lot of spell making going on."
"Ain't that the truth," Dean murmured. A small spasm went through his body and the car lurched to the side.
"Deuce?"
"Just…" Dean shook his head. "Stupid stuff keeps coming up in my head, then the buzzing…" Gritting his teeth, he refocused his attention on getting to town in one piece.
Caleb nodded. Joshua's potion bag had been helping, but he kept hearing the annoying sound too, though the further they moved away from the park, the better he felt. He hoped Sam was okay.
Baby's tires shed the paved road they approached the dark shadow of Joe's Gas Station at the edge of Lebanon. "Slow down," Caleb said. Leaning out of the car, he let loose more sell dust. After watching it disappear down the road for a moment, he tried again. "Nothing." Settling back into the passenger's seat, he surmised, "Looks like the protection lines are down."
Dean pressed on the accelerator and drove down Main Street. As they passed empty houses and darkened buildings, they drove up slowly on several people milling about the street and apparently heading into a building. He picked out JT standing on the sidewalk, directing people traffic. Smiling, he got as close as he dared, then put the Impala in park.
JT looked over and held up a hand in a wave.
Caleb climbed out and leaned on the Impala's passenger door. "Anyone need a ride?"
.
TBC
Author's Note:
My Guest and summerb7l21 – So sorry to say Death didn't do the deed, Caleb did! But having the Triad kill a human was a concern I also had. But Piruz would never have given up, and Caleb was a valiant Knight protecting the world. In the end, they did what needed to be done. That's the life of a hunter.
Thank you everyone for commenting! I appreciate it more than I can say!