The First Fight: The Weight of Magic, Episode 5 Read online

  “What for?”

  “For not sharing my thoughts about the sword with you first.”

  “No.” His black eyes looked into mine. “Of course not.”

  I drew closer to him, sliding my hand under his jacket. “I just hadn’t finished thinking them before today.” I kissed him.

  “I hope it works, then you won’t have to . . . I’m so proud of you.” He stroked my face. “Maybe if I wasn’t so desperate to destroy them all, I would’ve thought about it myself. But I didn’t, and you did. Because you’re a good person.”

  “You just added the last incantation to the sword. None of you thought about it because it wasn’t ready yet. It only came to me after we . . . after Murphy. After I saw what the sword does.”

  “I don’t deserve you.” He sighed, bathing me in his tender look.

  “Stop it,” I said quietly, pulling back. “You always talk about yourself like you’re some kind of monster. You’re not. You’re a good man.”

  Laughing, he shook his head. “Never heard anyone say that about me before. Especially a woman. Their comments were mostly ardent.”

  Leaning with my back against the door, I smiled to him. “At the Grill, what you said about the woman, the bartender?”

  “Yeah?” He raised a brow.

  “You reminded me of that arrogant ass Nathan I watched in the Grill that first night.”

  “When you stared at me while I was checking my phone?” he chuckled.

  “Yeah, that night.” I grinned wider.

  “Don’t tell me you hated that guy, gorgeous.” He leaned closer with a seductive smile.

  “No.” I took his hand from my knee. “They’re all mine. The arrogant ass Nathan; and that handsome man that walked me into the restaurant; also the one who took me to his cozy cabin and gave me a sexy lesson on how to perform magic and still managed to keep his distance; and the one I’m looking at right now. I love them all.”

  He pulled me in. His lips traveled up my neck, and he ran his hand along my hip.

  “Nicky,” he murmured into my ear, “can at least one of them sleep with you tonight?”

  Laughing, I buried my face in his shoulder.

  Mr. Lancaster’s car stopped behind ours, and Gran came out. Only then did I glance at the house and see that all the lights were off except the one in the hallway.

  “Are you coming?” asked Gran, passing by.

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “Nate, is there something going on between them?” I asked as Gran went inside and Mr. Lancaster drove away.

  “I’m not sure,” Nate sighed. “Alan has feelings for her. But Bree . . . I think she’s afraid to . . . I’ve never caught them in bed, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “No, I’m not worried. She’s been through so much.” I heaved a breath. “She deserves to have someone who’ll make her feel good, make her smile. I’m away a lot, and I don’t want her to be alone."

  5

  “Good morning, Gran,” I said, walking into the kitchen.

  “Good morning, honey,” she said, putting aside the newspaper.

  “Anything interesting in there?”

  “Yeah. The weather report,” she chuckled. “It’s going to be sunny, right after those clouds,” she pointed her finger at the window, “pass by.”

  “I can’t believe it’s December soon.”

  “Yeah, time flies by,” sighed Gran. “Did Nathan come up with a plan yesterday?”

  “He asked Kate to check out Murphy’s apartment. Then we’ll go to Tampa.”

  “You too?” Gran stared at me.

  “Of course. Nate said that Zack guy wouldn’t be alone. I should go with the others. They might need my help.”

  “And Nathan agreed to that?” Gran frowned, still staring at me.

  Suddenly I realized that Nate never said anything about me going with them. “Why wouldn’t he?” I said. But I didn’t feel so confident anymore. “We haven’t talked about it yet.”

  But we sure will now. Suddenly I felt nervous. I can go if I want to. I’m not going to wait and see who else gets killed while I hide here.

  While Connie and I were at school, Nate and Logan worked out the plan. Now the four of us were at Connie and Logan’s place so that the two of them could fill me and Connie in on everything that had happened since the morning.

  “I sent a message to Zack, asking for a meeting,” started Nate as we all sat down around the fireplace. Me and Connie settled on the couch and the two of them in the armchairs. “But, as Logan suspected, Zack was insisting on a phone call. So I sent another text, telling him that I, which means Murphy, don’t think it’s a good idea, because I was supposed to show up at the police station after I got released from jail, and I didn’t. So I’m afraid if the police are looking for me, they could track my phone calls. Zack replied that he’ll get in touch later to let me know the place and time.”

  “And he believed that?” I asked.

  “I don’t think so. So we’ve no idea what kind of trap he’s preparing for us right now.”

  “What about Kate?” asked Connie.

  “She arrived in Tampa more than an hour ago. She says they’re there, and she sent me a few pictures.”

  Nate pulled out his phone to show us the photos. On one of them was a man in his late twenties.

  “She saw him walk in and out of the building a couple of times,” said Logan. “Kate said she saw the same man in Murphy’s window, but he backed up very quickly and she didn’t manage to take a shot.”

  Nate scrolled to the next picture that showed a gray van. No windows, and the driver’s seat was empty.

  “Kate said the van belongs to the man. He got in it every time he came out of the building,” said Nate. “But I think there are more people inside. So I told her to get the hell away from there. Go back home.”

  “What’s your plan?” I asked.

  “We’re leaving tonight. At eight p.m. I already called Brian and Sam. They’ll meet us in Tampa. At the airport.”

  “Great.” I nodded. Holding my breath, I asked the next question. “So. How many tickets did you buy?”

  “Two, of course. For me and Logan,” said Nate. As he looked at my face, his jaw tightened. “Nicky, you’re not coming.”

  “Oh, I’m so coming.” I glared at him. “And you probably should’ve asked me before making that decision.”

  “Of course we’re coming,” said Connie, frowning.

  “Connie—” started Logan, but she cut him off.

  “You said you want to get as much information out of that man as you can. You need me.”

  “We’re not going to risk your life for that,” said Nate, trying to stay calm.

  “Excuse me?” Connie stared at him. “Then what’s the point of having this power if I’m not going to use it when it’s most needed?”

  “Connie, you don’t understand the whole seriousness of the situation,” said Logan. “We don’t know how many of them there are. In the worst case scenario, we can escape. But if you—”

  “Logan, we all agreed to fight this war. ”

  “So, you’re willing to risk your lives—” started Nate.

  “No,” I snapped. “I’m gonna just sit here and watch others do that.”

  Nate got to his feet and began pacing.

  I stood up too and took him by his arm, stopping him.

  “I know you’re worried,” I said in a calm voice, looking into his eyes. “I get it. But I can’t . . . I’m not losing anyone else. I need to be there to make sure I do everything I can to stop that from happening. Okay?”

  “Nicky, what if they find out who you are?”

  “How can they? I’m just a girl. It’s not like I’ve got ‘Callahan’ stamped to my forehead.” I let go of him. “Okay, here’s a solution. I can cloak us. I can cloak me and Connie. And I’ll keep the sword with me.”

  Nate stood, thinking.

  “You can’t show up in
front of them with the sword,” I said. “Maybe it’s not too big, but it’s still longer than a dagger. Where are you going to hide it?”

  “About that,” said Nate. “I got a leather sheath for it. It’s in the car.”

  “I think that’s a great idea,” said Connie. “We can cast spells, and they won’t even know what hit them.”

  Nate and Logan exchanged a gloomy look.

  “All right,” said Nate with a deep sigh. “Logan, buy the tickets. Nicky and I will get the sword. Then we’ll meet you here.”

  We stopped by my house after we got the sword to tell Gran I was leaving with the others. She didn’t take it well.

  “Have you lost your mind?” She rounded on Nate.

  “Who? Me?” Staring at her, Nate pointed his finger at his chest.

  “We kept her hidden from the Order her whole life for a reason, you know.”

  “You really think I would take her,” he said, now pointing his finger at me, “if it was up to me?”

  “Gran, he has nothing to do with this. It was my decision.” She opened her mouth to protest, but I stopped her. “Gran, I know you’re worried. But Dad . . . He kept me hidden because he was still around. Would Dad sit here and wait for others to solve the problem?”

  “Of course not. He would never . . .” She shook her head with irritation. “Stop trying . . . You’re not your Dad.”

  “Yes, I am. With him gone, I’m the Callahan. And I’m not going to sit here while others would put themselves at risk. But, I promise, I’ll still hide my identity.” I smiled.

  Gran stared at me, then at Nate.

  “What? What are you looking at me for?” said Nate, raising a brow. “Say something. Stop her,” he added with sarcasm.

  Gran spread her hands in disbelief, then she dropped them down, and they clapped against her legs.

  “If something happens to her . . . ” She gazed at Nate. “Keep her safe.”

  “Did you really need to say that?”

  “Nothing is going to happen.” I hugged her. “See you tomorrow.” I kissed her on the cheek.

  6

  At 8:45 p.m. we landed at the Tampa airport. The inky sky was covered with dark clouds. As we went down the ramp, I took a deep breath of the chilly, humid air and zipped my jacket.

  Brian and Sam had arrived earlier and rented a car.

  “What are we looking for?” asked Logan as we walked through the parking lot between the rows of cars.

  “Black Dodge Caravan,” said Nate. “There,” he said a moment later, nodding to his right, where Sam stood, waving to us.

  “Hi,” smiled Sam when he saw me. But the next moment his look became serious. “Nicky, you shouldn’t have come. Neither should you, Connie.”

  “What a selfless gesture,” said Nate with a smirk. “Why didn’t Logan and I think of that?”

  “Could you drop it already?” I gazed from one to another. “We don’t even know what’s going on. Maybe it’s just one guy here and none of us will need to fight at all.”

  After nearly half an hour drive, we arrived at the motel. We got ourselves three rooms and gathered in mine and Nate’s a couple of minutes later.

  “When we get there,” said Nate, “first we’ll need to find out if there are others in that van. They know me, so I can’t get close to it, but—” He pulled out his buzzing phone. “It’s Kate.” He turned on the speaker and dropped the phone on the bed. “Kate, what’s up?”

  “Are you here yet?” she asked.

  “Yes. And what do you mean here?” said Nate, looking alarmed. “Kate, I told you to go home.”

  “I didn’t, okay? Well, I did leave the parking lot for a while so they wouldn’t get suspicious. But then I came back. And it’s good I did, because half an hour ago they left, and I followed them.”

  “You did what?” Nate gritted his teeth. “What if you had been caught?”

  “I was careful.”

  “Where did they go?”

  “Newport avenue. Some old house.”

  “How many are there?”

  “I saw a couple of men, but there might be more. It’s dark, and they stopped the van at the front door, so I didn’t see much.”

  “Did you at least keep your distance?”

  “Yes. I’m across the street, a couple of houses away. I tried to cloak the car, but it didn’t work.”

  “You used magic? What were you thinking?”

  “Are you crazy?” burst out Sam.

  “Kate, thanks for all the information, but you need to get the hell out of there right now. Do you hear me?”

  “Shouldn’t I wait for you?” she asked. “I wanted to see you guys. And what if they leave again?”

  “I said go home. They’re not idiots, Kate. They might have left because they noticed you watching them. You might be getting yourself into a trap. Don’t make me regret asking you to do this.”

  “Okay,” she said reluctantly.

  “She said she was bored,” said Connie after Nate hung up. “I didn’t know she was that bored. What the heck was she thinking, following them all alone like that?”

  “So,” Nate sighed, “change of plans.” He pushed his hands into his pockets and started pacing.

  “That Zack,” said Brian. “Did he get back to you?”

  “No. Not yet. He sent the last text this morning. It might take some time.”

  “Can I see the sword?” asked Sam.

  “Sure.” I opened Nate’s bag and took out the sword in a black leather sheath. “Here.” I handed it to him.

  Sam pulled the sword out and ran his eyes down the blade.

  “It’s so well done,” he said, examining the incantations. Connie drew closer and stared at the sword too. “Are they all for the same purpose? To siphon the magical powers?” Sam asked, looking at Nate.

  “No, not all. Only two.”

  “The glow is really gone,” said Brian, looking bemused. “I’ve been doing magic my whole life, and some things still surprise me.”

  Sam put the sword in the sheath and handed it back.

  “What do we do now?” asked Logan. “We can’t just go and knock at the door:”

  “Why not?” Nate leaned on the desk. “We came to get them.”

  “Nate, I know Kate saw that guy in Murphy’s window,” I said. “but that’s not proof it’s them.”

  “She’s right,” said Sam. “What if it’s just some friends who have access to his apartment?”

  “You’re forgetting that the phone call was tracked to Florida. Besides, Kate said—” Nate’s phone buzzed again, and he picked it up. “Kate?” The next moment his face darkened. After listening for a few seconds, he said, “Yes, I have them.” Then, after another pause he added, “I’ll be there. But I warn you, if you touch a hair on her head, you’ll regret it immensely.” Nate hung up. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at the ceiling.

  “Nate?” Brian stared at him. “They didn’t—”

  “They did. They got her. Dammit.” Nate slammed his knuckles against the desk.

  “Oh God,” I gasped.

  Connie’s hand flew to her mouth.

  “That’s what happens when someone decides to improvise,” said Nate, a muscle jumping in his jaw.

  “Holy crap,” muttered Sam.

  “Nicky, take the sword,” said Nate, his eyes burning with rage. “Let’s go.”

  Nate jumped into the driver’s seat, and Brian sat next to him. The rest of us got into the back of the car.

  “We need to stop by Walmart first,” said Nate the moment he took off.

  “What for?” I asked. “Nate, what did they say?”

  “He called me by my name. They know who I am and that I’m here.”

  “You think she told them?” asked Sam.

  “They probably checked her last call. It doesn’t matter how they know.”

  “Then what?” asked Logan.

  “Then he asked if I got the books. If I’d said no, they wouldn’t need Kate and might j
ust kill her. So I said yes. And of course, he offered me an exchange. We don’t have much time, so Sam, when we arrive at the store, you go and buy a dozen fat magazines and I’ll get a bag.”

  No one else spoke while we drove. My head was buzzing with horrible thoughts. Would Nate’s warning work, or would those guys still hurt Kate? What if they tortured her for some reason? For example, to find out how many of us were here? Or to find out if she knew anything about the map? I hoped if they did, she would come up with some answers, just to stop them from hurting her until we arrived.

  Nate stopped the car at the store’s parking lot, and he and Sam got out.

  “No one else leaves the car,” he said before the two of them dashed away.

  Every minute of their absence felt like forever. I stared through the windshield, exchanging a glance with Connie from time to time.

  Nate came back first, and Sam showed up shortly after with one full plastic bag in each hand.

  We took off. Logan opened the sporty bag Nate had just bought, and he and Sam started stuffing it with magazines.

  “Nate, how are we going to make the exchange?” asked Brian. “We know how it’s going to end, and we can’t do it in front of the house, on an open street.”

  “Yeah, I know. But we can’t suggest any options either. They’ll get suspicious if we do.” Nate pulled out his phone and looked at the screen. “It’s them. Keep quiet.” He put the phone to his ear. “Yes.” After listening for a few seconds, he said, “In five minutes,” and hung up. “They said they’ll wait in the back yard.”

  Nate stopped the car under the trees, in the dark space between two houses.

  “We’re going to walk from here,” said Nate, and we all got out. “I’ll cloak Nicky and Connie. And Sam, you go under the cloak too.”

  “What? No way,” barked Sam.

  “Sam.” Nate stretched his hand toward the sword in my hand, and I handed it over. “You’ll take this and do as I say.”

  “I’ve been waiting to face them all this time. I’m not hiding under the cloak.” Sam glared at him. “Would you do that?”

  “You’re not hiding.” Nate pulled Sam aside and lowered his voice, but the street was too quiet, and I could still hear him. “I need you to stay with her. I would if I could, so I could spare the girl I love from using this herself.” He slammed the sword to Sam’s chest. Sam took it. “Do you think you could do that for her?” Nate gazed at him.