Summary – Hunter arrives in Widows Vale with his mentor Ciaran MacEwan. There he meets his half brother Cal and his girlfriend Morgan, whom he feels strangely drawn to, and is sucked into a cat and mouse game that has played between Ciaran and Selene Belltower for years and on top of it all he is reunited with his cousin Sky who is a Seeker for the International Council of Witches and has been hunting him down for years.
Disclaimer: These are all Cate Tiernans toys. They're just in my playground.
A/N: Hello, sorry it's been a while again, I've just returned to work after maternity leave so I'm a bit all over at the minute, but here I am again continuing to push this story out and I'm sticking to my word that even with a 10 month old and getting married in 5 weeks I WILL finish this story this year! Haha! I still enjoy writing it so I'm not forcing it but its definitely just a case of finding the time. So on with the show, read, enjoy and please leave me your kind words of encouragement!
After speaking with my cousin, I spelled the door to make any witch who were to approach it forget what they were coming in for and turn them around, it was child's play stuff but would buy us a little time.
Then I went to the door at the back of the room, it was hidden behind a bookshelf. It was very cliché but Ciaran was a fan of the classics. I unlocked it and Sky was already on the other side, waiting.
She wrapped her arms around me briefly relieved to see I was safe. "We don't have any time to lose," I told her
She nodded in agreement "You know this place and these people better than I do," she said, "where do we start?"
"Get me to, Ciaran," I said, "We take out every witch we see along the way ready for when the council's team comes,"
Killian pulled himself up, shakily using the bookshelf behind him, "I'm feeling better, let me help," he said, but it was clear that standing was taking great effort for him.
I shook my head, "I'd love you to Killian, but you're still not strong enough," I knew that I could use him in this fight, but I wouldn't risk him if he didn't have the strength, besides it would hinder us more than help.
"I'm not at my strongest, but I'm not useless." he said, "I have to help her, Hunter," he pleaded with me, "she's my sister after all,"
"Sister?" Sky's eyebrows raised
"It turns out, Morgan is Ciaran's daughter," I filled her in
"How is that possible?" Sky asked
"When a man and a woman love each other very much..." Killian began, sinking back to the ground slowly
Sky rolled her eyes and turned back to me, "I'm not sure on the details, Selene decided to just drop the bomb on us, she gave us the cliché bad guy monologue assuming she'd already won." I rolled my eyes she was so sure of herself, "As soon as she said it I'm surprised we didn't figure it out before. It's so obvious, she looks like him, and her powers are strong, especially her binding magick, I've seen her use it on Cal," I told her, "She didn't even know how she knew how to do it,"
"Ancestral memories," Sky mused, "And he's still going to kill her? His own daughter?"
"He doesn't know she's his daughter, Selene's made sure of that, but if I could get to him and tell him first that gives us leverage to at least get her out of here alive."
"Are you sure of that, Giomanach?" she asked
"No, but I hope it will, if anything Ciaran will not let Selene get away with toying with him, and if I know Ciaran, this will be the final straw. It will be the ultimate distraction,"
"Ok then," she put down her bag and pulled out her wand and Athame and then looked at Killian, "Let's help him out a little more, I'll feel better going into this with 3 of us,"
We drew more sigils and murmured some quick healing spells and sent him strength, the Taibhs really did a number on him. It was no wonder I felt so strong.
"That's much better," Killian said, and this I could tell he meant it, his eyes were brighter, his face flushed with more colour, I knew he wasn't at 100%, but I felt a little more comfortable about having him back us up now.
"How's your magick?" I asked
He rubbed his palms together in a showy magician sort of way and pulled his hands apart slightly, he conjured a tiny blue light that fizzled out quickly.
"Shit," he muttered,
"Killian, come on," I said urgently, time was pressing on, I knew now that it had been almost an hour since I felt Morgan's fear.
"I've got this," he said stubbornly, he blew on his fingers and did it again, this time when he pulled his hands apart he successfully conjured a reasonable sized ball of witch fire, he fired it towards a stack of books on Ciaran's bureau and vaporised it.
I was satisfied with the result, "Let's go,"
We cloaked ourselves and went out into the hall. I cast my senses throughout the house, there were 13 witches altogether including Ciaran, Selene and Cal, we had already taken down old Percy so that left us with 12.
Thankfully I could sense Morgan, I could feel her power, just barely, she must be bound but at least she was still alive.
Ciaran, Cal, Selene and two others were in the circle room with Morgan, As for the remaining seven witches, three were in the kitchen and the remaining four were in the sunroom.
"So, what's the plan?" Killian asked
"I have an idea," I said, "Do you think you two can take out the witches in the kitchen and sunroom without me?" I asked
Sky nodded, "I've drawn on the powers of the council and I have Killian's help but if all else fails I have this," she pulled a gun out of the back of her jeans.
"You brought a gun?"
She rolled her eyes, "It's a tranq gun, desperate times, dear cousin, I thought that I may have to do this solo and my magick may not have been enough against all of these witches, but they can't see a dart coming. It's lights out time,"
"These are ruthless, powerful witches, please be careful," I pleaded
Sky nodded, "We will, what about you? Will you be ok without us?" she asked
"Yes," I replied, I was strangely confident about the three of us taking down the coven and right now I only wanted to focus on that task, I didn't want to think about facing Ciaran and Selene yet, "I'll be okay, I promise, I'll be careful,"
The headed off to the kitchen.
I turned back to the library to check on my friend Percy, he was still under the sleeping spell. I drew a couple of sigils on his forehead to bind his powers and strengthen my sleeping spell as a precaution.
I then stripped Percy out of his robes, and took his animal mask from his pocket, his animal was a raven. I put on the mask and robes and walked solemnly towards the circle room.
Inside, the first thing I saw was Morgan laying in a grey robe on a marble table in the centre of the room, my heart caught in my throat and it took all my strength not to let my emotions control me and give anyone a reason to cast their senses and realise it's me.
I looked to my left, Ciaran and Selene were bickering about something, Cal was stood in the corner looking between them and Morgan, he looked almost regretful. Good. I'd make sure he'd be even more so by the end of today. I reined in my emotions so that I didn't draw any unnecessary attention and continued walking across the room.
At least now I could see what was taking so long for the ritual to start. They were officially initiating Cal into Amyranth, he was in his black robe, but they were crafting his mask, even I had never been initiated fully, much to my previous self's dismay I was still considered an apprentice. I wasn't linked to animal and given a mask.
The initiate is given a clay mask and a ritual is performed to search within your soul and find your animal spirit. It sounds very Native American but I can assure you it is nothing like that, this blood ritual is dark and twisted and is quite horrifying to watch, when the spell is complete the clay mask then molds itself to the shape of the animal.
Cal was holding the mold, while Ciaran and Selene argued about whether or not he was ready and whether this was the right time, Selene was pushing for it now as she wanted him to be a full member of Amyranth when they received the powers of sguirs dan. Little did they know they were buying me more time.
I glanced at Morgan again, she looked dazed and confused and I wanted so badly to let her know I was here to help her. Ciaran could be intercepting her messages so I couldn't risk it. I quickly pushed my feelings aside and continued with the mission.
I walked over to the other two witches in the room, they were talking amongst themselves, gossiping about the bickering going on. The masks on these witches were of a Jackal and a Cobra, I knew they belonged to Francis Haire and Magnus Myres.
I bowed my head towards them in greeting and with the best impression of Percy I could muster up, I uttered, "It would appear that this may continue for some time, perhaps we should meet with the others in the sunroom and await for their instruction?"
Magnus tutted, "They've been at this for almost an hour, are we stripping the girl tonight or not?"
"Perhaps you should interrupt them and ask?" Francis challenged him
"Selene has too much of a problem with authority, Ciaran is in charge around here, this should be an open and shut argument," Magnus slammed shut an ancient looking book of shadows.
"Ciaran may be in charge but they are equal in power, he is right to tread carefully, one wrong move and we will have a new leader, personally I would rather follow Ciaran than Selene, she will work more towards her own personal gain than for the good of Amyranth,"
"I've just been relieved of my guard duty and I've been informed that Jean has opened a bottle of Merlot in the sunroom, perhaps we should go have a glass and discuss this out there rather than in here. We could reconvene in a few minutes and give them an opportunity to get it all out of their system,"
"Beats standing around here," Magnus agreed and followed me out into the corridor with Francis right behind.
With my back to them I quickly cast the sleeping spell that I used earlier on Percy, on Magnus, who was the stronger witch of the two, I heard the thump of him hitting the ground, "What the hell?" Francis exclaimed, I turned quickly feigning shock but before he could work out what had happened, I had quickly recrafted the spell again and Francis collapsed beside him, I drew the binding sigil on each of their foreheads and dragged them to one side.
I hurried to the sunroom where Killian and Sky were, they were good, all the witches were bound, Sky had also retrieved her bag and was putting a braigh on each of the sleeping witches. I noticed one or two of them had a tranquiliser dart in their necks.
I pulled off my mask, "There's two more out in the hall," I told her,
"What's the situation in there?" Killian asked
"Morgan is fine, for now, Ciaran and Selene have taken it upon themselves to grant us more time," I answered
"So they're bickering again?" he knew what they were like when they were together too.
"Sky, how long before the council get here?" I asked
"I contacted them a moment ago, they'll be here in about 2 hours,"
"That'll be too late, looks like we're on our own," I breathed a sigh, I looked down at the witches at our feet, "Pick a robe," I said.