The Sacrifice: The Weight of Magic, Episode 7 Read online

  12

  I put on my jacket, grabbed the car keys, and rushed outside.

  If it was the first option, then I hoped they’d come out. Maybe out of curiosity, to find out who I was and what I was doing there at this hour.

  I ran toward the car, but the moment I put the key in the keyhole, I heard a familiar voice.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  I turned around and saw Sam leaning against the wall. “What are you doing here?”

  “Waiting for you to do something stupid. I knew you'd come up with some brilliant idea to get yourself in trouble.”

  “Go away.” I opened the car door.

  Sam dashed forward, shut the door, and pulled me aside. “Not gonna happen.”

  “Get out of my way or I’ll hex you.”

  “No. But,” he raised his index finger, “I would love to hear all about that it-can’t-wait needs-to-be-done-right-now rescue plan of yours.”

  “I don’t have a rescue plan,” I hissed, jerking my arm out of his grip. “To have a plan, I need to know where he is. And to know where he is, I need an Order’s witch. So I’m trying to get one of those.”

  “How?”

  “Like I said before. I’ll be the bait.” I told him about my theory. “I can easily take out a couple of witches.”

  “And if it’s a camera? What do you think they’ll do next?”

  “Nothing. They don’t know who I am.”

  “You’ve already been there once with Nate. If you show up there again, in the middle of the night, it will be obvious that you aren’t just some spontaneous guest and are connected to him. They’ll know you came looking for him. They’ll try to catch you.”

  “I’m not going to get caught.”

  “No? Who do you think you’re dealing with? They managed to take Nate, for God’s sake. And how do you think he would feel if tomorrow they bring you to him and torture you in front of him to get their answers? Nicky, I get it.” He drew closer. “You’re worried. We all are. But Brian is right; we can’t be impulsive. Let’s wait until morning and come up with a plan, find the best way to handle this screwed up situation.”

  “They might be torturing him right now.” I pushed Sam aside and opened the car door. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

  “Fine!” He pulled me back again and held out his hand. “I’ll drive.”

  “Fine!” I shoved the keys into his hand.

  “If something happens to you . . .” Sam started the engine. “This time Nate will definitely kill me.”

  “I didn’t ask you to come.” I glared at him.

  “You don’t have to.” He shot me an angry look. “You go, I go.”

  “Why? To help me? I don’t need your help. I can crush a couple of cockroaches all by myself.”

  We bickered half the way, Sam telling me I couldn’t be left alone for five minutes, me shouting at him that nobody asked him to look after me and I could take care of myself. Then he started on how I needed to be protected from myself because of my recklessness.

  I gazed at the houses opposite my parent’s house as we turned to the familiar street, searching for signs, for the slightest evidence of the Order’s presence.

  “Nicky.” Sam stopped the car long before we reached the gate.

  “What?” I barked.

  “Look.” He nodded toward the house.

  My jaw dropped. The lights in the living room and my Dad’s study were on.

  “Are you sure it wasn’t Logan who left them on?”

  “We didn’t need light. When we arrived, it was light outside. Besides, Logan didn’t go to the study. I did. And I didn’t turn them on.”

  “Why would they come here?” I stared at Sam. “They’ve already searched the place.”

  “Who knows? All I know is that we need to get the hell out of here.”

  “No. We need to find out how many there are.” But before I reached for the handle, Sam pressed the button, locking the doors.

  “Let me out!” I snapped. I tried to open it, but he pressed the button again.

  “Do you see that?” he pointed his finger toward the van parked in front of the gate. “If it theirs, how many do you think there are?”

  I sighed. “We can at least peek in through the living room window.”

  “Okay. Just be quiet, and don’t do anything rash.”

  We got out of the car and walked down the street opposite the house. When we reached the van, we crossed the road and peeked into it through the back window. Empty.

  We heard voices. Only when we passed the gate did we notice that the front door was slightly ajar. Sam grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the bushes at the end of the porch.

  “Last time we came, we searched the whole house,” a male voice said. “And I’m telling you, there’s nothing here.”

  “I wouldn’t say so,” said another voice.

  My heart stopped. I had searched the house, and I didn’t find anything except the safe in Dad’s study. There was no way they could see it. Had I missed something?

  “What is it?” asked a female voice. “What did you find?”

  I heard several footsteps on the stairs, coming down from the upper floor. Sam was right. There were too many to fight.

  “There’s something in the study,” continued the male voice. “I can’t see it, but I sense the magic. There’s something cloaked in there.”

  “Oh, God,” I gasped.

  Sam stared at me.

  Someone’s phone rang, and a moment later I heard the female voice again.

  “What is it?” she asked. After a short pause, she said, “Someone is snooping around the house.” Sam and I gaped at each other. “One of them is Sam Morgan.”

  We dashed out the gate and ran along the fence. The front door opened, but we’d already reached the car. We darted toward it and got in. As Sam drove backward to take the turn, I saw three men watch us drive away.

  “Dammit.” Sam’s jaw tightened. “There was a camera after all.”

  “Sam, you shouldn’t have come.”

  “And you should have?” He glared at me.

  “I’m sorry, okay? It didn’t go like I thought it would.”

  “At least they didn’t chase us.”

  “Why would they? You were there yesterday with Logan. What’s the difference?”

  “Us showing up in the middle of the night is suspicious. And the difference is, yesterday they didn’t know there was something in the house. Now they might think I know what it is.”

  “I won't let anything happen to you.”

  Sam stared at me. “You think it’s me I’m wor—don’t you get it? They’ve seen you with Nate. Now they saw you with me. They’ll want to know who you are.”

  “So you think they might come to you to find out?”

  “Most definitely.”

  “Great.” I looked at him with satisfaction. “Mission accomplished.”

  Sam shook his head. “You’re playing with fire.”

  “No. They are.” The fury rose in me, and I turned my gaze to the road. “And this time I’ll show no mercy.”

  13

  Sam parked the car, and as we got out, he locked the doors and sat on the curb.

  “What are you doing?” I stared at him.

  “I can’t leave you alone. There’s still plenty of time for you to come up with some new crazy idea.”

  “And you’re, what, going to sit here until morning?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Will you? You know, I can make you a poster with fluorescent paint that says Come and Get Me for you to brandish above your head. That would make easier for them to find you.”

  “They know where I live. So it doesn’t make a difference if I’m here or there.” He nodded upward at his windows. “At least this way I won’t have to worry about you.”

  “I know it’s not safe for you to go home. You should stay with me. Get up.”

  “Really?”

 
“Really. I care about you, too, you know.”

  “Oh, thank God. Cause I can’t say that it was my childhood dream to spend the whole night sitting on the pavement.”

  “I’m sorry. I was supposed to be the bait, not you,” I said as we climbed the stairs.

  “That’s not the point. The point is, Brian will kill me for letting you do this. And by the way, we need to warn him.”

  As we reached the top of the stairs, the door at the end of the small hallway opened.

  “What’s going on?” Logan stared at us.

  “Nothing.” I didn’t want to alarm him just yet.

  “You know I have super hearing, right?” Logan’s eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze at Sam. “Warn Brian about what?”

  “It’s . . .” Sam said. He and I exchanged a glance. “She was going to . . . I tried to stop her, but—”

  “Did she sneak out again?” Connie popped out of the room.

  Sam heaved a deep sigh.

  “That’s it.” Connie glared at me. “I’m getting a collar for you.”

  “What happened?” Logan came forward.

  “We went to the house.”

  “And?”

  “And they were there. Again,” I said. “And this time they sensed the magic in my dad’s study. They know there’s something hidden there.”

  “Your dad’s safe.” Logan frowned. “Nicky, can they break through to it?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Why?” Sam’s eyes darted from Logan to me. “Is there something important in there?”

  “The pictures of me with my mom and dad. It doesn’t matter. They’ll find out who I am before they can even try.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Connie.

  “I mean, I’m done hiding.”

  “Nicky, you can’t—” Logan started.

  “Why not? When we were in Tampa, Nate said we have to show them we’re strong and we’ll fight back. He was right.” I unlocked my apartment door. “They saw us, and they recognized Sam, so it’s better if he stays here.”

  I looked back at Logan and Connie, still staring at me. “If my plan works, pretty soon they’ll pay us a visit. Be ready.”

  I made my way to the couch and crashed down.

  “Nicky, this is crazy.” Sam walked in and closed the door. “Connor has dozens of witches and there are only a few of us.”

  “They’re not all coming here, are they?” I rolled my eyes. “They’re busy searching the Smoky Mountains, torturing Nate. They have no idea that who they really want is right under their noses.”

  “If something happens to you—”

  “Nothing is going to happen to me. Don’t worry, I can fight them. What’s the point of having these powers if you all constantly stop me from using them?” I grumbled.

  “You’re talking like a nine-year-old me.” Sam dropped into the armchair. “When I got my powers, my parents had to lock me up every time I got angry with someone.”

  “I’m not nine years old.” I glared at him. “This is different.”

  “Is it? We’re not ordinary people. Our emotions are heightened. The angrier we become, the harder it is to control the magic. It makes it hard to think straight, and we become dangerous, not only to others, but also to ourselves. It takes time to learn how to control your emotions.”

  “I don’t need to control them. I need to use them to save Nate.”

  “I better call Brian.” He pulled out his phone.

  “There’s no need for that yet. It’s the middle of the night, let the man rest. We’ll call him if they show up.” Suddenly I realized I didn’t know much about Brian. “Sam, was Brian ever married?” I pulled my legs on the couch and curled up. “What’s his story?”

  “There’s no story, really. He was never married and has no kids. He was in love with an ordinary woman. I mean, she wasn’t a witch. They were together for a long time. But when the Order started watching him, all of us, he knew he was putting her in danger, that one day they could use her to get to him. They’d done it to other members of the coven. She had nothing to do with the magical world, it wasn’t her fight, and he thought it wasn’t fair to risk her life for something she didn’t even know existed.”

  “So he doesn’t have a family.” I sighed.

  “No. Just like the rest of us.”

  My eyes froze on Sam. Just like the rest of us.

  “They took everything from us,” I muttered under my breath, anger rising in me. My expression probably gave me away, because Sam leaned forward at once and took both my hands.

  “We still have each other,” he said in a calming voice.

  I looked away and glanced through the window at the string of dark windows on the building across the street. Behind one of the windows, the light turned on.

  “Sam?” I pulled my hands out of his. “Is that yours?” I nodded toward the window.

  “Mine? My what?” But as he followed my gaze, his eyebrows jumped. “Yep.”

  We both got up. The door opened, and Logan and Connie came in.

  “I think they’re here,” said Logan.

  “Yeah. They’ll check the bar next.” I felt the energy rush through me. “Sam, they don’t need to come outside to get into the bar, do they?”

  “No. They can get there directly from the apartment.”

  “Good. Then we can use the front door.”

  “To be honest,” said Sam, still staring at his window, “I thought they would do some thinking first. You know? Come up with a plan.”

  “What do they need a plan for?” I gazed at him. “They think you and Brian are all that’s left from the coven. They’re not afraid of you. Let’s show them how wrong they are.” I dashed to my messenger bag and pulled out the sword. “And by the way, you can call Brian now.”

  “I’ll take it,” said Logan, stretching his hand toward the sword.

  “No. It’s my turn.” I slung the sword across my back and put my jacket on.

  “Nicky, are you sure you’re ready to stab someone?” asked Logan, frowning slightly.

  “Oh, I’m ready. And I’m not going to just stab them. I’m going to kill them all.”

  Logan stared at me.

  Connie’s eyes widened. “But you said you would do what your dad wanted you to—”

  “I changed my mind. After what they’ve done to us, they should burn in hell. They don’t deserve a second chance. Not a single one of them.” I clenched my teeth and marched toward the door.

  14

  Sam unlocked the bar door, and as we walked inside, he went behind the counter and turned on the lights. We stopped for a moment and looked at the ceiling, listening. But the sound of footsteps came from the passage to the backroom.

  “There’s no one here,” I heard a male voice, who I assumed was talking about the backroom.

  “It’s because he’s over there,” said another voice. “The light wasn’t on when we arrived.”

  A young woman came out from the passage first, followed by four men.

  “There he is.” The woman smirked as she looked at Sam. “And look at that, Logan is here too.” She threw a glance at Connie and me. “Having a cozy time with girls? Gosh, I hope we’re not interrupting.”

  Coming out from behind the bar, Sam shook his head. “That was quick. It’s the middle of the night. I thought you might take a nap first. Don’t you guys sleep?”

  I felt a tingle in my fingers.

  “We were about to, but then you showed up and added one more thing to our to-do list.” The woman stepped closer to Connie and me. “Do you girls even know what he is?” She pointed her finger at Logan.

  “Do you?” asked Connie, piercing the woman with a gaze.

  “I do. He’s a vampire, you see, and I think you should run before he—”

  “You don’t say?” Connie sneered.

  “What do you want?” asked Logan. “Why did you come here?”

  “Right.” The woman glared at him. “Let’s get to the point. T
here’s no Nathan to protect you this time, so we’re going to kill you. Then,” she turned her glare on Sam, “we’ll take what we came for and call it a night.”

  One of the men, a guy around twenty, pulled out his phone and stared at the screen.

  Fury bubbling inside me, I crossed to Sam and put my hand on his shoulder. “Sorry,” I said. “What exactly did you come to take?”

  “Your boyfriend, honey.” The woman laughed.

  “Vivian, that’s the girl who came to the house with Nathan,” said the guy, looking up from his phone.

  “You already have my boyfriend, bitch,” I hissed, “and you’re going to pay for that.”

  I punched the air. She flew back, hit the wall, and, together with the painting hanging on it, crashed onto the tables. Pointing my hand at one of the men, I crooked my fingers, grabbed the air, and threw my hand aside. The man flew across the room and landed next to Logan.

  “Logan, keep him busy. Just don’t kill him yet.”

  Logan’s face changed. He growled and sank his teeth into the man’s neck.

  At the same time, Sam pointed his hand at the short, blond man, but as he hit the air, the man crossed his arms before him. The energy rebounded and hit Sam instead. Sam staggered a few feet backward and stumbled on the chair behind him. The man raised his hands to hex Sam again, but something hit him from aside, and he bounced back into the passage. I turned my head and saw Brian in the doorway, his hand still in the air.

  Connie aimed her hands at the young guy, but he was much faster, and he sent a blow at her first. She crossed her hands before her, but the blow was too strong, and she was thrown aside.

  “Connie!” Logan tossed away the man he held in his grip and rushed toward her, but he was thrown back by the same guy.

  The fourth man attacked Brian. Sam was now fighting the blond man, and Vivian was on her feet again. I started toward her.

  “Where’s Nate?” I glared at her. The cut on her face was healing right before my eyes.

  “You can’t help him,” she sneered. “You may be a witch, but it will take more than that to fight us.” She artistically brushed off the blood from her healed cheek.