The sterile scent of antiseptic tinged the air as Jake pressed a cloth against Jessica''s head, his touch firmer than necessary. His eyes, he smiled as she winced, taking pleasure in her pain.
"You know for so long people like me have feared people like you," he said, "the legends that have become a warning to the supernatural," He stepped away from her. "Estaca, your family name—it''s Portuguese for ''stake.'' Did you know that?"
Jessica tensed, her gaze unwavering. "I''m aware,"
"Ah, so you know the stories about vampires," Jake mused, tucking the cloth back into his pocket. "How they meet there ends with a stake through the heart. So incorrect. They die with anything through the heart, your lineage was just the first to figure that out. And so a stake became known for killing vampires."
"What an enlightening history lesson," Jessica said sarcastically. "Does it have a point?"
"You and I are not so different," Jake explained, leaning back to inspect his handiwork. Your code leads you to kill those who would cause harm to others," he smiled wryly. It''s a philosophy I''d like to adopt, to end the suffering caused by Greed."
Jessica scoffed, shifting to face him. "Don''t pretend we''re the same. I only go after those who actually cause harm, I don''t kill innocent people to do it,"
"We can''t all have the moral high ground," Jake''s words hung heavy between them. "By killing the three of you, I will ensure the world is safer. I will wipe out every Supreme to start a new, the innocent will be spared."
His gaze shifted to Kenzie, lingering with an unspoken caveat. "Well, most of them."
---
In Ahmed''s living room, Ahmed supported Rob as his breathing came in erratic bursts. Rob''s hands clutched at the small fuzzy pillow on the side of the couch, his body slumped as if trying to sink into the sofa.
"It''s going to be ok Rob," Ahmed urged, his voice soothing as he rubbed Rob''s back. "Think of something else. Think about the good things in life. Friends, family."
Rob''s breath hitched, and Ahmed realized just how many friends they had lost. In a split-second decision, he cupped Rob''s face, forcing their eyes to lock. Without another thought, Ahmed kissed him, his lips pressing softly against Rob''s.
Rob''s eyes widened, shock written all over his face. The kiss lingered, longer than it needed to be.
"You kissed me?" Rob gasped, as Ahmed pulled away.
"Holding your breath can stop a panic attack," Ahmed explained. "When I was... when we were..." He flushed. "You held your breath."
"Oh... smart," Rob managed, a small, smile playing on his lips.
"It was nothing, I had a few of them after Kyle attacked me. Therapy really helped me out..." Ahmed replied before a thought crossed his mind. "What if we go talk to Ms. McLeod, she can tell us where Zack is, she''s working with Greed after all,"
"Do you really think she would tell us where he is?" Rob looked over at Ahmed, "I had the same thought the other day but I doubted she would actually help us,"
"Maybe we don''t need to ask, she could have something in her office that could give us a clue,"
They drove to the university, prepared to beak into the counsellor''s office, the moment she left it. When they arrived they found a lineup of students waiting for their appointment, Madison sat closest to the office door.
"Did Ms. McLeod double book or something?" Rob asked taking in the scene.
"More like she never bothered to show up," Madison fumed, her arms crossed over her chest. "I''ve been here for three hours, with no email about her rescheduling our appointment,"
"That''s not like her at all," Ahmed looked over at the locked office door, "I''ve been going to her for a year now and she is always on time,"
"Ok," Rob tried to peer through the fogged glass. "So clearly something''s up. We need to get inside there."
Ahmed smiled and removed a lock-picking set from his pocket, Madison didn''t say anything as he got to work, and with a click, the door opened. The office was neat as always, not a book out of place or a frame misaligned.
Rob went straight for her desk drawers, each patient file labelled and placed alphabetically in manila folders. A group of students watched the pair search from the doorway, some muttering about not wanting to be a part of this before shuffling away. A few more threatened to call campus security if they didn''t stop, but the pair kept searching for anything that could lead them to Greed or Zack.
"You know you two are going to get yourselves expelled right?" Madison''s voice cut through his focus.
"That is the least of my concerns right now," Rob muttered, barely glancing up as he pulled out the thickest manila folder with Ahmed''s name on it. He flipped it open to reveal a series of drawings, each page identical to the last. The same gravestones over and over again without a single stroke of the pen being different from the last.
"Clearly you''ve both got a lot going on here," Madison commented dryly, peeking over his shoulder before backing away with a shake of her head. "I''m just going to go. Good luck with all... this."
"Yeah bye," Rob called after her retreating form, but she was already gone.
He turned his attention back to the drawing, squinting. It wasn''t just a bunch of tombstones; there was an altar in the center, by the same five stones. A thought grew in his head, what if Ahmed had been telling them where to look all along?
"Ahmed," Rob said, drawing his attention to the picture. "What if this place you''ve been drawing is real? What if your powers have been telling us where we need to go this whole time,"
"Ok, but I have no idea where that actually is or if it is actually real," Ahmed replied.
"No, but Paulina has lived here for decades, maybe she can tell us if it is a real place or not," Rob suggested.
"Let''s go," Ahmed nodded.
They bolted from the office, exiting the building and making a B-line for Ahmed''s car. As they crossed the parking lot, a familiar figure stepped into view.
"What''s the hurry?" Spencer asked, taking his sunglasses off.
"We''re just going to talk to a friend," Rob managed to say before looking over at Ahmed. "Go get Ethel. I''ll meet you both at Paulina''s." Ahmed nodded, giving Spencer an odd look before heading off.
Spencer watched Ahmed go. "You have an interesting choice of friends. We found Lindsey''s car abandoned in a parking garage at St. Mary''s hospital, any theories as to how it got there?"
A heavy silence followed as Rob tried to think of a logical explanation. Spencer watched him, noting how Rob avoided eye contact, waiting for an excuse he knew was bullshit.
"What''s the problem, can''t think of a good enough lie?" Spencer suggested, guiding Rob back toward the school.
Inside a small classroom, he pulled out a chair and offered it to Rob. Spencer took a seat across from him, leaning forward. "You know something, don''t you?"
"I don''t know anything," Rob said, "I''m just some dumb kid, remember?"
"You know I have been going over some of Lindsey''s cases. You and your friends seem to end up at a lot of crime scenes," the agent pressed. "Quite the coincidence."
"Well damn, guess I''ll have to shut down my secret serial killer ring now, you got us," Rob rolled his eyes.
"Cut the crap," Spencer snapped, frustration seeping into his voice. "Do you think this is a joke? Three serial killers in a year and a half, one dead, one missing and one still active. What''s going on?"
"Isn''t that your job to figure out?" Rob replied coolly.
"Fine," the agent huffed. "Maybe a night in a cell will jog your memory. We can talk tomorrow after you have a clear head,"
Before Rob could answer, Paulina materialized in the doorway, her presence commanding. "I don''t think you have grounds to hold him, annoying an RCMP agent isn''t a crime last time I checked," she declared, walking toward them.
"Looks my ride is here, it''s been a pleasure like always," Rob said, pushing himself away from the desk.
"This isn''t over, Rob," Spencer warned as they walked away, "I am going to figure out what you are hiding,"
---
Meanwhile, Ahmed reached the safe house. The door swung open to reveal Kyle, sitting at the kitchen table, thumbing through the paper. Ahmed froze; he hadn''t seen Kyle since the night he tried to kill Boon.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"Kyle," Ahmed greeted, his voice tight.
"Ahmed," Kyle acknowledged, without leaving the table.
Neither of them was sure how to proceed, it was too hard to ignore everything Kyle had put him through, but Ahmed didn''t come for Kyle. He turned away from Kyle to look for Ethel, he needed to tell her what they found.
---
The crunching of snow echoed through the woods as Ms. McLeod stumbled through them. Her legs pumped furiously, propelling her through the underbrush. Behind her, the sounds of Greed''s covenant filled her ears, they were coming for her.
"Norma," Danny called out, his voice eerily calm as he stood in the clearing, his gaze fixed on the glow that marked McLeod''s true potential. "There is no point in all of this, you know we''ll catch you eventually,"
"You''re making a mistake, you know the consequences of harming me," she shot back without turning.
Zack watched from beside Danny, his ears perking up at the sound of buzzing nearby. "Do you hear that? I think there''s a fly somewhere," he scanned the snow-covered ground for it.
"Your senses are heightened," Danny replied, his eyes never leaving the spot Norma had run through. "That fly is probably kilometres away in someone''s home,"
"Right, it just sounds so close and so loud," Zack felt the urge to cover his ears, the buzzing felt like it was going to make his head explode.
"Focus," Danny said, his lips curving into a smirk. "Your mind needs to be here, if we don''t finish this Lust will win."
"Right," Zack tried to push out the noise. "Ms. McLeod knows where Lust has been hiding,"
"Exactly, she has been playing us both. I don''t like being made the fool," Danny clenched his fists.
Ms. McLeod reached a large oak tree, she could feel Brian closing in fast. With a swift movement, she scattered palm ash into the air, crafting an unseen barrier around herself in a perfect circle. Brian and Kenneth charged forward recklessly and met the barrier head-on. They were sent flying back, landing hard on the frozen ground.
"Well, well, looks like you still have a few tricks," Danny smiled, walking right up to the edge of the barrier.
"I am always prepared for the worst," she said, her chest heaving with exertion. "I knew you would turn on me eventually. You''ve never been one to trust others, especially those who know more than you,"
Amanda stepped up beside Danny, her face twisted with contempt. "We figured it out, you''re the one who hired Nicole to save John. You''ve been playing us,"
"John was needed to maintain the balance, I have just done what I always do," McLeod countered, watching Amanda closely. "If he had died, you wouldn''t be standing here now,"
"Is that a threat?" Amanda challenged, her hands bursting into flames.
"Those are just facts," McLeod responded with a cryptic smile. "You are nothing in the grand design,"
Amanda glared at the woman. "Just tell us where Jake is," she demanded, lifting her flaming fist toward the barrier.
Ms. McLeod''s lips curled into a smile, the kind that knew too much and said too little. "My dear, you know those flames won''t get through this barrier, besides Jake will find you when he is ready. You don''t need my help for that,"
Zack watched the interrogation from the tree line, and shifted his weight, seeing the Supremes all too eager to attack Ms. McLeod. Ms. McLeod caught his look. "It''s time for you to go back to your friends Zack," she advised.
"And why would he do that? his friends aren''t strong enough to stop Lust," Danny interjected, giving her a confused look.
"That all depends on your definition of strength," Ms. McLeod countered, her eyes locking with Zack''s. "Tell me, Greed would you do whatever it takes to save his friends? Or do their death mean nothing to you as long as you get your new supreme? After all, you''ve killed one of your Supremes already just to get what you want,"
Amanda''s face turned pale as she realized what Norma was implying. "She''s lying!" Danny snapped, his hand retrieving his blade from his leg. With an underhanded toss, the weapon sailed, finding its mark in McLeod''s chest.
As the Wiccan stumbled, breaking the protective circle, Zack moved quickly, catching her before she hit the ground. His hands removed the blade as he raised his own barriers to protect them from Greed. "It''s ok, I''ve got you," he urged, holding her close. While Amanda attacked the barrier.
"Your friends have everything you need now," she gasped, her breath ragged, "You have to go back if you want to save the ones taken by Lust,"
"I will, but first I''m going to get you out of here," Zack laid her gently on the ground before turning to face her attackers. His dull pink eyes flickered to their bright rose quartz colour. With a single glance, Greed and his covenant were sent soaring.
---
The cave''s gloom was oppressive, and a variety of symbols coated the wall. Jessica picked at the rope on her wrists, hoping to loosen them like she had before.
"Save your strength," Kenzie said, watching her work. "Jake learned from the last time,"
"So you''re an exorcist, huh?" Lindsey looked over at Jessica, who seemed surprised Lindsey knew. "Rob told me about you and all this supernatural stuff,"
Jessica met Lindsey''s gaze. "He may have told you but some part of you must have known before that. A strange case, seeing something you just can''t quite explain,"
Lindsey leaned back, the cold rock of the cave wall pressing against her. She shared a memory, distant yet vivid. "Eight years ago, I witnessed a car accident, one of the drivers didn''t see the stop sign," Her voice trailed off as she remembered seeing the smoke rising from the vehicles, it was the same night her brother was fighting for his life in the hospital.
She had made her way over to the young woman who had been ejected from one of the cars, the woman reached up and grabbed her hand, telling her she needed to go see him. "I knew she was talking about Ryan. I didn''t know how I knew, I told myself I was just being dramatic, that it was the ramblings of a dying woman,"
Lindsey''s mind brought her back to the hospital that night, she had found Rob and her parents, tears running down their faces, if she had left when the woman told her to, she would have been able to say her goodbyes.
"Most people don''t want to see the truth in front of them," Jessica whispered, her voice barely audible over the drip of water in the distance, "It''s easier to believe in coincidence than to think there are people out there when can see the future or creatures that go bump in the night," They all fell silent after Jessica spoke, thinking about the truths they ignored, that led them here.
---
Rob and Paulina sat in the basement of her home, they heard movement from upstairs and Deb and John came down to join them. Rob offered them a weak smile as they joined them.
"So these graves aren''t actually graves," Rob looked down at the drawing. "They are sacred stones ancient Wiccans used to worship. And they give supernatural beings increased powers,"
Deb leaned forward, her dark eyes narrowed in thought. "We talked to Pablo about them, he says he remembers seeing them but he can''t remember where they are," she said, her voice full of frustration. "And if Father Bill knew how to find them, he can''t tell us now,"
Ahmed appeared at the top of the stairs, he seemed frustrated and muttered to himself as he joined them all. "Neither of them knows where the stones are," He began, "Ethel says she remembers them from her childhood but she can''t remember where they are."
"How is that possible?" John asked, the muscles in his neck tensed. "How do you bump into a set of magical power stones and just forget where they are?"
"Because that is what they do," Paulina explained, rising abruptly from her seat. "It is how they protect themselves and their secrets, making those who see them forget where to find them. But there is a way, it''s dangerous but possible,"
Rob''s phone buzzed, with Zack''s name scrolling across it. Everyone fell silent and Rob hesitated before answering, putting the call on speaker.
"Zack?" Paulina greeted the static from the phone.
"Paulina. Rob." Zack''s voice filled the space, making everyone smile. "Greed is looking for something called the sacred stones"
"They don''t already know where they are?" Rob ran his fingers through his hair, it was the best news he had heard in a while.
"They are lost and getting desperate, Lust must be getting close to full power," Zack replied. "They turned on Ms. McLeod tonight and almost killed her, they were convinced she knew where Jake is."
"She might have, or at least she may have been able to point them in the right direction," Paulina interjected, her gaze unyielding. "Zack you need to come to my place as soon as you can, there is a way to find the sacred stones and your friends,"
"I''ll be right there,"
"Good and bring something of Kenzie''s with you," Paulina instructed. "You are going to have to wade through the spirit world for this, you''ll need a light to lead you to your destination,"
"Spirit world? Like where we go when we die?" Rob asked, looking fearful.
"Precisely, you can safely traverse this realm but one misstep could mean getting lost forever," Paulina explained.
---
Back in the cave, shadows pooled around Jessica, Kenzie, and Lindsey as Jessica turned her attention to her belt buckle. Jessica''s fingers, nimble and persistent, finally slipped the buckle from her belt: a miniaturized exorcist''s aura emitter.
"It''s small but it can draw a vessel right to you," Jessica explained, as she fumbled with the device to activate them. "I just hope we aren''t too far underground,"
"Zack will sense it, he always seems to come right when you need him," Kenzie smiled, trying to sound hopeful.
"Let''s hope it''s enough," Lindsey added, knowing the reality of the situation.
---
Back at Paulina''s basement, three chairs spaced evenly around a chalk circle. A metronome was placed on the table in the center, a violet haze of lavender smoke swirling around the space. Paulina prepped three syringes with a dark liquid.
"In the spirit world the talismans you brought will act as guiding lights in your search" Paulina explained, her expression unreadable as she looked over the items.
"I have Lindsey''s shield," Rob confirmed, holding up the gleaming emblem of Lindsey''s courage.
"Jessica''s first revolver," Deb said, tenderly placing the well-worn revolver into the circle.
"This is Kenzie''s stethoscope," Zack added, as he added it to the circle.
"Good," Paulina nodded, her eyes reflecting the flickering candles. "Take your seats."
"Well I finally get to do something supernatural," Rob muttered, Deb cracked a smile, knowing just how he felt.
"Are you two sure you want to do this?" Zack asked, Knowing the risk they were taking.
"I''ve never been more sure about anything in my life," Rob said, taking his seat in the circle.
Paulina''s voice was steady, each word a grave note in the symphony of their grim resolve. "Remember, this injection will bring you right to death''s door, you''ll be able to move through the spirit world," she explained, her eyes sweeping over the trio poised at the edges of the tubs. "The personal items will guide you to where you need to be in that world, your chosen anchor will bring you back to our world."
Ahmed moved instinctively toward Deb, his hand almost reaching for her, but Paulina''s firm tone intercepted him. "No, Ahmed, Rob is going to need you. You''re his lifeline." Her words were not unkind, but they allowed no room for argument.
Deb turned her head slightly, catching John''s eye, and the silent exchange between them took place. Zack watched them, his lips curving into a tight, resigned smile. "Looks like you''re going to be with Deb," he said to John.
"Yeah, sure I can do that," John replied, the corners of his mouth lifting in a half-smile.
"Guess you''re stuck with me then," Paulina told Zack, her hand resting briefly on his arm. He lowered himself into his chair; taking a breath to prepare himself.
With a nod, Paulina injected each of them. She then started the metronome, drawing their focus to its slow rhythm. Rob, feeling his eyes becoming heavy, managed a crooked grin at Zack. "Just so you know, Spencer''s back in town."
"That''s great, at least we know we don''t have to worry about the RCMP now," Zack muttered, as his body started to go limp.
Their tethers stood ready, placing a hand on their shoulders. In one synchronous motion, Deb, Rob and Zack''s heads dropped. Their heart rates slowed to the point where they couldn''t be found, medically they were all dead.
---
Back at the safe house, Ethel was finally able to isolate the spark of aura that made her a Supreme. Ethel''s fingers interlaced with Ashley''s, preparing for the transfer of power. With a steady hand, she dug her claws into Ashley''s chest.
"Ready," Ethel muttered to herself, her eyes shifting to their dazzling green colour, her aura filling the space.
"Remember, once you start, you can''t stop," Kyle warned, watching the exchange eagerly.
As Ethel''s aura flowed into Ashley, their energies intertwined in an intricate dance of light. Ashley began to breathe like normal, the room''s temperature dropping a degree with every passing second. Ethel channelled her power, her eyes starting to flicker back to their dull green colour.
Kyle leant against the doorframe, the sight before him igniting a thrill within his chest. He''d lost his sin powers to Ethel, and now she was losing them too, in his mind he had beat her. His excitement was on full display, he couldn''t wipe the wide smile from his face, he beat her, and if he played his cards right he would beat Zack too.
"Beautiful," he breathed out, watching Ethel become weaker by the minute.