Hey Guys! And so another Monday comes by and with it the upload of the final normal chapter. Don't worry there is still one more to read as I have added an epilogue, however to spread things out the epilogue will be uploaded tomorrow night.
Thank you to everyone for your comments and questions, some of which will be answered in the Author's notes.
But for now here we are Chapter Ten….
CHAPTER TEN – F-f-fan?
Ettore, either realizing what he had done, or not wanting to be caught made to run towards the exit.
"I don't think so," Philippe said extending his fingers and freezing the elder vampire.
Karlia meanwhile was at Constant's side. The poor man was overwhelmed with sorrow.
"Mother, mother!" he cried shaking her as though this alone would wake her up.
Naturally, it didn't.
"Don't die mother, please don't die!" Constant wailed.
Philippe walked over to Karlia and tapped her on the shoulder beckoning her over.
"What?!" she whispered back demandingly.
"I know this is bad timing," Philippe started sympathetically. "But Ettore won't stay frozen for long. We need to get Constant to…"
"Are you crazy?!" Karlia yelled forgetting the close proximity to her boyfriend. "He just lost his mother Philippe! You really think he's going to be thinking about killing his father!"
At that Constant, who was cradling his mother's head, placed it back down and stood to face the two.
"No Karlia," he replied. "He's right."
"But Constant," Karlia interjected. "Your mother…she's…"
But try as she might she couldn't bring herself to say the words.
"I know," Constant replied. "But that doesn't make Philippe any less right. If we don't kill father we can't vanquish Katya and if we can't vanquish Katya, Mother's death…will be for nothing."
Karlia swallowed hard. She knew logically speaking that he was right and naturally he would want vengeance on anyone who killed his mother, their relationship and its closeness had been clearly evident. She knew he would eventually have to grieve, but if he was ready to do this now, who was she to stop him?
"How long will he stay frozen Philippe?" Constant enquired.
"I don't know," Philippe replied. "It's unpredictable, really."
Reaching down Constant picked up the stake that he had tossed aside earlier and looked at Philippe and his girlfriend with a murderous gleam in his eyes.
"Then I must do what needs to be done," he replied.
Constant walked over to Ettore and looked him up and down. It felt so precarious to be placed in this situation. Killing any parent seemed so wrong to him, especially after the century they had getting closer together. But this was not the man he knew, loved and respected. This man standing in front of him was nothing more than a stone-cold killer, willing to do anything including killing his wife to get to where he wanted to be.
"How dare you," Constant whispered darkly.
With one last look of loathing at his father, Constant pulled his stake back and with a forceful jabbing motion pierced it through his father's heart.
But Ettore didn't fall, nor did he look drained. If anything he looked completely normal.
"Don't tell me he's immune!" Philippe cried, rushing over to Constant.
Karlia in-toe rolled her eyes.
"No Philippe," she replied. "He's frozen. Believe it or not, you actually need to be the one to finish him off."
And then it dawned on him. Of course Ettore wasn't dead. Being in this frozen state was simply delaying the inevitable.
Normally in the case of a demon it would be only too easy to unfreeze the man and send him to hell. But Philippe had never killed anyone that wasn't a demon and as far as he was concerned vampires were neutral so this was no easy kill at all.
He turned to Constant.
"You ready?" he asked solemnly.
"I don't think I ever will be," Constant replied. "But this man is not my father. He crossed that line when he killed my mother."
Philippe placed his hand in Constant's reassuringly.
"You just say when ok?" he asked.
"Now Philippe," Constant replied. "Do it now."
Still holding tightly to the vampire, Philippe put his arm out, before putting his hand down and slowly bringing it back up.
Everyone's reaction was completely different.
On pure instinct Philippe flinched into Constant's chest not wanting to see the damage he had caused. Karlia looked on at Ettore horrified and Constant stared at his father almost wanting him to know, it was him who finally staked the man who had lived for over two centuries.
Unlike with Allyria, flames grew from the ground surrounding Ettore. The higher they grew the more he screamed out in pain until finally they had consumed him completely. With one final piercing yell the flames died to reveal nothing more than ash.
Philippe burst into tears though held Constant tightly. Karlia also wrapped her arms around him as the threesome cried their eyes out.
Turning his head Philippe noticed the ashes that were once Ettore now blowing away as though a gust of wind had suddenly appeared in the room and all too soon there was no sign of him at all. Stepping out of the embrace to leave the love-birds for a moment alone, Philippe headed back towards the entrance.
He could hardly look in Allyria's direction it was just too painful. He may have only gotten to know her quite briefly, but the impact she'd had on him, even then, had been profound.
Just as he passed the body, something caught his attention. It was the stake that Ettore had used to kill her. Clearly. fleeing in a panic had meant he had left it behind. Philippe took a look at it. It was definitely different to the ones they had used at the Power Port. This one, though clearly still wood, seemed to be colored silver. Philippe picked it up and began to inspect it.
If not for the silver coloring everything seemed normal until he found an inscription on one of the sides.
Ad vos nasci denuo it read.
"Great," Philippe whispered to himself. "The one time I wish I did know Latin."
Pocketing the silver stake, Philippe made a mental note to discuss this with Leo as soon as possible. After all, the cries coming from Constant now as he rushed over to his mother's body were so profound it felt like Philippe was being stabbed with the item he'd just pocketed.
"*"
Meanwhile Selena, Matt and Leo found themselves down in the basement, which of course Leo recognized from where he first saw Katya with Karlia.
"Who the hell is that?" Selena asked Leo.
What she had noticed was a plump good-looking woman in an all black dress with matching black stilettos talking to Katya. Her onyx and silver snow flaked necklace sparkled so brightly it was hard not to notice her.
"I have no idea," Leo replied. "I've never seen her before."
The two women started talking louder and now it was easy to hear what they were saying.
"Well that's not my fault Katya," the woman was saying. "I lead you to the jewel. Just because you screwed up the plan doesn't mean I don't get my end of the bargain."
"Hold your tongue Chessie!" Katya snapped. "Lest I split it for you."
The woman took long strides pacing the room as though without a care in the world for Katya's threats.
"You don't scare me Katya ok?" she replied. "I have everything I need to make it on my own anyway. All I need from you is to uphold the agreement."
"The agreement," Katya spat back. "Was that I would claim the jewels powers and…"
"No, no," The woman interrupted taking a rolled-up scroll from out of her bustier and opening it. "As per the contract you signed in blood I remind you…"
She cleared her throat and began to read.
"Provided vampire Chessie leads demon Katya to the jewel she will own 10 of the demons minions."
She showed the paper to Katya now.
"See?" she said. "Signed and dated in blood and you know what that means."
Selena turned to Leo.
"I don't," she whispered angrily realizing something else she didn't know. "What does it mean?"
"Faustian deals made with evils blood are binding," Leo replied. "If the demon doesn't hold up their end of the bargain they die."
"Just like that?" Selena asked perplexed.
"Yep, just like that."
Meanwhile Katya looked at a loss for what to do. But without thinking a second longer she clicked her fingers and 10 minions appeared.
"You have all served me well my dears," Katya said as she addressed them. "But you will now leave me and serve this lady."
As disdainful as the end of her message seemed Chessie didn't care at all.
"Yes come-come," she said to them all. "We have much to do."
With that Chessie jumped up to the highest window and then she was gone.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Katya asked them sharply. "To the vampire queens castle now, away."
All 10 did as they were told shimmering out almost instantaneously. At the same time Selena turned to Leo.
"Well we're here, she's alone…" Selena started.
Leo looked concerned, but Matt soothed him.
"Don't worry Leo," he said. "I've got her back. You go and get Philippe and Karlia, let's end this."
Without needing another word Leo orbed out to find the others.
"*"
"Guys we need to-" Leo started as he orbed in, but stopped when he saw Philippe, Karlia and Constant huddled together. "Where's…?"
He looked around for Allyria fearing the worst.
"Dead Leo," Philippe replied, now standing and walking over to his boyfriend and hugging him. "Ettore killed her."
"What?" Leo choked, shocked to hear it. "How?...why?"
"Later," Philippe replied, trying desperately hard to pull himself together. "Did you find Katya?"
"But Philippe-" Leo started.
Philippe however wasn't listening.
"Did you find Katya?" he asked again.
"Yes," Leo replied, wiping away a tear that had now escaped his eyes. "She's with Selena and Matt."
"Well then," Philippe started looking at Karlia. "We have to go."
Karlia stood up and shot daggers at Philippe through her eyes. If looks could kill Philippe knew he wouldn't be standing anymore.
"We?!" Karlia asked. "You're kidding right? You want me to leave Constant here when-"
But Constant took her hand and stood up looking directly at her.
"Karlia, I appreciate what you're doing, really I do," he started. "But for mother's death to not be in vain, you have to go. You know they can't do it without you."
"He's right," Leo interrupted. "It's a power of three spell Karlia."
Karlia looked for a moment like she would object again. But the longing in Constant's face changed her mind.
"Ok my love," she replied looking up at him. "For you."
Constant gave Karlia a quick kiss and then she raced over to Philippe.
"I know this isn't easy for you," he said.
"Let's just go now, before I change my mind," she replied.
Not needing another word, Leo wrapped his arms around the pair and orbed them to the basement.
"*"
Once they arrived the first thing they heard was a loud crash followed by Selena screaming.
"Matt!" she cried, not at all noticing the others.
As they looked over everyone could see that Matt was face down on the floor, presumably flung against it by Katya. Speaking of Katya the woman smiled evily as she looked down at him.
"And stay down," she whispered darkly. "Betray me again and you'll be sorry."
As she looked up she noticed and immediately recognized Karlia, but didn't know who the others were.
"Oh my dear," she smiled fakely. "You've returned. How…delightful."
"Is it?" Karlia asked, no longer intimated by her. "No, I just wanted you to meet my friend here."
She smiled as she pointed to Philippe as though introducing a colleague to a friend.
"Charmed," Katya replied smiling rigidly.
"Katya," Philippe replied. "It's about time we met."
"A fan?" Katya replied sarcastically. "I'm sorry my dear I think I misplaced my pen."
"F-f-an-n?" Philippe sputtered laughing. "Hardly. No, I admire your reasoning to work with other breeds but besides that Ms I'll-destroy-empires-and-crumble-cities-and yet can't even open Pandora's box, no I don't find you to be anything less than a bug on everyone's shoulders."
"A bug huh?" Katya smiled enjoying his wit. "Well maybe you'd like-"
"What I'd like you can't give me," Philippe snapped, extending his arms and freezing her.
Looking around he noticed Karlia standing behind him, Selena meanwhile had bravely picked up Matt and dragged him over to Leo without Katya even noticing. Philippe looked back at Karlia smiling.
"Oh," she replied glaring. "You finally done taunting the demon?"
"Hey," Philippe replied. "It been over 10 years since that whole Pandora's box thing. Someone had to tell her how it is."
Before Karlia could even respond Selena came rushing over.
"Ok spell, spell," she rushed handing a sheet of paper with the incantation on it to each of her friends.
"Potions?" Philippe asked them.
"Check," Karlia replied.
"Ok then let's toast this demon," Philippe finished. "For Allyria."
"For Allyria," Karlia agreed.
"So how do we do this?" Philippe asked. "All three at once or one after the other?"
"One after the other," Selena replied. "Me, you then Karlia and then the spell."
"Ok," Karlia replied. "Let's do this."
Selena threw her potion at Katya it hit her and fell to the floor smashing, as smoke rose out of it Philippe threw his potion. This time the smoke turned into flames that surrounded her and finally when Selena threw her potion something completely different happened.
Out of the leaping flames materialized three ghosts. The first one was a teenage male, the second undoubtedly a mother-figure and the third…
"Grams?!" Philippe cried out in shock.
"Mom?!" Selena yelled surprised.
"Toby?!" Karlia cried.
The three ghosts glided over to what was clearly their counterparts.
"Toby! What are you doing here?!" Karlia asked.
"The spell requires a member of each family that has passed on," he replied smiling.
"Spell?" Karlia replied shocked. "You know about us?"
Toby smiled back at her, the calm I'm always there for you smile she recalled from her younger days before tragically a car accident had taken his life.
"Of course I do sis," he replied. "I'm always watching over you."
Meanwhile Selena was just plain stunned and had no idea what to say. Her mother glided closer taking the lead.
"Selena," she smiled. "It's so good to see you."
"It's-" Selena replied, her voice breaking. "Good to see you too mum."
Selena's mother had only recently passed. It was a week before her birthday which was also a week before she had become a power of three member. One day, just like that, she'd had a heart attack and was gone. With her father having walked-out when she was 6, Selena had no other parental figures and her mother's passing had been quite hard on her.
"It's good to see you to my darling," her mother replied.
Philippe however was in several different frames of mind, least of which was the shock and surprise at his Grams being here. He didn't know what to say to her, what to ask or even what to do. Unlike the others Philippe's Gram's had lived a very long life and only passed away 2 months before he became a member of the power of three at age 69. She'd had a good life but eventually just couldn't hang on anymore and Philippe had been her executor and the one with the responsibility to pull the plug.
"It's ok Philippe," his Grams replied almost knowing what he was thinking. "I lived a good life and it's good to see I have passed down my gifts to you."
"You?" Philippe asked surprised. "I thought I got my gift from Piper?"
"Ah the power to freeze yes," his Grams admitted. "But the power and privilege of being a witch – that came from me."
Philippe didn't know how to respond to that so he simply smiled up at her.
"I see you correctly answered the password to my vampire kit," his Grams smiled.
"I did," Philippe smiled back. "Ingenious idea to use Daniela as the question."
"Tennis always was our life my dear," Grams replied. "But now of course this has taken over. I only ask one thing Philippe."
"Name it Gram's," Philippe said in return. "I'll do anything."
"Try to live as normal a life as possible," she finished. "Magic is special, wonderful and enchanting I know that, but life goes on in the mortal world also."
Once again Philippe smiled up at her, but Gram's now looked at Leo who was standing by his boyfriend.
"You've got a wonderful boyfriend there Philippe," she continued.
"I know I have," Philippe replied smiling at him. "He's an angel."
"And Leo," she said addressing him. "Head Philippe's advice will you? A white lighter is only as good as his own gut instinct allows him to be. As Rosevelt once implied no one can control you without your consent. It's a good lesson to keep in mind."
"Thank you Ms Thompson I will remember that," Leo replied.
"Please dear, call me Gram's," she smiled. "After all if you two one day-"
"Grams!" Philippe interrupted. "We only just got together!"
By now the trio had caught the attention of the others which had them fall silent. Selena was the first to speak.
"So, what happens now?" she asked.
"Well Selena," Gram's replied. "Once you say the spell the three of us will take her to where she is destined to go."
"The spell you have," her mother interjected. "Will keep her there with no possible way to return whatsoever."
At that Philippe took Selena's hand, who in turn took Karlia's and the three stood together reading the spell.
Hear these words
Hear this rhyme
Spirits from the other side
Take Katya's immortality now, we dismiss her
Keep him/her over the great divide.
A great gust of wind picked up and the three ghosts circled Katya. Then faster and faster they circled as she became unfrozen.
"No!" she cried. "What are you doing?"
"It's time for you to go back where you belong demon!" Grams yelled out in a voice frightening even Philippe.
With one final cry from Katya a vortex opened up in the ground below her and swallowed her whole.
The gust of wind died instantly and everyone took a breath before noticing their counter-parts facing them once more.
"Keep safe," Toby said smiling at his sister.
"A witches power is a blessing, embrace it," Selena's mother said.
"But also have a balance of normality," Grams finished.
"Blessed be," they all said together and slowly but surely faded away.
As Philippe watched his Grams fade away he felt sad, but also knew he would enquire as to how to conjure her if ever he needed her wisdom. Just as Grams was about to disappear completely she yelled out.
"Don't forget the stake!"
And then like the others faded to nothing.
"*"
With the basement now cleared of everyone bar the Power of Three Matt and Leo, everyone seemed at a loss for what to say. With Katya gone it should have been a pleasure filled moment. They'd met their objective after all, but none of them could think about that right now.
Selena was focused on Matt who was developing a huge bruise on his back as well as a scar on his arm.
"Don't worry," he said faintly to her. "I told you, I'm a quick healer remember?"
"But it's not going away honey," Selena replied. "Maybe Leo should-"
"I tell you what," Matt interjected. "If I'm not fully healed by tonight, Leo can do whatever he needs to ok?"
Selena smiled. She appreciated where he was coming from on both a wolf front and a masculine one also and helped him up.
"Philippe," Karlia said at last, taking him out of his over analytic brian. "What did your Gram's mean when she said don't forget the stake?"
She looked worried and feared Philippe trying to stake Constant. Despite knowing he wouldn't on principal alone, she hadn't heard what his Gram's had said to him and if she had a convincing enough story from her, Karlia could say goodbye to her relationship.
"Oh!" Philippe recalled, taking the silver stake out of his pocket. "Leo, this is the stake the killed Allyria-"
"What?!" Selena yelled out.
"Allyria's dead?" Matt asked clearly freaked out.
Leo however took the stake and had a look at it while Karlia explained what had happened earlier to the others.
"See this side here," Philippe was explaining to Leo. "That's definitely Latin, but I have no idea what the hack it means."
"Ad vos nasci denuo," Leo read aloud. "Philippe where did you find this?!"
"It was lying next to Allyria's body," he replied.
"Why?" Karlia asked, having now finished explaining to the others and being intrigued by Leo's response.
"Well the literal translation is To be born again," Leo replied. "This is a special stake it was formed by the Roman gods centuries ago."
"Could it help Allyria?" Karlia asked hopefully.
"It might," Leo replied. "It just might."
"*"
"Well, out with it," Karlia demanded. "We don't have all day."
"Long ago when vampire first roamed the world the gods believed that there would come a time when a vampire would be staked that deserved another chance," Leo began. "Some factions believed a curse would prompt a dark vampire to kill a light one, while others were determined to believe that not all vampires would be a threat to humanity and that some would actually be saviors."
Leo looked at the stake turning it over and over in awe as he continued.
"But there was a faction that believed vampires could never be good, kind and benevolent and so arguments began over what to do. Finally they came up with this stake as a compromise and hid it in an undisclosed location to be discovered by whomever free will determined it to be."
"Free-will is a person?" Selena asked skeptically.
"No Selena," Leo replied. "Free will is as we know it to be today the ability to act at one's own discretion. Legend has it that whomever weilds the stake may use it only once for a temporary kill and then use it again when they are ready to revive the temporarily deceased."
"Which is why Allyria never faded to dust like Ettore," Philippe recalled.
"Exactly," Leo replied.
He turned to Karlia and handed the stake to her.
"Karlia, if Ettore staking Allyria was the first time this stake was used then she actually can come back."
Karlia's eyes widened. How could it be that these god's would know of this terrible fate that had befallen Allyria.
There was only one thing left to do.
"Leo," she said. "We need to get back to Constant, right now."
With Selena back to nursing Matt, Karlia put her free hand down to touch her orbing the three of them back to Constant. Philippe and Leo quickly followed.
"*"
Constant meanwhile was still hunched over his mother's body when Karlia orbed in.
"Constant," she started. "I-"
But her boyfriend wiped the tears from his face and walked over to her looking quite grim.
"Did you," he started weakly. "Did you get her?"
"Yes my love," Karlia replied. "We did. But there's more."
Constant looked down at the stake Karlia was holding and raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't that the stake that my father used to kill my mother?" he asked.
Just then Leo and Philippe orbed in and without waiting Leo spoke directly to the man.
"Constant, what do you know about the cycle-stake?" he asked.
Karlia looked at Selena as both mouthed the words they hadn't yet heard was the name of this object.
"It's a-a legend!" Constant replied competing heavily between sketisim and hope. "Father told me about it many times. It was something he could only dream of discovering. Apparently it was named for it's use as the cycle-stake is meant to bring back the first killed."
Then it dawned on him.
"Y-you don't mean…?" he stammered. "You can't m-mean…"
He turned the stake over in his hands finding the Latin phrase Leo had read before.
"So…it's true?" he stammered again in disbelief. "It actually does exist!"
"Yes Constant," Leo replied smiling. "It does and if your mother was the first to be staked by it…"
Constant's eyes widened and looked at the stake as the entire revelation hit him.
"We have to stake her!" he cried, smiling hopefully as Karlia wiped away an escaping tear at his joy.
"But isn't that what we're trying not to do?" Matt asked looking up at his beloved.
"Normally yes," Selena replied. "But this is a special stake sweetie. You rest up."
Matt smiled and closed his eyes comforted by his girlfriend's touch.
Constant strode over to his mother and Karlia followed him. As great as the news was she knew there was no way it would be easy for him to get the job done.
She wasn't wrong either.
Determination left his eyes as he got to his mother's side and he looked at Karlia.
"If you didn't know any better," he started. "You'd think she's sleeping."
"Sometimes it's the ones that are asleep that need to be awoken before the miss the beautiful day ahead," Karlia smiled sweetly.
Constant nodded in appreciation.
"Please don't leave my side Karlia," he said.
"I never will," Karlia promised. "I'll always be there."
With that Constant threw his arm up into the air and brought the stake crashing down into his mother's heart.
Gasping furiously Allyria opened her eyes.
"Quick Leo, heal her," Philippe cried.
Leo didn't need telling twice and he rushed over to Allyria, pulled the stake out and healed the wound instantly.
"See honey?" Selena asked Matt turning his head so he could see. "That's called white-lighter healing."
Matt smiled up at Selena as Leo stepped back to allow Constant and Karlia a moment with Allyria.
Philippe walked over to his boyfriend and hugged him.
"It's good to be neutral sometimes isn't it?" he asked his boyfriend.
"Yeah," Leo replied. "It really is."
"*"
Naww what a nice way to end the chapter.
So what did you think? Pretty please review and let me know.
Tomorrow night I'll upload the epilogue. Till then my friends xoxo.