It was the fourth murder in as many days. More specifically, it was the fourth ritualistic murder. The only thing the Denver Police Department knew was that it was the work of a satanic cult. They had reached the end of their rope and did not know what else to do. In a last ditch effort, they had approached various Federal agencies to see if they could borrow the best undercover agent available. The DPD's desperate search kept turning up the name of only one person, an undercover agent who was assigned to the ATF. After long hours of discussion, AD Orin Travis had finally agreed with the unusual proposal and now Ezra Standish was about to go undercover for the Denver Police in an effort to infiltrate the cult.
Ezra was not happy about this assignment. Satanic cults made him nervous and he didn't like the idea of going undercover without the full backup of his team. He had spent the last few hours going through all of the books about satanic cults and witchcraft he could get his hands on. The more he read, the more nervous he became. The whole thing was creepy and he was dealing with an unusual feeling - nervousness. Some of these people truly had powers that were supernatural and he didn't know how to defend himself against that.
In a few hours he would be walking into the lion's den, so to speak, where he would be completely on his own. There was no time to waste if they were going to prevent another murder. Ezra had been given the information about a nightclub where members of the cult hung out. The plan was for the southerner to go there and try to get the members to accept him into the cult. Based on all the reading he had just crammed in over the past three nights, he was sure there would be some grotesque ritual he would have to perform before being accepted. With a sigh of resignation, the man admitted to himself that while he knew he would be disgusted by his actions, he would do whatever he had to do in order to gain their acceptance.
It was just after eleven o'clock at night when Ezra headed for the "Club Lucifer" where he would go to work. He had dressed appropriately, wearing black jeans, a red silk shirt, a pendant with the symbol of Lucifer on it, and a black leather jacket. To complete the look, he had also worn his black boots with steel toes and added a temporary tattoo of Satan on the right side of his chest. He hoped he could get this case wrapped up quickly because just the idea of being in a cult, however temporary, gave the normally stoic man the creeps. As he walked down the dark, nearly empty street he began to feel a chill deep in his bones. With an involuntary shudder, Ezra mentally acknowledged that this was an evil place and that these feelings weren't just his imagination. He stopped in front of the club and carefully examined its exterior. It was completely black with symbols of Satan painted on it. There was no doubt what the purpose of this place was. The minute he stepped inside, his life would change and he would begin to live a hellish nightmare.
The occupants of the bar watched the stranger as he entered its smoky interior room. Thanks to the media covering of the recent onslaught of ritualistic murders, there had been many strangers entering their bar and the regulars were getting tired of the unwanted attention. There were too many strangers who had been hanging around and Damien was getting impatient with the interruptions. As a result, they were getting more than a little abrupt in their questioning of the strangers' motives.
The regulars watched as a large man stood up and walked to the end of the bar when the newest stranger had entered their bar. This man had been given the tiresome task of questioning all of the strangers who had been trespassing on their turf. The bull of a man noted with a small note of respect that this stranger was at the very least dressed properly. It was now time for him to find out if this stranger was truly interested in their cult or Damien.
Ezra felt all of the eyes land on him the minute he was in the door. He smiled easily at the attention and made his way towards the bar. 'This was not going to be easy.'
"Bloody Mary, bartender." After placing his order, he casually turned around and took in the bar's appearance. Nobody came in here unless they were a member of the cult. He took the tall glass and began to drink his Bloody Mary. "I'm new around here and I need to find a good satanic cult. Any of you guys got any recommendations?" His southern drawl coming out smooth and strong flowed across the quiet room hiding the fact that while he was extremely nervous, he hid this fact well behind his famous poker face.
"Maybe. Why do you want to join one?" A large man standing at the end of the bar asked.
"I had belonged to one in Georgia and I want to get back into one now that I am here," Ezra said in what he hoped was a convincing tone.
"What was the cult in Georgia that you were in?" The same man asked, suspicious of this new face, testing the man before him. If he passed the test then he would be taken to the leader, Damien.
"I belonged to the Order of the Black Ram." Ezra replied easily, tossing out the name of a cult that he had read in one of the books he had studied. He just hoped they didn't make him perform the usual test that was given to all new members who wanted to join the cult. He didn't think he could possibly do it, even though he knew that if he didn't, they would kill him. He had read that many satanic cults made men who wanted to join, rape a virgin to show proof of their intentions. Ezra didn't believe that he could do that to an innocent young woman. He knew that if they did want him to complete this task and he refused that they would kill both himself and the defenseless girl. If he found himself facing this decision, he acknowledged that he may not have a choice.
"Really? I have heard of that one," the nameless man said. "So you want to join our cult do you? Are you prepared to go through with the ritual test?" The cult had already snatched an innocent girl who they were planning on using as their next sacrifice. With the new possible member that had strolled into their bar, the large man decided that they could use her first as his initiation test before completing the sacrifice.
"Of course. What is the test? I know different cults perform different rites." Ezra was really worried now. Could he rape a girl? He didn't think so, but he might not have a choice. 'Lord, what have I gotten myself into?' he wondered silently. As his mind raced, his well-schooled expression had not changed throughout the sickening conversation. The undercover agent physically fought to maintain a facade of indifference.
"It's the same as most. You'll have to rape a virgin. It just so happens we have one right now too." Here's where they found out if the guy was serious or not. If he willingly raped the girl then they would bring him to their leader. "Would you like to proceed now?"
"Okay, sure. We might as well get on with it." Ezra tossed back the rest of his drink and pushed himself away from the bar. 'Oh, God.' As he followed the large man into a hallway that lead to the back of the building, he silently prayed to God and the young woman for forgiveness for what he was about to do. He noted that there were several rooms off each side of the hall. He didn't need to turn around to see that everyone from the bar were following them.
"Okay mister. She's in there. Just so happens we already removed her clothes and she's all tied up for you." He smiled. He wouldn't have minded taking the girl himself, but he would have to be satisfied with just watching this time.
Unable to think of anything appropriate to say, he simply said "Thank you." Ezra slowly opened the door and stepped into the room. His eyes darted around the interior of the room, finally landing on the young woman who was in the middle of the room with her hands and feet tied to posts in an upright position. He saw that she was crying and had begun to struggle against her bonds when she realized that he was in the room with her. His mind was in turmoil. 'He couldn't do this, he just couldn't.' Taking another, more thorough look around the room, the nervous southerner saw a large mirror on the far wall. Cursing, he knew that he was being watched. Making a split second decision, he moved over to the petrified girl and tried to act tough. He wanted this disgusting situation over with quickly. He figured that the only thing he could do was to fake taking her and pray that his performance would be convincing. He stripped off his clothes and set them aside in a pile and then moved closer to the girl.
"I am sorry about this, darlin'. We don't have much time, so listen carefully," he urgently whispered in her ear while he pretended to begin to take her. "I am an undercover agent. If I don't do this convincingly, they will kill us both. Do you understand?" He was relieved to feel the slight nod of her head. "Just go along with whatever I do and don't worry." He looked into her eyes for a brief moment, trying to convey to the scared girl that she could trust him. Because of the awkward situation and her uncontrollable crying, the situation was almost unbearable for him. Several long minutes later, he finished putting on the act of taking her and, gave her hand a surreptitious squeeze of gentle reassurance. Before he moved away from her, he whispered in a tortured voice, "I am truly sorry."
"Thank you for not doing it," she whispered.
"I will try to get you out of here." He could see the lingering fear and pain in her eyes as he put his clothes back on. He still couldn't believe he had had to do that heinous act. With intense loathing spreading throughout his body, he quickly left the room without a backwards glance.
"Very good job. Mister?" The large man had enjoyed the show and could tell from his performance that this man standing in front of him was very good at the art of sex.
"Stoddard. Evan Stoddard." Ezra introduced himself. This assignment was already a nightmare and it had only just begun. He knew that he had to maintain his control no matter what. He could not afford to lose it now.
Ezra's mind kept going in circles as he tried to find a way to get the girl safely out of there. The only solution that he could come up with was that he had to find a way to get a message to Chris and the others. If only they would leave him alone long enough to contact the team. But, he knew that this wouldn't happen until after he had been accepted by Damien.
"Well, Mr. Stoddard, are you ready to meet our leader?"
Ezra knew that this would be his ultimate test. From the sparse facts that the Team had been able to compile about the man, Ezra knew that this group's leader was not an ordinary man. It had been widely rumored that he had such strong powers that most of his followers feared him.
"Certainly," he answered firmly. The entire operation's success was dependent on how this meeting went. Hoping for a smooth meeting, Ezra quickly reviewed the other men who made up the remainder of their entourage. So far these men all seemed fairly harmless and he knew that he could easily take any of them down with his martial arts skills. Unfortunately, even with all his years of experience backing him, the undercover agent was not prepared for what he would find when he finally met their leader.
*****************************************************************
As the large man took Ezra to meet their leader, several of the other men split off and went in to *take care* of the girl. They smoothly performed the same ritualistic murder they had done four times prior, saving some of the victim's blood for their leader to drink. Damien often claimed that the blood of a woman who had just lost her virginity gave him strength. His followers did not question him either out of fear or respect. After the mutilation and blood letting was completed, they dumped her body in a park across town.
Ezra and the large man arrived at a large wooden door adorned with a ram's head in an upside down pentagram, they paused as the larger man knocked on the door. 'So this is where their leader lived.' Slowly the door creaked open and the moment the air from inside the room hit Ezra, he felt the pure evil that permeated it. Immediately he was hit with the need to run away, find his way out of this hell. At that moment, he knew deep in his soul that he was doomed. This was not an ordinary man who waited for him inside of that room. Whoever was there was going to know that he was an impostor and he would be killed.
He was startled out of his churning thoughts when the large man grabbed his arm and pulled him completely inside. 'God give me the strength to survive this.' Ezra hadn't prayed much during his lifetime, but now he found himself praying for all he that he was worth. He knew that the evil presence in the room would be able to tell he was praying to God, but he didn't care. He was doomed regardless. Whatever being awaited him inside was the devil's disciple.
"Who is this you bring to me? He is not one of us. He is attempting to bring us down." The large man took a step back as Damien's voice boomed through the room.
"But he passed the test." The large man hesitantly replied.
"Then he is good at faking," was the only response. Damien turned his attention to the intruder and glared at the man who dared to breach his inner sanctum. Ezra suddenly felt intense pain in his chest, as if someone was squeezing his heart. He fell to his knees, clutching at his chest as his eyes continued to be riveted on the evil thing that stood before him. Ezra forced one of his hands up to his now throbbing head just as it exploded with pain. The tortured man screamed out futilely just a moment before he lost consciousness.
"Take him from here and dump his body." He angrily ordered to his right-hand man. "He's not dead yet, but I have weakened his heart enough so that he will die within a few hours."
"Yes, sir." Jacob picked up the limp body of Mr. Stoddard, or whoever he really was, and then carried him out of the club and put him in the back of his car. The minion drove to a well known area of town that was known to house a coven of witches. He figured that that when the body was found, the witches would be the ones who were blamed for his death.
Ezra knew that he had to still be alive considering the amount of pain he has in. His heart felt tired and weak and he could barely breath. His head was also pounding as he wished once again that he'd never agreed to do this assignment. Agreed? No. Agreed wasn't the correct term. He had never agreed to the assignment. AD Travis had ordered him to do it. The undercover agent's final thought before he drifted into a deeper state of unconsciousness was that Travis would regret this decision. With some relief, the wounded man found himself floating in a sea of blackness where he could not feel anything. A place where he savored the lack of pain.
*****************************************************************
Jade jerked out of her trance and looked around her coven at the other witches. She saw that they had all felt it. They had all felt that there was another witch in the area and, whoever he was, he was dying. "We have to find him." Jade said as she rose to her feet and found her shoes.
"Yes, Jade. He is in serious trouble." Laura replied.
"He does not know he is a witch." Kit added.
"No. He does not. His powers are dormant and weak. With my help they can be brought to life and strengthened." Jade would help this man, whether or not he wanted her help. Of course, she had other purposes for helping him as well.
"We have to save his life first, Jade." Maria replied. Jade's assistant knew what Jade needed from the man. It had been something that the two of them had discussed several times.
The four ladies were very unique women, not just for their powers, but also for their appearances. Their leader, Jade was a striking raven-haired beauty with transparent blue eyes. Maria had red hair that was almost the color of blood, complimented by a streak of white hair running down the left side, and hazel eyes. Kit's brown hair flowed down to the small of her back, framing her heart-shaped face and violet eyes. Laura, the youngest of the group, had golden blond hair with eyes the color of garnet.
"I know that. Let's get going and find him." She quickly donned her coat in preparation for the cold October weather and made her way out the front door. Even though it was two o'clock in the morning and there was no moon to guide them, they knew that they would be able to find the hurt man if they relied on their powers.
"What do you think happened to him, Jade?" Laura asked worriedly. She could feel the agony that the poor man was in, lying almost dead somewhere nearby.
"I don't know, but somehow I think it has something to do with Damien," she said with distaste. She would love to be able to rid the world of Damien and his evil powers. The only way that she would have a chance to accomplish this feat was by making this man's powers strong. They could then join powers, both mentally and physically, to destroy Damien.
They all got into Jade's car and she let her powers guide the car as they began driving through the dark streets. The women could feel that the man was not far, but they knew that time was not on their side. All four ladies stared intently out the windows of the car, using their eyes to aid their special powers.
"Turn here," Laura said as they came up to an intersection.
"Left." Kit added. They could all feel him and feel the fact that he was barely alive.
"He's very close now." Jade could feel them getting closer to him. She could also feel him getting closer to death. Time was running out and, once he was dead, they could not bring him back. She could not let him die. She needed him. She needed a male witch to complete her powers. Besides, there weren't many male witches in the world today.
They found themselves in a seedy part of town. Jade sensed that this was not a place that the man would belong. She sensed that he was a man of sophistication. She strained to grasp his name from the inner regions of his mind but he was too close to death. The one thing that she was certain of was that he was not who he seemed to be. They drove slowly through the dirty streets and as they passed an alley, Jade sensed something at the same time the others did. She abruptly stopped the car and backed up into the alley to take a closer look.
"He's down there Jade." Laura was already opening the car door, knowing that there was no time to waste.
*****************************************************************
The unconscious man lay in the shadows of the dark alley silently dying surrounded by silence. Blood droplets appeared on the concrete below him as it seeped from his nose mixing with one of the pools of water that were scattered throughout the alley, reflecting the neon lights from the street.
Where once they had held fresh fruits and vegetables, the damp and sagging boxes now were nothing more than wet, moldy hotels for rats. And the rats were everywhere. The nearby dumpster contained old food and limp, left-over vegetables. The inquisitive rats continually traced the scent they were unable to get to. The rodents had not determined how to get into the dumpster and were getting angry. The angrier they became the more determined they were to find some food. The scent of fresh blood permeated their senses, causing the rats to rethink their plan of action.
Some of the more aggressive rats boldly moved over to their new quarry and began investigating the fallen man. Nothing could reach him in the numbing blackness, not even the presence of the rats made him stir. He couldn't feel their presence, nor could he hear their noises. He remained still, relishing the peace and serenity that normally did not exist in his life, unaware that he was being seriously considered as dinner.
He was not aware of the women that sought him out. He was also not aware that they knew where he was because they could sense his powers of witchcraft. He wasn't aware he had powers of witchcraft and would have balked at anyone who tried to say he did. He was not aware that the feelings of peace and serenity that he was grasping to, were being put in his mind and soul by the four ladies who were trying to save his life. They wanted him to feel peace and serenity so he would die in peace in case they didn't find him in time.
*****************************************************************
"We have to hurry!" Maria followed close behind Laura and Jade as they made their way to the mouth of the dark alley. The ladies could see the neon lights from the motel reflected in the dark pools of water that still covered the ground from the last rainfall. Laura shuddered when she caught sight of the piles of trash shoved back against the walls of the buildings among the soggy cardboard boxes. As soon as Kit joined them, they immediately entered the alley, searching for any sign of the man. They had only gone about twenty yards when they stopped, their eyes riveted on the motionless form lying on the hard, wet asphalt bathed in the glow of a neon sign of a bar. Moving as one, the four women quickly moved to his side and gently lifted Ezra up. Jade and Maria kicked out at the rodents, chasing them away from their precious burden. After giving him a cursory once over, they carried him back to their car. Once he was settled in between Kit and Laura on the back-seat, Jade and Maria jumped into the vehicle and quickly drove back to Jade's home.
Upon their arrival, they struggled to bring Ezra into the house and upstairs to Jade's bedroom. They laid the unconscious man out on the bed and began to remove his wet clothes. Jade left the other three to that job while she prepared the potions that would ultimately save his life. Maria and Laura worked together to remove the leather jacket and his shoes while Kit quickly unbuttoned his red silk shirt. As she pulled the wet cloth away from his feverish body, she couldn't help but notice the toned, muscular torso that was bared. The tattoo that Ezra had laboriously applied to his chest earlier that afternoon was removed in short order with a wet cloth. She had known it was not real and that it shouldn't be marring his soft, smooth flesh. When she completed this task, she looked up to see the other women closely watching her every move. All of the women could not miss the fact that he was an incredibly handsome man.
"All right ladies, move aside so that I can apply these potions," Jade said as she moved over to the bed, carrying two bowls in her slim hands. "I need to get them on him now or it will be too late." The raven-haired woman set one of the bowls on the bedside table to be used later. Kit took the second bowl from her and poured its contents into Jade's cupped hands. Jade trickled the warm, oily liquid onto his naked chest and began to gently rub it over his entire torso, massaging it in. Diligently making sure it completely covered his chest. She was amazed with the softness of his skin. As she worked the liquid mixture into his body she tried to read him. She never took her eyes off of his handsome face as she worked her personal brand of medicine.
"Maria, get the incense ready," Jade directed. She saw that Laura had gotten some pillows and put them under Ezra's feet. They needed the focus of his blood flow centered in his torso if they were going to be able to save him.
"Here," Maria said as she gave Laura several sticks of incense. "I'll put some over here too." The ladies set the sticks in strategic locations and began to burn the incense that would aid in healing Ezra.
Jade picked up the other bowl and stirred the pasty substance it held. Using her right index finger, she began to gently spread the second potion over the area she had just layered with the oils. Focusing on the area above his heart, she made intricate symbols from the Old World. She then placed some of the paste on his forehead and temples. She knew that she had to reverse the damage that Damien had caused. It would only take a few hours for the potions to work, but Ezra would remain in a deep state of unconsciousness until then.
"His name is Ezra Standish. I can feel him trying to reach out to me."
"I feel it too, Jade." Laura said. Maria and Kit nodded in agreement. A bit of the night's tension eased as the ladies realized that it was a good sign that they had gotten to him in time. Laura reached out and stroked Ezra's soft chestnut hair. It was dirty right now, but she decided that she would wash it while the potion took affect. "He's so handsome," she murmured.
"Yes he is, but he's mine, ladies. I need him as much as he needs us." Jade stated, not elaborating further about what she meant. She glanced across the bed and met Maria's eyes. She was the only other person who knew what she meant.
"What do you need him for?" Kit asked. She had hoped they might all get to *know* him.
"You will find out soon enough," Jade assured the curious woman. "As the leader of this coven it is my right to claim him." Jade had no intention of telling them what she wanted him for.
"Very well." Kit sighed. The fact that he was the most handsome man she'd seen in a very long time, coupled with the fact that he was a witch, had made her really want him.
"I suggest that you ladies go home and get some sleep. It will be a while before Mr. Standish wakes up and, even then, there is nothing you can do. I have to help him strengthen his powers." The others gathered up their belongings and then Jade walked down the stairs with them to wish them good night. Before they left, she gave them each a hug. She knew they were disappointed that they could not be involved in the process of helping Ezra, but she knew they understood.
"Goodnight Jade. You will tell us if anything changes?" Laura asked.
"Yes of course. I will see you all tomorrow afternoon." Jade would be very busy until sometime tomorrow afternoon. It was not going to be easy to strengthen Ezra's powers and it would require the joining quite a few times. She would need to be free of distractions so she could focus all her powers on reaching out to him. She would not pull his powers out and make them strong in a harsh or violent way. It could be done, but she would not do that to him. He had already been through enough. So she would gently caress them out and strengthen him slowly. She knew it would be a strange feeling to him once his powers began to grow strong and she wanted to be able to help him understand what was happening.
*****************************************************************
Ezra became more aware as each hour passed as night slipped into day. He did not know where he was or what was happening to him. His chest and abdomen were tingling and felt warm with a soothing, pleasant feeling that he savored. The pain he had felt at the hands of the pure evil had been so vile that he grasped on to this new feeling that calmed his soul. He did not open his eyes, even when his mind registered the fact that someone was gently washing his hair. The pleasant feelings intensified as he accepted the fact that he was with someone who cared for him. As he laid there relishing the lovely feelings, he realized that he was feeling so much better than he had in such a long time. Small twinges of wariness worked their way into his bliss as he became aware of the strange feeling of someone trying to probe his mind. It was gentle invasive feeling, but because it felt strange, he fought it.
"Don't fight me Ezra," Jade softly intoned. "I need to know more about you before we begin." Jade had been trying to probe deeper into his mind as she gently dried Ezra's hair, but her silent request was met with resistance. She knew that the only way she would be able to draw his powers out was to join with him. Never was there a time when a man and woman were more one then at that time. This was the only way she would be able to find and strengthen those powers that were hidden so deep inside him.
Jade laid a cool hand on his forehead when Ezra moaned. She knew that he was not in pain. She sensed that his mind was full of confusion and this is what was making him restless. A part of him wanted to wake up but there was a part of him that was not allowing that to happen just yet. He still didn't know why he wasn't dead. He knew that his heart had been weakened by Damien but he had no idea who had saved him. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, he grabbed onto the faint image of four unknown women. Somehow he had felt them in his mind and had reached out to them.
"Don't fight it, Ezra. You will wake when your body is ready." Jade could sense he was confused and wanted to be awake. It was almost time. Once he woke and she could speak to him, then she would begin the ritual.
She moved away from the bed and to her table to begin to prepare the special potion she planned to use when she joined with him. It was not the first time she had joined with a man to bring his powers out, but she had a feeling that this might be the most incredible experience of her life. Not only was the man handsome and well built, he was a very complex man who would be a challenge to her. When she had been trying to probe his mind, she did find out a few more things about him. She had discovered that he was an undercover agent with the ATF. Actually, he was the best one there was. She knew that was because of his strong powers of persuasion. This was the only power he had knowingly made use of. But, he didn't realize that this was just one of his many powers of witchcraft that lurked in the deep recesses of his mind.
*****************************************************************
Chris Larabee was worried. He'd gotten a call from the Denver Police telling him that Ezra had disappeared the night before and no one had seen any sign of him since. If this wasn't bad enough, they had found yet another murder victim. Now he wanted to know what the hell was going on. He stepped out of his office and into the bullpen, which was decorated for Halloween. "Everyone gather around."
"What's up, Chris?" Vin asked as he stopped next to Chris.
"I just got a call from the Denver PD. Ezra's missing. They are searching for him and will keep us posted." Chris looked at each of them and saw the worry.
"What about us?" JD asked. "Why don't we go look for him ourselves?" He didn't understand why they couldn't be looking for their missing teammate.
"Officially, it's not our case, JD. If they don't find him in the next twenty-four hours then we will go looking ourselves."
"There's something else, isn't there?" Buck asked, reading the answer on his old friend's face before Chris had a chance to answer.
"Yeah. They found another murder victim this morning."
"Another young woman?" Buck asked.
"She was murdered in the same fashion as the last four." Chris was disgusted. Inwardly, he was praying that Ezra wasn't in any danger. He hoped that the resilient con man was not hurt but one step closer to putting a stop to these murders.
"You think Ezra's disappearance has anything to do with it?" Vin asked.
"We'll wait and see if the police come up with anything. Then we start looking ourselves." Chris went back into his office. His mind was trying to absorb the information he had just gotten.
*****************************************************************
When Ezra was finally able to open his eyes, it took him a few moments for his vision to clear before he could take a look around the strange room. His owl-like eyes took in the interesting looking furnishings as he searched for some clue as to where he was. It took another moment for him to realize that he was laying completely naked in a strange bed. He frantically searched his foggy mind for some clues as to where he was. Where his clothes were. His startled eyes landed on the raven-haired beauty that stood silently at the foot of the bed. He knew that he was dreaming. He had to be because nothing like this would happen to him in real life.
"Hello Ezra." She now knew without a doubt that he was definitely a witch. Only a witch could have green eyes like that.
"Who are you?" he asked as he tried to sit up. After struggling for a few minutes he gave up when he realized that he could barely move a muscle. "And what's wrong with me?"
She smiled as his southern drawl flowed over her in sweet and warm waves. "My name is Jade. You were almost killed by Damien, but my fellow witches and I saved you. You are a witch Ezra. I know you don't know that, but you are." She smiled at him, trying to relieve the confusion that she could see swimming in his mesmerizing eyes.
"I assure you, dear lady, I am not a witch." Why in the world would she say such a thing?
"You are Ezra and by joining with you I am going to draw your powers out and make them strong." She almost laughed at his shocked expression.
"Join with me?" He felt like he had an idea of what she meant and was shocked. In a way he also knew it to be true.
"If we are to defeat Damien, you and I have to fight him together. That can't be done unless I have given you my strength and shown you the powers that are laying dormant inside you." She moved up the side of the bed and sat down on the edge next to him. She knew that the joining would only be successful if he was relaxed and completely agreeable to the ritual. She reached out and caressed his smooth cheek. She had not seen eyes like his in a very long time and they drew her in.
"I'm still not convinced that I have these powers that you say I have." The very idea that he could be a witch was mind-boggling and he didn't quite believe it was true. He suddenly heard her voice in his head. How could he hear her thoughts?
'Ezra, you must trust me. You have the power of witchcraft and together we can defeat Damien.' Her thoughts filled his mind as she tried to convince him it was all true. 'Ezra, if you did not have those powers you would not be hearing and feeling my thoughts.'
"It's just so hard to believe. A witch?" He spoke aloud, but he also tried to reach out to her with his thoughts. 'How can I be sure?'
"Because Ezra, your thoughts reached my mind and that is part of the magic." Jade hoped he was convinced now. There was no time to waste if they were going to stop Damien before he killed again.
"If this is what it takes to defeat Damien how can I say no?" He couldn't believe he was agreeing to this. He didn't even know this woman and he was about to spend hours joining with her so she could bring out his powers. Powers he didn't even know he had.
"You already use one of your powers on a daily basis Ezra. Your power of persuasion is what makes you the best undercover agent there is." She watched as understanding began to fill his eyes.
"Oh my God." He didn't know what else to say. He wasn't sure he trusted her entirely. The thoughts and feelings he got from her seemed genuine, but the truth was he didn't know her and could not trust her completely. He would do as she asked for now in the hopes that they could defeat Damien together.
"Ezra, you are one of the few true male witches. There aren't many in the world anymore." Jade put her hand on his chest and leaned in to kiss him gently. They might as well enjoy the experience. The main goal for joining was to make his powers strong, but there was no reason they couldn't get the pleasure from it as well. She reached over and dipped her index finger into the red liquid that was in the small bowl beside the bed. She then ran that finger over Ezra's lips before leaning down to kiss him deeply. She hoped her potion would work. She needed it to work. As she deepened the kiss, she moved so that her body was completely over his. It was time for the joining to begin. When she felt his arms come around her, she reached out gently with her mind, seeking that hidden corner of his mind where those powers laid dormant. It took a little time but she found where his powers were and gently began to draw them out. At the moment they became completely one, she sent a bolt of her power into him and could feel his powers strengthen.
"Jade...." Ezra whispered. The experience had been incredible and what he felt happening in his mind was very strange, but at the same time exciting. He held her tight in his arms and kissed her. If this was how the joining would always feel then he would have no problem with it.
"We will need to do this several more times Ezra. I have only begun to strengthen your powers. If you don't wish to continue I will understand." She could see that he had achieved pleasure from the joining. She could also tell he was feeling the powers as they became stronger.
"I will continue, Jade. It's just such a bizarre feeling." He could almost read her. He had a sense of what she was feeling, but was not able to fully read her yet. It felt so very strange and yet it didn't. After all, didn't he spend most of his life reading people? It just wasn't in such a powerful and complete way before.
*****************************************************************
The ritual was finally complete by early afternoon. Ezra was in a deep sleep, reliving those strong, new feelings with Jade laying beside him lost in her own thoughts. Once Ezra's powers had reached full strength their joining had become not only a physical experience, but a spiritual one. They had felt all of each other. Their bodies, minds, souls, and hearts. Neither of them had ever experienced anything like it before.
A small satisfied smile crept over her face as she laid there complete in the knowledge that her potion had worked. Her left hand drifted gently down to her abdomen and softly caressed the skin there. She could sense the spark of life that was now beginning to grow inside her. As the leader of the coven, she needed a child. One that would be strong in the ways of witchcraft. Only a child created by two witches would carry that strength and Ezra had now given her that. She would also be able to draw on the baby's powers as it began to develop inside her. When Jade finally fell asleep next to Ezra, she had dreams about Damien.
Ezra woke shortly after Jade fell asleep feeling refreshed and alive. For the first time in his life he felt like he could do anything. He looked over at the beautiful woman lying on the bed next to him. She had given him the most amazing physical experience of his life. With a smile, he noted that he wouldn't mind making love to her again, regardless to the fact that it was no longer a necessity. Ezra got up from the bed and found a robe to put on. He was hungry and decided to fix the two of them one of his famous omelets. He made his way down the stairs and began rummaging in the kitchen. Finding the ingredients for the omelet was the easy part, they were all right there in the refrigerator but locating the necessary utensils and pan was a little harder. He'd had to go through all the drawers and cabinets to find everything he needed, trying to be quiet and not wake the beautiful woman upstairs. Ezra whipped up his special Denver omelet and some bacon. After adding a couple of glasses of orange juice to the breakfast tray, he picked up the tray and headed back upstairs to the bedroom.
"I wondered where you'd gone." Jade said as she watched Ezra walk into the room carrying a tray.
"I made us some breakfast." Ezra smiled as he sat down on the bed and took in the beautiful sight before him. The sight of Jade laying there naked was breathtaking.
"You like what you see?" Jade grew warm under Ezra's intense green gaze and she felt herself wanting him again.
"Very much, Darlin'." Ezra fed Jade a bite of the omelet and leaned over to kiss her. It was strange, he wanted her very much and enjoyed making love to her, but he had no real feelings of love for her. "When do I get to find out what powers I have?" The fact that he could read her thoughts, or at least the ones she allowed him access to, was an amazing sensation and he couldn't wait to find out what else he could do.
"Soon Ezra, I promise. There is not much time to waste. I dreamed of Damien this afternoon and saw that he will be selecting another victim soon." She ate the omelet and bacon that Ezra fed her. She needed to show Ezra what he could do and then they would need to make preparations to take on Damien. First though, she wanted to make love to Ezra again.
Ezra knew Jade wanted to make love again. He could read it in her eyes and once they finished eating he put the tray on the bedside table. He removed his robe and got back in bed, pulling Jade to him. The two witches joined once again, both becoming lost in the amazing sensations that they each felt. Ezra had never made love to a witch before and Jade had never really been with another male witch, so it was an amazing experience for both of them. It was why they seemed to want it so very much. "Jade, you are so amazing." Ezra kissed her deeply as they finished.
"I could say the same of you Ezra." Jade kissed him back and moved away from him. "We need to start making plans to take on Damien." She got off the bed and got dressed. "I need to show you what you can do and I need to work on the spell that will send Damien back to hell." The time had come for the other witches of her coven to join the two of them.
"Do you have my clothes, Darlin'?" Ezra wanted to get dressed too, but didn't know where his clothes were.
"Yes. Wait here and I will go get them for you. I had to put them in the washer." She went downstairs and, after she retrieved Ezra's clothes, she called Maria and asked her to get the others and come over right away. She brought the clothes back up to Ezra. As he dressed, she sat at the table and began gathering various herbs and other ingredients she would need to begin making her spell.
"What is it you're doing?" Ezra asked as he watched Jade work. The ingredients she was putting together were rather odd.
"I have to make a potion to go with the spell. Are you ready to see some of the things you can do now?" She stood and moved to where Ezra sat on the edge of the bed.
"Yes. It's obvious that I can read peoples minds. What else can I do?" He was very curious to know what powers had been hidden deep inside him all these years.
"Well, aside from reading peoples minds Ezra, you can manipulate their thoughts. You can make them see something that's not there or not see something that is there. You can make them do things too." She watched a mischievous grin come to Ezra's face and wondered why.
"Is that so?" Ezra would love to use those powers on his compatriots. He could have real fun with it and make them bow down to him for a change.
"What? Ezra no. You can't contact them. They can't know anything about your powers." She had read his thoughts and she could not allow him to contact his friends. If he did, then that would mean she would have to erase their memories and she didn't want that.
"I need to at least let them know I am all right. I can read their thoughts and they are very worried about me." He could not let them worry about him especially not when he was here with this beautiful woman, making love to her at will. What he and Jade were about to do would be dangerous and he would not put them in danger. Still he needed to let them know he was all right.
"Okay, but all you can tell them is that you are all right, that's it." Jade was leery of letting Ezra call his friends. If they suspected anything they could get in the way and possibly get hurt or killed.
Ezra kissed Jade briefly and moved to the phone. Then he stopped. They could trace the call to this house if he used her phone. "Jade, I better make the call from a pay phone so they can't trace it back to this house."
"Okay Ezra. We will be going out as soon as the others get here and we can get the spell put together. You can make the call then. She moved back to the table and continued working on the spell.
"Very well. Just what will my role in this be?" He was curious. He understood that his powers were fairly strong now, but because he was new at this witch business he didn't know what to expect.
"Well, Ezra, to be honest you will be in the most danger of anyone. You will have to keep Damien distracted while we cast the spell on him." She could sense Ezra's worry immediately and it concerned her when she realized that he was not concerned about himself. This piece of knowledge made her very sad. She knew the kind of life he had been living and why he cared so little for his own well being. She also knew he was so kind hearted that he would rather give his own life rather than someone else's getting taken. She had been intimate with him and had read his deepest thoughts and emotions. The man had a heart of gold, but chose to keep it hidden from everyone. She also knew why he did that. He'd been hurt too many times and was not comfortable with exposing himself to that kind of pain again. She understood completely.
"How am I going to do that? That�that thing is too powerful." Ezra could almost feel the pain in his chest again as he thought of what Damien had done to him the last time. He didn't know if he could handle the intense agony again, new powers or not.
"Your powers will protect you more now that you are aware of them. Remember, you have the ability to make yourself disappear and reappear at will. As long as you can keep him distracted for the fifteen minutes or so it will take to cast the spell, then it will be all over." She could sense his apprehension and understood his fear as her thoughts melded with his as he remembered his last encounter with Damien. She stretched her thoughts out to him, promising that she would do what she could to ease his fears.
"Are you certain this will work Jade?" Ezra asked with a tremor in his normally steady voice. The memories of his near death flashed through his mind, reminding him of how close he had come to his death at Damien's hand. Now, knowing that he was going to have to go face to face with that demon again, his natural fear was threatening to overtake him.
"Try not to worry, Ezra. We will do everything in our power to be sure that nothing will happen to you." Jade moved over to Ezra and took his hand in hers and pulled him to his feet, looking deeply into his eyes. Her mind sought his out and she tried to soothe him in the only way she knew how. Moving closer, she began to lightly kiss him, going deeper as she worked to release his fears and give him the strength and courage he would need to succeed.
"Jade, that still amazes me," he whispered in her ear. The feeling of her in his mind was still so strange that he was still struggling to get used to the new sensation.
"I know Ezra," Jade smiled. "Are you feeling better now?" The woman loved kissing him, reveling in the fact that he was so very good at it.
"Yes, thank you. So when do we begin this endeavor?"
"We will begin as soon as the others arrive. Since it is Halloween, our powers will be even stronger once the sun goes down." Jade caressed his cheek, wishing that there was time to make love to him again before they faced Damien. With a sigh of regret, she chased that thought from her mind, knowing that the others would be joining them in a few moments.
"Wonderful. The sooner this is over the better." Ezra thrust his fingers through his hair as he attempted to gain a modicum of peace. The southerner was worried about the upcoming meeting and knew that he needed to contact the others to let them know that he was all right.
Jade could feel the inner turmoil that coursed through the man in front of her. "You can call the others when we leave Ezra. We'll stop at the first pay phone we come to. There's one that is not too far from here."
"Thank you Darlin." Ezra pulled her close and kissed her again. He'd had no feelings toward her in the beginning, but that seemed to be changing. She felt good in his arms and their kisses were amazing.
"Jade?" Maria called from downstairs.
"We're up here," Jade called down to the women. "Come on up so we can get started." She moved away from Ezra with regret and turned her full attention back to the table. She quickly checked to make sure that the potion was ready to go and that the yellowed copy of the banishment spell was there as well. All that was left was to go over everything with the others and gather together the final materials that they would need to successfully complete their mission.
"Hello Jade. Mr. Standish. I take it the ritual went well?" Maria came into the room, with Kit and Laura following closely behind.
"Yes. Everything went just as planned." Jade smiled at her assistant, knowing that Maria would understand exactly what she meant.
"Good. How are you feeling Mr. Standish?" Kit asked as she approached him.
"I feel very good. Strange, but good. Please, call me Ezra." Ezra smiled, but felt a little nervous at the violet eyed beauty's close scrutiny of him.
"Pleasure to meet you, Ezra." Kit reached out and took Ezra's hand in a firm handshake, holding it longer than was necessary. She would love to have been in Jade's place over the last twenty-four hours. She could tell just by looking into his eyes that this handsome man would be incredible to make love to.
"Likewise, I am sure." The normally unflappable undercover agent was finding out that his new found ability to read other people's minds could bring great embarrassment to himself if he wasn't careful. He could read her thoughts about her assumption of his sexual prowess and was quite embarrassed by them. He knew that he was capable of giving pleasure to a woman, but he never considered himself extraordinarily good at it. If anything, that title belonged to Buck Wilmington.
"Ezra, it's good to see you up and around. We were quite worried about you the last time we saw you." Maria said as she removed Ezra's captured hand from Kit's grasp, purposefully keeping her mind clear of the kind of thoughts and actions that Kit had just displayed.
"Well, it seems that I have all you lovely ladies to thank for saving my life." He carefully studied all four women, mentally cataloging their strengths. They all seemed very nice and, under other circumstances, he would never have believed that these women were witches.
While Ezra talked with Laura and Kit, Maria moved over to the table where Jade was working. She helped her boss finish getting the supplies that they would need together before whispering, "So, your pregnant?"
"Shhhh. Yes, the potion worked. I must say that Ezra is quite a wonderful lover." Jade smiled. Her body ached to make love with Ezra one last time, but she realized that they probably wouldn't have that chance. Once Damien was banished, Ezra would be gone from her life, back to the life he had been leading and she would most likely never see him again.
"That's great," Maria said with a smile. "When will we be ready to go? I want to get this over with." Maria was very worried about the upcoming encounter. She could sense that the others were just as worried and she knew that the sooner this was over with, the better it was going to be for them all.
"I have completed the potion and the spell is right here, ready to go. There is nothing else we can do up here. All we have to do is get the wooden stocks and chalk then we can go." Jade's nerves were starting to become more pronounced and she prayed that everything went according to plan and that none of them wound up dead.
"Where are they?" Maria asked.
"Down in the closet off the living room." Jade had a lot of strange things in that closet.
"Kit, you and Laura go down to the closet and get the wooden stocks out of it and take them to the car." Maria watched as they looked at her with disappointment in their eyes. The two women had been enjoying their talk with Ezra. It was understandable since he was a handsome and very intelligent man.
"Yes, Maria," Laura replied as she grabbed Kit's arm and pulled her out of the room.
"Are you ready, Ezra?" Jade asked as she picked up her spell book and the pouch with the potion in it. "We'll stop on the way so you can make your phone call. Remember, you can only tell them that you are all right. Nothing more."
"I understand that I can't tell them anything specific." Ezra slipped his arms into his leather jacket and moved over to Jade. For some reason, he suddenly felt protective of her and did not want any harm to come to her.
"Lets go then," she said as she took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "I want this over as much as anyone." She knew that his role in this operation was the most important and the most dangerous. With a brief smile, she let go of his hand and quickly moved out of the bedroom and descended the hardwood stairs. With Maria and Ezra following close behind her, the three met up with Laura and Kit at the car. Jade took her customary place behind the wheel and motioned for Ezra to take the front passenger seat. The three remaining ladies slipped into the back seat without a word. As she looked into the rearview mirror, she saw that the trunk was slightly ajar to compensate for the wooden stock that had been stored in the trunk. Jade pulled into an empty parking lot and stopped close to the blue and white phone booth so that Ezra could make his call. "Remember Ezra, only tell them that you are all right."
"Yes, Jade. I remember." Ezra pulled his leather jacket closer to his body as he got out of the car. After fumbling in his pocket for a quarter, he dialed Chris' cell phone and waited for his friend to pick up.
"Hello?" Chris barked into the phone, clearly not happy to be woken up. The entire team had spent the better part of that day trying to find any lead that they could that would lead them to Ezra's whereabouts but came up empty handed.
"Mr. Larabee. I am just calling you to let you know that I am fine and that this case will be over before the break of dawn.." Ezra didn't say anything about where he was going to, but he sent an image of Club Lucifer to his boss' mind, trying to impress the importance with his newfound powers. He knew that once Chris understood what he was trying to impart, he would get the others together and go there. But, the southerner also knew that by the time they made their way to the club, it would all be over. He would not put them in danger, but he knew they would need to be there for the clean-up.
"Ezra? Where the hell are you?" Chris was suddenly alert and an image of Club Lucifer came into mind, chasing away the remnants of his brief sleep.
"I can't tell you, Chris. Suffice it to say that I am all right." As soon as the last words were out of his mouth, he replaced the black receiver and returned to the waiting car. Jade glanced at his troubled expression before heading the car towards their final destination - Club Lucifer.
"Are you all right Ezra?" Jade felt the tension rolling off of the quiet man and fought to keep both hands on the wheel when all she wanted to do was to grab him and hold him tight.
"Yes," he quietly replied. "I just don't like being so elusive with them."
"I understand, but if they knew everything, it would be a mess." Jade didn't like the idea of having to erase the memories of Ezra's friends but no matter how much Ezra wanted them to know, she knew that this had to be done.
"I know Jade. I also know they would never understand. Hell, I am still not sure I truly understand it myself." Ezra reached over and snagged her right hand, feeling her unique strength flow through him. It was an amazing feeling, like nothing he'd ever felt before, just as their love making had been.
Jade smiled as she read Ezra's thought, silently agreeing with him. She would miss that terribly when all of this was over. A frown settled on her face as she pulled the car into dark parking lot of Club Lucifer and turned off the engine. "Well, this is it. We all need to concentrate our thoughts on the occupants of the bar and make them leave. Once they have all left, we can then make our way to Damien's lair in the back."
"What shall I do, Jade?" Ezra asked anxiously.
"Stay calm and focus your thoughts on making the occupants leave. Once we reach Damien's lair, you will have to use all of your powers to distract him while we perform the ritual and complete the spell." Jade squeezed his hand, trying to share her strength with the nervous man.
"Great. That sounds like a walk in the park." The sarcasm dripped from Ezra's southern accent as he acknowledged that he could die if anything went wrong.
"Ezra, please don't worry." Jade leaned over and kissed him hard then she turned her attention back to the driver's window and watched as the patrons all began to leave. After ten long minutes had crept by, Jade said, "It's time. Everyone ready?."
"As we will ever be." Maria glanced at the others as they all nodded. It was going to be a long half hour or so. She got out of the back of the car and Kit followed her. Laura got out the other side and Ezra and Jade exited the front. Laura and Kit got the wood stocks from the trunk and closed the lid. They moved into the club as a group and smiled as they noticed the place was empty. Even the bartender was gone and the jukebox played in the background.
The five witches made their way towards the back where Damien's lair was. Jade noted with satisfaction that everyone was gone. They were easy to manipulate since none of them had any powers. Damien was the only one there with powers. Looking directly into each person's eyes, she asked, "Is everyone ready?" She released the breath that she had been unconsciously holding as she watched each one of her friends nod their heads. Even she was feeling nervous now but she knew that she had to push those feelings to the back of her mind if she was going to have a chance to successfully defeat Damien.
"Ezra, you go in first and begin distracting him. You'll have to keep moving and react quickly. If he gets a fix on you, he can inflict injuries to you." Jade looked into Ezra's eyes, making certain that he understood everything completely.
"I will do my best Jade," he assured her. "Just do this as fast as you can." Ezra suddenly felt certain that he would not come out of this ordeal unscathed. He glanced at the others briefly before entering the room. The temperature dropped drastically as he stepped inside. He felt Damien's presence before he saw him.
"I thought I destroyed you." Damien boomed, sensing the new powers within this man before him and knew that this would not be the easy victory it usually was. "I see you have discovered your powers. Good, it has been a long time since I had a real challenge."
"Then get ready for the challenge of your evil life, Damien." Ezra replied. The moment Damien made a move towards him, the southerner vanished and reappeared in another place. Ezra glanced at the door and watched the four ladies enter soundlessly. Since Damien's back was to the door and his attention was focused on Ezra, he was unaware of their entrance. Ezra continued to distract Damien, pulling him farther away from the door and the work of Jade and her coven.
Jade and her coven worked quickly. Laura drew the chalk on the floor in the necessary pattern while Kit got the wood stocks ready. Jade and Maria prepared the potion and gave each of the women an assigned task. This would be more difficult than usual because Damien was not an ordinary man who had no supernatural powers. His evil powers were extremely strong and the spell would have to be read over and over several times if they were to have a chance in defeating him. Jade kept an eye on Ezra as he worked to keep Damien distracted and noted with some satisfaction that he was doing a wonderful job making sure that Damien was unaware of their presence. She could sense that Damien was angry that he hadn't succeeded in killing Ezra before and that this anger was what was driving him right now.
*****************************************************************
Chris had slammed the phone down after Ezra hung up. The damn fool southerner was going to get himself killed. He picked the phone up again and began making the necessary calls. He contacted every one of the remaining team members and told them to meet him at the office immediately. He got out of bed and quickly dressed, then climbed in his Ram and headed for the office. He pulled into the underground garage and headed for the elevator. As he depressed the number seven, a strange feeling came over him. The number seven had always been his lucky number and he could not imagine his team as anything less than the seven men that it was comprised of. Chris stepped off the elevator and saw that someone had made it there before him. He walked through the open doors to the Team 7 offices, wondering who beat him to the office.
"What's goin on Chris?" Nathan asked urgently. His mind had been racing the entire trip into the office ever since he got that call from Chris earlier, ordering him to the office. The ex-medic knew that it had something to do with Ezra but that was it.
"We'll wait for the others Nathan. I don't want to have to repeat it." Chris was still not in a good mood, but he did feel some relief after hearing from Ezra. He also wasn't sure how he knew that Club Lucifer was where Ezra was and that Ezra was in some kind of danger.
"Okay Chris." Nathan could see the worry and fear in Chris' eyes.
A few moments later Josiah and Vin entered the office quietly, closely followed by Buck and JD who came in arguing. "I'm telling you something happened to Ezra, that's why Chris called us in," JD said sorrowfully.
"Now you don't know that, kid. Let's just wait and see what Chris has to say." Like the others, Buck was very worried about the southerner but he was letting it show in his angry words.
"Both of you shut up." Chris was sick of their arguing and the shortness in his tone showed it. "The reason you are all here is because I got a call from Ezra about an hour ago. He didn't say anything except that he was all right. While we were on the phone, however, I got the strongest feeling that he was at Club Lucifer and that he was in danger." Chris quickly explained Ezra's cryptic phone call in detail and the strong feelings he had gotten from it. While Chris was speaking, the others got their gear together and once they sketched out a game plan, they headed for the club.
"You think we will get there in time, Chris?" Vin asked.
"I hope so Vin, I really hope so," Chris said quietly. He was worried and the fact that there was a satanic cult involved only increased that worry. He'd heard of people being robbed of their souls by those cults and the possibility that they could find Ezra as nothing more than a vegetable was weighing heavily on the man.
"We'll find him, Brother Vin," Josiah stated. "We have the Lord on our side." Josiah's deep, soothing voice added from the driver's seat. It was still a good twenty minutes until they reached the club and everyone in that vehicle was worried, a fact that was made obvious by the complete silence that filled the SUV's interior.
*****************************************************************
Back at the club, Ezra continued to distract Damien from the ladies. He disappeared and reappeared in a completely different place. He used words and thoughts that he knew would anger Damien and he was beginning to enjoy it. That was until he made his first mistake and Damien landed a blow on him. He was sent flying across the room, arms and legs flailing as an invisible force pushed him. He slammed hard into the wall and felt several of his ribs break. This was no longer fun.
Jade panicked when she saw what happened to Ezra. She and her coven were almost ready. The chalk circle had been drawn and the potion spread within it. The wooden stocks were in place and she was passing the words to the spell around to each of her girls. Jade was ready for Ezra to lure Damien into the circle where the potion would freeze him and they could get him secured in the stocks. She silently spoke to Ezra, first asking him if he was all right. Gently sending him some of her own power as she reached out to him. 'Ezra, I need you to get Damien into the circle of chalk now.' She watched him nod slightly.
"Hey Damien, anyone every tell you that your a filthy, loathsome miscreant?" Ezra taunted as he moved towards the circle. He noticed the rage in Damien's eyes and knew that he was blinded by his fury. Ezra stepped into the circle and let Damien come at him. He felt the invisible force taking him again. His body flew through the air once again and his head impacted sharply with the wall. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was that Damien was inside the circle.
Jade glanced over at Ezra's unconscious form to ensure that he was all right before focusing her complete concentration on Damien. She turned to face the demon before her and was pleased to see that the potion had worked. He was frozen in place and yelling with rage. "Maria, get the stocks on him."
"Okay." Maria fearfully stepped up to Damien and quickly got the wooden stocks in place before returning to Jade's side.
"All right ladies. Each of you spread out around the edge of the circle and start chanting the spell when I say so." Jade picked up her spell book and watched as each of her witches took their place around the circle. "All right ladies, begin reciting the spell."
Tollete eum
Spiritus malus
Ite in facinum
In facinum sempiternum
Facine claudete ostium mundi tenebricosi
Abite tu male!
(English Translation)
up the sorrow
Take
it up
Evil
Spirit
Go
into the talisman
Into
the eternal talisman
Cast
the spell and close the door to the dark world
Go
away you evil one!
They repeated the spell four times, causing Damien to grow more enraged with each time as he futilely tried to escape the stocks. The spell and potion began to work and, after the fourth time rendition, Damien disappeared and the empty stocks fell to the floor with a clatter. It took them all a moment to realize that they had been successful and that Damien would never inhabit this dimension again. With a sigh of relief from all of the participants, they noted that they were extremely tired. The spell had weakened them and all they were looking forward to was going home and getting some much deserved rest. With a gasp, Jade spun around and searched for Ezra. She knew he had done a wonderful job of distracting Damien and he had to be even more exhausted then she was. After a fast exam of his inert form, she saw that he had been injured. "Kit, please go call an ambulance."
"Okay Jade. How is he?" The brown haired witch liked Ezra a lot, but knew that once he left this building, she would probably never see him again.
"I don't know yet." Jade knelt down next to him and looked into his handsome face. There was no indication that he was coming around. Since he had hit the wall hard, she had a feeling he was suffering from a concussion. She wordlessly greeted Laura and Maria as they came up to stand behind her.
"Jade?" Maria knelt beside her and touched Ezra's hand. "How is he?"
"He's alive, but he's banged up pretty good. From what I can feel of his pain, he is suffering from some broken ribs, a broken right arm and a concussion. With proper medical attention and bedrest, he should be fine in time," she diagnosed as she stroked his hair, trying to soothe him with her thoughts.
"The ambulance is on its way, Jade," Kit reported. "And, I saw some ATF agents out in the main area of the club."
"Hurry. We need to go out the back way. Laura, you and Kit take the wooden stocks out to the car. Maria and I will meet you there as soon as we make sure Ezra's friends find him." She turned and watched as the two ladies carried out her orders. She then nodded to Maria and watched her move away. Turning back to Ezra, Jade whispered to him, "Ezra, you will never know what gift you have given me. With your child, I will be stronger and once it comes of age, its powers will be even stronger. I will never forget you. Do not worry, I will come to see you one last time at the hospital." She leaned forward and gently placed a kiss on his mouth. She stood and, after one last look, the two left by the back door, hearing Ezra's friends entering the back room.
*****************************************************************
Ezra was admitted to the hospital with four broken ribs, a fracture of his right forearm, a severe concussion, and physical exhaustion. After his six compatriots had found him lying motionless on the floor of the back room, they had followed him to the hospital. Once the doctor had examined Ezra and gotten him settled into a room, he went to speak with the six worried men. "Mr. Larabee. Gentlemen. Mr. Standish is resting comfortably and has no life threatening injuries. We will be keeping him here for several days for routine observation. He is suffering from physical exhaustion as well as his other injuries so he is in need of as much peace and quiet as he can possibly get. Once he is ready to go back to work, it will have to be on desk duty for at least six weeks until his arm and ribs heal. Other than this, I can say that in my opinion he will be just fine.
"Thank you, doctor. When can we see him?" Chris had to see for himself that the stubborn southerner was going to be okay.
"You can see him in the morning. Like I said, he needs all the rest he can get right now." With that order said, the doctor shook Larabee's hand and left.
"He's going to be okay, Chris. Lets all go home and get some rest ourselves," Nathan said as he patted Chris' shoulder on his way out.
"Good idea, Nathan," Chris agreed reluctantly. "Everyone, go home and get some sleep. We'll come back in the morning to see Ezra." Chris was tired and the relief of knowing Ezra was okay made him feel even more weary. Each man glanced longingly at the door that they knew Ezra was behind as they passed to leave the hospital.
Inside the room, a lone shadow moved across the light coming in through the window. It was a light cast by a street light outside and it's light was faint, but it was enough to make the presence of the female figure visible. Jade moved to the side of Ezra's bed and sat down on the edge. She poured a powder into the water glass beside the bed and stirred it up. She watched Ezra sleep for a few minutes and remembered how wonderful their lovemaking had been. She wanted to make love to him again, but she knew it was not meant to be. At least she had been given what she needed by him. She now carried his child inside her and it would be as powerful a witch as both it parents were when it was born. She reached out to him with her thoughts, probing gently as she knew his head was injured and he was in pain. She needed him to be awake when she said good-bye to him. "Ezra?"
"Jade." Ezra's drawl was barely a whisper and he slowly opened his eyes. His head was throbbing and he wanted nothing more than to go back into the soothing blackness.
"Yes Ezra. I have come to say good-bye. Our time together is at an end and you need to return to your own world, your own life." Jade leaned forward and kissed Ezra. His good arm came around her and she kissed him more deeply than she ever had, knowing it would be the last time that she would ever be kissed by him. Once the kiss ended, Jade brought the water glass to Ezra's lips and got him to drink from it. The powder that she had put in it would cause him to fall into a deep, healing sleep and, when he awoke, he would remember nothing of what happened during the time he was with her. The last thing he would remember was what Damien had done to him that first night and that was all. "Good-bye, Ezra."
"Jade? Thank you for all you have given me and shown me." Ezra's eyes drifted shut as he surrendered to the knowledge that he could no longer stay awake.
"Your welcome, Ezra. Thank you for everything you have given me." Her left hand caressed her abdomen as she once again thought of the baby growing inside her.
The End