Episode 17 Part 2
Where is the power?! Peter demanded. Show me!
Never! Refused Stephen upside in the air.
What are you doing to him? Panicked Rebecca bound to a tree watching helplessly. Don't do this Peter. Please.
But Peter ignored her. She could do nothing but scream out in pain as he drew a line down Stephen's back and he cried out in pain. "No!" his wife cried out in horror.
Aurora sat up hyperventilating. Ice spread slowly over and above the floor as she struggled to keep herself together. She sat out of bed and walked to the window, crying softly. She touched her mothers' pendants around her neck, thinking of them, of Diana too. Everything was so clear now. She had a gut-tearing feeling about the truth behind her parents' murder for months but didn't want to believe them. But what she saw in her head couldn't be ignored.
"Aurora…" mumbled the shirtless Marcus as he sat up off the bed. He saw her standing in front of the window. "Are you okay?" Aurora wouldn't meet his eyes. He sensed the physical state of her quivering body. He stepped off and walked over to her. "Hey," he cupped her cheek and steered her slowly to meet his eyes. "It's okay. I'm right here. Please tell me what you saw,"
A tear left her eye. "I know who killed my parents," her voice dropped.
"Who?" Marcus asked desperately. "Please tell me. Who?"
At Gillian's house, witches had gathered.
"You sure you saw Aurora?" asked Sylvia seriously.
"Absolutely. I didn't see her face but I know that what I saw was her with that human," Gillian answered with a deep repulse.
"We need to strike and take that child before they leave," a witch demanded, earning nods and approvals.
"Won't we attract attention and expose ourselves to humans?" questioned another.
"We need to find out how to take that approach before they go off the grid," said Sylvia wisely. "And we need to get our hands on Aurora and that human,"
"What do we do to the human?" a male witch asked.
Sylvia crossed her arms. "We'll need to kill her,"
The male witch didn't approve. "Isn't that a bit extreme? Surely a spell to take away her memories is more humane than just killing her. And what would happen if words get out of her disappearance…"
Sylvia silenced him with a cold glare. He glued his lips together. "Doesn't matter what happens to that human. It's Aurora and the child that matter. We strike now when we have the chance,"
"Sylvia, this is going too far," another witch disapproved. "Haven't we done enough work for Peter Knox? He should be dragging us into his problems,"
"He is a member of the Congregation," Gillian spoke again, ignorantly. "He knows what's best for us and what we should do to ensure witches stand higher over other creatures. The sooner we get that book, the sooner all vampires can be wiped off the face of the earth,"
"And just how is wiping out entire races the necessary course of action?" more witches were disagreeing with Sylvia and Gillian much to their chagrin.
"It is done. We have our orders. And that's final. Unless you all want Peter Knox to see you as traitors like Diana and her freak of a sister. Is that what you all want?" Sylvia's sinister words gave her power over the witches. They were scared. The Congregation's threats were too precarious to neglect or disobey.
By 8 am the following day, at Marcus's house, he and Aurora had packed their bags. After revealing to him the horrible vision of the past, she had dreamed about, she couldn't bear to talk about it for a long moment. As they piled their suitcases in the living room, he noticed that she was rather quiet. Her heartbeat was beating numbly and she looked scared. "What's wrong? What are you thinking about?"
Holding her worries back, Aurora faced him, holding his hands and pursing her lips. "In the hospital room, Knox said…that if I handed myself over, he might consider leaving Margeret alone,"
Marcus shook his head. "No. No. I won't let you give yourself in," he clasped her shoulder and cupped her cheek. "I can't let him kill you too,"
"Marcus if I do this, he'll leave our friends alone. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to them,"
"You think he would keep his word? He cares for no one but himself. He's just trying to goad you into giving yourself up so Margeret won't have any protection from you. You cannot give yourself in. He will kill you and I couldn't bear it. I love you," his fingers traced under her wet eyes as tears fell. "And I am not gonna lose you,"
"I love you too Marcus," Aurora pressed her lips to his mouth and they melted into a moment of fidelity and romance.
Thomas and Agatha gathered the bags in the living room whilst Nate and Sophie had a quick early breakfast. "All packed," she panted. "Has Phoebe gathered everything from her house?"
"I've texted her and she said she'll meet me a few blocks away. I really hope I'm not putting her in danger like this,"
"Trust me. Sept Tour is the safest place for her now," the wise daemon assured. "You deserve to be happy Thomas for all you've done for my family. I don't know how I can ever repay you,"
"Becoming your granddaughter's godfather is more than enough," he said gratefully. "Hamish will be here soon in a taxi. I'm gonna go and collect Phoebe. I'll be back in a bit. You okay here for a while?"
"It's no problem at all," Nate assured. "We're so glad Phoebe is coming with us. You've made an excellent choice," he praised. "And I hope you don't mind. Some of our friends were heading over to Oxford to give us a surprise visit but they don't know we were leaving today. Is it okay if they see us off?"
"Won't hurt. We'll have the knights watching over us so we should be fine. I'll be back in a while. Hamish will be here any second now," Thomas departed through the door to get his new partner.
Phoebe walked through Oxford carrying two bags and pulling a suitcase. She came to the street where Thomas would meet her. She waited patiently. Behind her, a pair of dark eyes saw her. They retreated behind the wall.
The pretty human texted on her phone when she heard something rattle. She flashed her head around. She didn't see anything. Whoosh! She turned around. Again nothing. Trying to pretend everything was all right, she felt a cold shiver crawling up her spine. Someone was close by. "Thomas?" she spoke out. "Is that you?"
Thomas was walking down the streets. He suddenly stopped. Phoebe's voice shuddered and startled, echoed in his ears. It was dominated by fast swooping and gurgling snarls. "Phoebe," he shot off.
Phoebe became scared every second. "Whoever you are, come out now,". She heard nothing. "Thomas, if this is a joke, it's not funny," she felt a presence across the street from her. She saw a dark-clothed figure but the face was hidden by a hood. "Thomas…" she heard gurgling. It leapt at her.
Thomas appeared out of nowhere and tackled the vampire. They brutally fought in blurs of claw-like fingers and lashes. As he fought the blood-raged vampire, Thomas cried out: "Get out of here Phoebe!" Phoebe stumbled back but wouldn't move. "Go!"
Phoebe grabbed her things and made a run for it, looking back and watching as the blood-raged vampire tried to escape but Thomas chased after it. Hyperventilating, she hurried towards his sight, feeling she might be sick from the awful sight she had just watched, watching two vampires fight so savagely like that.
Domenico walked his way through Oxford, to find Marcus's house. He stopped. Savage fighting rang through his ears from two blocks away. He turned right and flashed forward in a blur.
Marcus and Aurora were making their way when they suddenly saw Phoebe rushing up to them, pale and petrified.
"Phoebe, what's wrong?" Aurora rushed forward to hold her forearms.
"Thomas is in trouble. A vampire came out of nowhere. He would have killed me but Thomas leapt in and now they're fighting,"
Marcus was shocked. "The blood-raged vampire. Get to the Wilsons!" before Aurora could stop him, he sped off in a blur. Phoebe cried a little, scared for Thomas's life.
Aurora hugged her. "It's gonna be all right," she soothed, stroking her hair. "It's gonna be all right,"
Thomas pursued the vampire through the street trying to catch him. He grabbed his shoulders and pinned him to a wall. He saw a pair of blue eyes but no hood. "Who are you?" He tried to unmask him but he was kicked backwards into a wall and the vampire started clawing his chest. He fought back but the more violently his opponent struck at him, the more he felt his inner darkness taking over him. He couldn't hold back. To defeat his blood-raged challenger, he would have to become but he vowed to hide.
With a savage strike, he lunged at the vampire and pinned him down, swiping his hand across his face. He cried in pain but he rolled him over and pinned him down again, he tried to claw his face but Thomas roared and like a leopard launched him into some bins and he was knocked down, done for. He wanted to kill him for attacking his beloved. But as he raised his hand, the control his blood rage held over him withered. He saw Phoebe in his head, kind, gentle, compassionate…everything he in his savage state was not right now. He couldn't do it. He snarled like a savage and stood back, breathing in and out like a hungry hyena.
Domenico hidden in the corner saw his behaviour. His lips parted in shock. A de Clairmont infected in cold blood; he couldn't believe it. He pulled out his phone and recorded Thomas and the body lumped beside him. He stepped back and disappeared.
Thomas snarled his teeth and hunger for blood though he heard someone. He heard his brother calling for him. Distracted and struggling, he allowed the unknown vampire to suddenly strike him across the face and escape in a blur. He growled and was about to pursue him when he heard: "Stop!"
He slowly turned his head and he saw his brother standing at the far end of the alleyway. Marcus was pale. He felt sick. His brother was covered in blood. His veins were black. He was not a humane man anymore. He growled and looked like he would attack him. "No! No! Snap out of it!" he shouted. The human Thomas engaged by the savage form standing before him wouldn't calm down. "You can resist it! You can fight it! You've done it for centuries! You can do it again! You're not an animal! You didn't attack that vampire for hunger! You did it to protect Phoebe. That's what you are. You protect the people you love. You've done that for me for years and you've done that for our friends," Thomas's savage self seemed to recede much to his relief. "That's it," his brother wouldn't give up on him. "That's it,"
The daemons waited outside Thomas's house and to their relief they saw Hamish pull up to them in a huge rental van much to their surprise. "Congratulations," he greeted stepping out of the car. "Thought we might use something a bit less trackable,"
"Thank you," smiled Agatha.
"Let's get loaded," he helped the new grandmother load everything into the car. As they did, Nate and Sophie smiled to see a few cars pulling up to the side of the road. They smiled as they saw daemons pouring out of the vehicle desperate to see them.
"Congratulations," one said joyfully.
"We're so happy for you Nate," a daemon patted his back.
"Thank you so much for coming," he said. "We're so sorry that we're leaving England for a while,"
A few blocks away, Sylvia, Gillian and a dozen witches were marching through the streets. From a hidden corner, a vampire knight pulled out a phone, managing to disappear before he could be detected.
Agatha stared out wondering what was taking Thomas so long. Then out of the blue appeared Phoebe and Aurora with their bags. "What's happened?" she knew something was wrong. "Where's Tom?"
Phoebe tried to answer but no words came out.
"The vampire killer attacked her and Thomas jumped in to defend her," Aurora answered. "And Marcus has gone to help him,"
Agatha was shocked. So were the daemons overhearing the conversation, Sophie, and Nate too. Before Aurora could say anything else, she felt her ear drums hammering on instinct, the hairs on her neck tingling like snakes under her skin. She turned around and saw a squadron of witches approaching them from down the road. She saw Gillian, clenching her fist. "Everyone in the house! Now!" she ordered.
Nate and Sophie saw what she saw and cradled their child protectively. "Inside!" Agatha pleaded. They rushed inside and so did many of the daemons on Aurora's insistence including a reluctant Hamish.
"Go inside Agatha and Phoebe!" Aurora implored. They tried to refuse but she refused to allow them to be put in danger. "Just go! I'll be fine!"
Knowing it was useless to try and change her mind, they went inside and Agatha locked the door. Aurora stood back and raised her hands, making an ice wall grow in front of the windows and doors. Inside the main room with large windows looking out on the street, Sophie, and Nate worried as they watched.
Once that ice wall was formed in front of the house, Aurora turned forward as she saw the witches approaching. She watched as Sylvia raised her hand and a strange magical, almost invisible force covered the street, protecting them from human eyes. She felt her clenched fists turning to ice as she stood firm, glued to her spot in front of the house. They gathered in front of her, standing about twenty feet away from her. "You made a big mistake coming here,"
"All we want is you and that baby. If you both come with us, no one has to get hurt," Gillian spoke up.
"You betrayed me and Diana, and now you dare to come here, to take my goddaughter away from her family?"
"She belongs with her kind," Sylvia spoke next. "And what a fool you are to consort with vampires. Especially Matthew's sons,"
"See what their monster of a father did to me," Gillian pulled back her coat collar to reveal her bite marks. "I spent the last few months recovering from his brutal attack,"
"You brought this on yourself, Gillian," Aurora refused to see her as the innocent party. "Betraying your friends. Threatening innocent people. Trespassing on his property. You had to know what you were doing wasn't right. You're lucky that Matthew spared your life. He is ten times more the human than you will ever be,"
"You're wasting our time freak," spat Sylvia. "Give yourself and the child up and none of your disgusting vampire friends and those mental daemons has to get hurt," Aurora wouldn't stand down. "You know you can't stop us on your own,"
"Whoever said she was alone?" a voice surprised them. They turned to see Marcus appearing out of nowhere, and Thomas too. A scratch was marked across his cheek and his jacket was zipped up to hide the blood stains. They stood beside her, glaring at their enemies. The witches were tense. The tension grew as they saw numbers of vampires surrounding them, Miriam and Jason included. They were outnumbered.
"As grandmasters of the Knights of Lazarus, we will arrest you if you so much as touch one hair on that child or the woman I love," Marcus warned.
A supportive witch scoffed. "You think we're going to listen to a vampire?"
Aurora stepped up. "Why do you all obey Peter Knox? To please him? To earn privilege?" she challenged their dark shells.
"Because he's a Congregation member," Sylvia answered back impudently.
"It doesn't mean that his choices or the things he says are right. No one in the Congregation has the power to authorize how you treat others,"
"But they do authorize us what to do to traitors who betray us or consort with enemies. Just like you freak and your treacherous sister,"
"No. Diana was never the traitor. It was people like all of you, seeking the book for yourselves to wipe out other creatures, many of them innocent,"
"Vampires threaten us. And daemons are always seeking rebellion,"
"We are not your enemies. The real people who are threatening you are people like Peter Knox. They maltreat creatures who are different from them. They hold intolerant grudges against vampires and daemons to achieve power. As long as we all abide by this stupid covenant, there will be no proper peace between our people. We need to evolve if we want to survive. Otherwise, it is history repeating itself," Aurora saw that her words were swaying some witches. "Just because some vampires might be power-hungry, it doesn't give any of you a right to despise them just for living forever. And daemons don't deserve to be shut down like they mean nothing to the world of creatures. They have a right to speak their voices without being treated so unfairly," Unknown to Aurora, some daemons inside the house secretly recorded her ostentatious powerful words as she stood up for all creatures. "And if you are still intent on apprehending that child who belongs with her family, then you'll have to find a way through me first," she stepped forward unafraid of any attack, their enemies would throw at them.
"And me also," acknowledged her Marcus.
"And me. As the baby's godfather, I will not allow you to take her from her parents," Thomas declared. Miriam and Jason stood beside them, ready to harm any witch who dared to harm their friends. "This is your last chance to stand down. We will fight if you force us to," Watching them standing together made some of the witches hesitate. The fact that this girl their coven leader deemed a freak was willing to sacrifice herself to protect this child along with the vampires beside her made them realise how wise her words were.
You're a traitor to your kind!" spat Gillian. "Just like your parents!"
"Peter Knox killed my parents!" Aurora shouted out, tear-stricken from the way Gillian spoke about them. "He killed them when I was just a child and he covered it up to make it look like it was humans. He's the real traitor!"
"You're a fool to think we'd fall for that outrageous accusation?!"
"She's not a fool!" Marcus defended. "What she's telling you is true!"
Thomas, Miriam, and Jason turned to her with sympathy, wishing they could give her comfort.
Sylvia and Gillian weren't moved but the other witches flicked heads at each other. "He'll kill anyone who stands in his way," Aurora spoke up again, overcoming her grief and regaining her strong-minded self," Even his people. Just like he did to my mother and father. You all know that what you're doing is wrong. But instead of finding it within yourselves to do what is right, you follow blind leaders who make you think that if you follow them, what you'll do is right. That's what makes him the true traitor. That's what makes Peter Knox your real enemy,"
Sylvia scoffed. "You think you can sway us with your pathetic speech? The de Clairmonts are studying our DNA. They mean to destroy us!"
"No! They're trying to help you! Creatures are in decline! They're studying DNA of creatures not to harm us but to help us! All of you are allowing your long-lived bigotries to see only the worst in creatures, in people who are different from you," Aurora refused to allow bigotry to gain the upper hand. "And this is exactly why none of us are living in true peace between each other. If we continue to abide by the covenant, we'll destroy each other. Is that really what you all want?"
"You're wasting your time believing in dreams and not realities,"
"At least she tries to see past hatred and look for a brighter future for all creatures no matter what they are," Marcus stood firm. "And that's what I love about her," he clasped her hand, expressing his true genuine love for her. They didn't care about how much others would reject that. All that mattered was how their love meant to them, how it made them feel stronger in spirit.
"Take her away," Sylvia ordered to the male witch, who was hesitant before, beside her. He approached the group of five. He saw the brothers about to leap and jump.
"No Sylvia," he turned around and shook his head. "No more of this,"
Sylvia gasped. "What?" Gillian was shocked too.
"This is wrong. And you know it too. You as well Gillian,"
Before Sylvia could say anything in defiance, a few other witches walked over standing with him between close all of Aurora and the vampires and the cold-hearted witches. More than half of them joined their side leaving only Sylvia, Gillian and four others. "You're all fools," she spat in repulse at Aurora. "And for that, you will all pay," she waved her hands and she sent a force of telekinesis at Aurora but Marcus pulled her out of the way quickly. She tried to attack again but her witches turned on her. Her loyal followers unleashed spells but the knights leapt into action detaining them.
Gillian shot a spell at Thomas but he dodged. She tried again but it didn't work. He wanted to attack her but something held him back.
"Why won't he attack?" wondered Jason to his mother.
Knowing to act now, Miriam flashed across at the savage witch and bounded her hands behind her back. She tried to break free but the vampire held her in a chokehold.
"I wouldn't fight if I were you," warned Aurora. She raised her hands and ice sprouted out of the ground trapping Gillian. "You're going to answer for everything you've done to my sister," Gillian didn't speak but the way she glared hard at Aurora gave the hint that it was not over yet. She, Sylvia, and the Coven witches were detained and taken away by the knights. Once they disappeared, the spell wore off and they were visible to the human world again. Quickly, Aurora lowered the walls of ice. The daemons burst out the door and Nate and Sophie engulfed her in a gentle hug. Hamish and Agatha stepped out; they observed poor Thomas, shaken and distraught. They shared grim expressions. During their time in the house, they felt premonitions for telling conflict and fear. And they had a deep feeling that Thomas was to about experience terrible trauma of what he had kept revealed after keeping it secret for centuries.
After hugging her friends, Aurora faced the witches who had turned against Sylvia and Gillian. "Thank you," she said with deep gratitude. They owed these witches for helping them turn the tide. No one had got hurt. And most importantly she and Margeret were safe.
"It is we who should be thanking you Aurora Bishop," the first witch who had turned against Sylvia spoke. "You've opened us open our eyes and finally realise the error of Peter Knox's ways. We are truly sorry for what he has done to you and your family. Most importantly you are right. It's time to change our ways," he observed the daemons and vampires standing beside her. All the witches could finally see how their union didn't create conflict but created something even greater than authorised peace. True friendship.
"Your words will be spread to all creatures so they finally turn against the Congregation," the second witch announced. "There are many creatures we know that disagree with their laws. When they hear your words, they will finally stand up to the oppressive council,"
"She's right Aurora," Sophie agreed. She and the daemons showed Aurora the recording they had made of her speech that they had captured from inside the house. "You said so yourself back in America that you felt like your fight was here. Maybe this is it," her words intrigued Aurora. "Maybe your role is to inspire all creatures to rise against the Congregation,"
"She's right," Marcus gripped her hands tightly, proud of her. "Look at what you just did,"
Aurora swallowed a lump in her throat. She didn't want to be a symbol of rebellion. But looking into the faces of all the witches and daemons who looked at her with admiration and faith made her realise how much she had wished for a world where all creatures could co-exist together peacefully in friendship and love. "This isn't what I want to be. But if this will help protect the people I care about, then I will take that role. Spread the message," she implored. "Tell everyone how truly despiteful the Congregation are with this covenant, that breaking it doesn't expose us to humans but brings forward a better world for everyone,"
"We will gladly do that," the new Coven leader bowed his head in respect. "And we will ensure all witches know how Peter Knox betrayed his kind," They walked away from the street,"
Marcus clasped Aurora's shoulder. "I'm so proud of you," he kissed her cheek.
"What happened to you, Tom?" Miriam asked him. "Where were you earlier?" she had asked that third question before when he and Marcus had gathered the knights together to come to the aid of Aurora and the daemons.
Tom tried to answer but couldn't speak so Marcus stepped in. "The blood-raged vampire attacked Phoebe and Thomas had to fight him,"
Miriam parted her lips in shock. "What happened?" she asked Thomas that question.
Thomas kept his shrivelled face hidden. "I turned…savage. I wanted to kill him for trying to kill Phoebe…I would have done so. I felt like it was going to,"
"Tom, you controlled yourself and that's what matters," Marcus said.
"Where's the blood-raged vampire then?" asked Jason.
"He escaped," lamented Thomas. "I have failed you all again. I let my struggles put our family in even more danger,"
"I doubt anything would have made a difference," Aurora approached him. "Nothing would have mattered,"
"Tom!" cried out Phoebe. He turned slowly and saw her stumbling out of the house, gawking wide-eyed at his face, his scrape. "You're hurt," she reached forward a face but he stepped back.
"Please don't," he implored. "I don't want you to see me like this,"
"You're bleeding," Phoebe saw some stains of red just under his jacket. "What happened…" she tried to reach out to Thomas but he sped into the house and up the stairs to his room. She stared through the open door, hurt, and confused. "Was it something I did?"
"It's not your fault," Marcus spoke solemnly. "When I saw him in his blood-raged state, he looked…different. Like my brother wasn't there at all. I may just be a carrier but I know that if you're injected with that disease, you become more animal than man,"
Phoebe was tear-stricken. Miriam and Jason shared nervous glances; they hated talking about blood rage. "It took him years to control himself so he wouldn't have to be culled on Phillipe's orders," the former spoke grimly. "Even at times when he was in control, he always feared losing control. Especially around Argus,"
"But's he okay now right?" asked Aurora, concerned for Phoebe's feelings.
Her lover forced himself to speak truthfully. "He's not in a good state of mind; he's really afraid of what he could have done,"
"I think he's afraid of what I'll think of him now that I've seen him act so savagely. At least when he was in a normal vampire fight," Phoebe said nervously. She dreaded thinking of how he'd feel if she saw him in his state of blood rage. Would he push her away?
"Give him time," advised Agatha. "That's all he needs,"
"It's all my fault. If I hadn't been on that street…"
"Phoebe, it isn't your fault," Nate referred. "What's important is that you're both safe. HE saved your life even though he knew what would happen. That's how strong his love is for you,"
Phoebe shed a tear, scared, and worried at the same time. Aurora hugged her warmly and rubbed her back. "It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay,"
For the next hour, the Wilsons said their goodbyes to their friends and they drove off. Hamish, Agatha, and Marcus packed the car. Thomas came down but kept his distance from everyone, even Phoebe much to her heartbreak. He requested that he'd drive alone in his car and they said 'yes' believing space is what he needed.
In Marcus's car, Phoebe sat by herself looking out the window. She didn't know what to feel anymore. Scared? Uncertain? Determined? She saw Thomas's car driving beside them on the motorway. By the looks of his face, he was pale like a ghost as if the blood had drained from his face. His shrivelled lips indicated anxiety and fear. Was he scared of hurting her? Of seeing him act so savagely like that again? The car drew ahead and she saw him disappear ahead.
Aurora twisted her head and sigh seeing her look so worried like that; their love couldn't fail like that. Just then, an idea blinked into her head. He pulled out her phone. Marcus heard her heartbeat rise but didn't ask. He just kept on driving.
What did you all think? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. What did you all think of Aurora figuring out it was Peter Knox who killed her adoptive family and how her words inspired many of the Oxford witches to rebel against Sylvia, Gillian and later on the Covenant? I hope you all had a wonderful Merry Christmas. Please send reviews and let me know what you all thought. Look forward to New Year's Day!