Spell Checked (22 page)

~~~***~~~

Beck tried to sleep, but too much was going on in his head and the feeding left him feeling too energized.  It was dark, he stood on the balcony of his townhome mulling over all that had transpired in the past two days.  He fumbled with the engagement ring that was now hanging from a leather cord around his neck.  He wanted nothing more than to place it back on Mae’s finger.  The ring suddenly started to hum, its vibration causing the diamond to illuminate brightly while a vision burned into his eyes.

It was Mae on the patio, under the oak she had grown, her laughter intoxicating as she bounced a toddler on her lap.  Then darkness as the ring went silent and the vision vanished.  “Was this our future or was it nothing more than Mae’s longing to be a mother?” he thought.  The profoundness of the vision made Beck realize, he too longed to have a child.  This longing added to the emptiness Mae had left him with the day before and he understood he would have to control his anger if this was the future awaiting him.  He could no longer afford the consequences he would face if he laid waste to those responsible.  Justice would have to be attained on the Council’s terms and not his, a situation that did not sit well with him.

Beck made one last visit to the hospital before leaving town.  He noticed the two armed private security guards posted at Mae’s door and felt satisfied that she would be protected before he left.  The door was closed, but he could hear Alexis talking behind it.  When he got closer he realized she was talking to Mae.  Beck opened the door and quickly comprehended Mae was still in a drug-induced coma, so he raised his eyebrow at Alexis.  She was the last person he thought would be talking to Mae’s comatose body.

“I was told it would help her recovery if I talked to her.  Meredith called to let me know Gemma was on her way back to Dublin.  Donald will pick her up when she gets here.”

“Oh bloody hell…I completely forgot to call Gemma!  She is going to kill me.”  Beck stood by the bed next to Mae, with Alexis in the chair he had occupied the evening before.

She lightly kicked the back of his leg.  “You men can be such idiots sometimes.  Lucky for you, we girls have your back,” she smiled and winked.

“Yes and I am sure when this is all over I will be forever in your debt.  Which you will, no doubt, remind me of incessantly,” he remarked, looking at his watch.  “I have to go, the plane is waiting.  Please take good care of her,” he said before bending over and kissing Mae’s cheek.

“Gemma and I are more than capable of taking care of her, especially now that you have Blackwater contractors outside the door as guards.  No pun intended, but don’t you think that’s overkill?”  She stretched her legs, so he could see that she was armed.

“No, I do not think it is overkill at all.  By the way, they know you are in charge.  They will change shifts every twelve hours; make sure none of them are witches or vampires.”

She stood up and saluted him, “Sir, yes sir, anything else General Worthington?” she teased, before sitting again.

“No, I think that is all,” he said, walking out the door past the two guards.

~~~***~~~

It was a short flight to London from Dublin and Aidan was waiting at the airport for him when he arrived.  “Have you found Howard yet?”  It was the question that haunted him the whole flight over.

“I think I may have located him in Hackney.  I was just on my way there…Please promise me you won’t do anything stupid if we do find him.”  Aidan threw Beck’s bag in the trunk and sped out of the parking garage.

Beck said nothing, he wouldn’t promise to spare Howard, so he chose to say nothing rather than lie.  Traffic was already heavy and Hackney was still about twenty-four miles away, leaving him plenty of time to deliberate things in his mind.

Aidan was nervous at Beck’s cold, distant demeanor and his refusal to promise not to hurt Howard, so he tried to change the subject.  “How is Mae doing?”  (Probably not the best question to ask him.)

“She is in a drug-induced coma, her hair is all shaved off, there are tubes up her nose and down her throat, needles in her arms, wires attached everywhere and oh yeah I almost forgot a couple of bullet holes in her head.  Did I miss anything?” Beck snapped at Aidan as if it were his fault.

Aidan was surprised at Becks response to his inquiry about Mae.  “Calm down, Beck.  I just wanted to know if there was any improvement.  You don’t have to get ugly with me because I left without you. I get it and I’m sorry.”

Beck exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair. “Sorry Aidan, I did not mean to take it out on you.  I just have so much going through my mind right now and Howard is at the top of my list.”  Anger still laced his voice, but it was no longer directed at Aidan.

“Don’t worry we’ll catch him,” Aidan reassured him, making his way through traffic.

There was a long pause of silence then Beck’s voice quivered as he began to speak.  “Helen has left Mae’s body.”

“Really?  I didn’t know she could do that.  Where’d she go?” Aidan inquired, surprised at Beck’s sudden calm demeanor.

“I did not know she could either.  For a few minutes she was a ghost and then she went to the light.  Aidan, she is gone forever,” he whispered, peace suddenly washing over him.

“I am so sorry, Beck,” was all he could think to say.  What do you say to a man who has just ended a thirty-five hundred year old relationship?

“Do not be, it allows me to love Mae without her wondering if I do because of Helen being inside her.  It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”  Beck sincerely did not regret letting her go.  He knew in his heart it was what Helen wanted.

Aidan and Beck arrived at a rundown apartment house in Hackney.  Even during the day, Hackney was considered a rough area, so they cautiously walked into the small office where Aidan had made inquiries about new tenants earlier that morning.  He opened his wallet and showed the manager a photo of Howard.  "Have you seen my grandfather?  We’re very worried about him.  He escaped from the hospital and needs his meds."  Aidan hoped his ruse would fool the manager enough to get a straight answer out of him.

"He does look like the old man who just moved into apartment twenty-six.  Real shady fellow, if you ask me.  He gave me the name of Ronald but put a different name on the lease."  The manager reached over to his desk and searched for the lease agreement.

"He’s a bit crazy and I know he won't come without a fight.  That's why I brought back up," Aidan said pointing to Beck. “So if you hear a ruckus, please don’t call the police, the quicker we can get him back to the hospital, the better.”

The manager nodded in agreement then continued to look for the papers.  "Here we go…looks like he used the name, Mozenrath Nadu on the paperwork.  It’s the name on the credit card on file also,” he said, showing Aidan.

“Can I get a copy of that?  I’m sure he stole that poor fellow’s card.  The family will want to reimburse him for his trouble.”  It was part of the evidence Beck needed to make his case with the Council.

The manager handed the copies to Aidan.  “Thank you so much for your help; our family will be most grateful.”   Aidan turned on his heels and quickly exited the office with Beck behind him.  Then he pulled out his cell phone and dialed while heading back to the car.  “Meredith, you were right to suspect Mozenrath, I have proof he financed Howard’s escape.”

“We are meeting in two hours, Aidan.  You need to bring Howard here and get him to confess.”

“Beck and I are just about to pick him up.”

“Make sure he doesn’t kill Howard,” she warned sternly as if it were a real possibility.

“I’ll do my best. Got to go, before Howard senses we’re here.”

“Good luck,” were her last words before hanging up.

Aidan opened the trunk of the car and pulled out a taser. “Bust in the front door and secure him, while I go around back and make sure he doesn’t come out the window,” he told Beck.

Everything happened so fast, Howard didn’t have a chance to fight back.  By the time Aidan came around to the front, Beck was already beating the crap out of him. Aidan jumped in front of Beck.  “Beck, stop, you’re killing him!”  Aidan yelled, pointing the taser at Beck to get his attention.

Beck let go allowing Howard to crumbled to the ground.  Aidan pulled out a syringe and injected Howard.  “What did you just do?” asked Beck.

“I knocked him out so he can’t use his magic, it will take at least three witches to bind his powers and we don’t have them right now.  Why did you have to go and bloody him all up like that?  It’s not going to win you any sympathy with the Council, you know.”  Aidan motioned for Beck to help him pick Howard up.

They carried him to the car and threw him in the back seat.  “I know Aidan.  I was just angry.  At least I did not kill him, which I could have with my first blow.”

“We have to be careful, Beck.  The Council will defer matters indefinitely if they feel you are stepping on their toes.  Besides, the fact that Mae is both vampire and witch is going to cause issues alone, we don’t need to add to them,” Aidan said, chastising his friend.

It was the first time Beck ever submitted to Aidan and his wishes.  He had come to understand that Aidan was more than just a friend and could truly be his equal if he only had the ambition.  There were times when Beck envied Aidan’s laid-back ways and lack of focus, but it was not the nature of vampires to go with the flow and just let life happen.  Suddenly, the thought crossed Beck’s mind, “What kind of dad would he be?”  Mae was not even with child and he was already questioning whether or not he would be a good dad.  Never in his life had this notion popped into his mind and now he was making decisions by it and it scared him.

~~~***~~~

It was ironic that the Council held its meetings in what was once the headquarters for the United Nations.  The Luminati of Magic – the witches’ equivalent of the United States marshals, were waiting for Howard’s arrival.  They were the enforcers of the laws set down by the Witches Council and would be responsible for incarcerating Howard until he could be dealt with by them.  They removed Howard’s beaten body from the back seat of the car and followed Aidan and Beck to where the Council meeting was taking place.  The room was large with marble floors and columns that supported a towering ceiling.  To the far end of the room sat thirteen seats in a semi-circle on an elevated platform with row upon row of bench seats opposite it.  A balcony containing more seating loomed over the back rows of the bench seats.  In the space between the platform and the public seating sat two tables, one on each side of the center aisle.  They opened up to the platform and another two rows of seating on the side of the platform where members of importance or a jury would sit.   It was reminiscent of a grand court room from another time.  Meredith entered through a side door and met them at the rail which separated the public area from the platform area.  She was wearing a long purple robe with gold trim signifying her status as a Council member.

“I am glad you caught him before the meeting, although we could have done without the beating,” she scolded, looking at Beck and cleared her throat.

Aidan handed her the papers the manager had given them.  “The LM need to do a sweep of Howard’s apartment before Mozenrath sends his goons to clean up the loose ends.”

She took the papers from Aidan and looked them over, “Already taken care of.  I was not the only person on the Council suspicious of Mozenrath’s activities and underground movements against vampires, which brings me to ask a favor of you, Beck.  The leaders of the vampire community are here seeking justice on Mae’s behalf and the Council would like for you to play mediator,” her words were more of a command than a request as she relayed the wishes of the Council with overbearing confidence.

It was odd since he was so close to the situation, but something told him that it was all part of a bigger plan.  “I do not know if that is such a good idea, Mere.  As you know, I am not exactly on the best terms with my kind or even yours at the moment.”

“Their opinion of you seems to differ from your own, Beck.  They requested you themselves, upon which the Council approved.  Nikola and the others do not feel that war with the witches is in anyone’s best interest, but they cannot allow one of their own to be attacked without restitution,” Meredith explained, hoping he would understand the gravity of the situation.  “This could mean war if it is not settled to their satisfaction.  Not to mention, the Council is already divided as far as the accusations against one of their own.  This whole mess goes beyond the attack on Mae.  It is more about what Mae is and how it affects each side.  Besides, you are the only one I can trust to do what is in Mae’s best interests,” she disclosed.

Beck sat down on the bench behind him and let out a deep breath.  “I have been so angry about the shooting and catching Howard that I did not even consider it might be Mae’s existence on trial and not just the guilty party.  I need to talk to Nikola and the others before we get started,” looking up at Meredith, who was grinning at him.

“I am glad we understand each other, my friend.”  Meredith motioned for Beck and Aidan to follow her.

In one of the private chamber rooms sat Nikola in a high backed chair at the end of a long table.  The other vampires were all seated around the sides when Beck entered the room.  He walked over to Nikola and shook his friend’s hand with much reservation.  “Nikola, I do not quite understand why you and the others have gathered here.  If it is to support my research and the part in which Mae plays in that, then I thank you.  But, if you are here just to stir up trouble with the witches, then I can do without your help.”  Beck knew they had little time to beat around the bush as to the vampires’ true purpose.

Nikola looked at his friend and grinned, “After much discussion, we have come to realize the importance of your research.  It has become increasingly harder for us to find sources to feed from.  If you can find a way to for us to feed on Nauss blood without getting poisoned, then your research is worth defending, even if it gives the witches longer lives.  But, I will warn you now Beckett, my opinion is in the minority and there are many vampires who disagree.  They think it will endow witches and humans with the one thing that has given vampires the edge all these years…Longevity.”

Beck stood straight up and addressed the rest of the vampires.  “My research is and always will be for the benefit of all.  It is time for us to forget the past and move forward, we need the humans and witches in order to do that.”

There was some mumbling amongst the other vampires when Nikola chimed in, “And that brings me to the other reason for our being here.  We cannot have witches attacking vampires.  You know as well as I do that it is an act of war against us.  Not only did they attack a fellow vampire using the one weapon that has been banned by both sides, but they destroyed your personal property and you know the rules of our treaty.  They will have to compensate you for your loss, even if it means the life of one of their own.”  Nikola pointed his finger at Beck then pounded the table with his fist.

Beck paced the room.  “I have no intention of letting them get away with anything and I do not intend on starting a war.”  He stopped and looked directly at Nikola, “Keeping Mae safe is my number one priority.”

“And I hear congratulations are in order…Has Helen finally returned?”

Beck sighed and sat down in a chair away from the table. “Helen is no longer here, she has moved on, thanks to a couple of silver bullets,” Beck said, sadness infected his voice.

The others gasped at his words, then went quiet.  “Sorry to hear that, I was very much looking forward to you and Helen finally getting married after all these years.”  Without Helen to keep him in check, there was great concern that Beck’s violent past would return, wreaking havoc on the world once more.

Beck clasped the ring hanging around his neck, it was singing its song again and he quickly let go.  “I am engaged to Mae, if she will still have me after all of this.”

It was a bit of a shock to Nikola, but a relief that Beck had already found someone else to dote on.  “I see, so congratulations are in order; we just need to get a little justice for her first.”  Nikola winked and smiled at Beck.

There was a knock at the door; it was Meredith letting them know the meeting was about to begin.

The members of the Council took their places on the platform. The thirteen members were all dressed in purple robes similar to what Meredith wore.  In the center chair sat Calcifer Agustus, the head of the Council.  He was nearly two thousand years old and one of the oldest warlocks still living, besides Aidan.  His age was showing however and white hair covered his head while deep lines etched his face as he sat proudly, straight up in his overly ornate chair.  He looked imposing for an old man as his voice boomed out across the chamber.  “If everyone would please take their seats, I would like to get this trial started.”

Everyone clamored to sit until silence finally engulfed the room and the vampires seated themselves to one side of the Council.  Beck took his place with Nikola and Aidan at one of the tables in the center of the room, facing the platform. The LM guards carried Howard to his seat at the other table, where his counsel was already seated awaiting his client.  The chamber was packed with on-lookers, which was surprising since little notice was given in advance of the trial.  Beck assumed it would be a private meeting with the Council, rather than a full trial.

Calcifer stood up and cleared his throat.  “I have here Howard Felix accused of the following crimes:  Conspiracy to commit the murder of a vampire, use of a human under compulsion to do harm, use of a spell to do harm, destruction of property of a vampire in the amount of Two hundred and fifty million euros, attempted murder of a Council member, attempted murder of a foreign national, attempted murder of a witch/vampire and the use of silver as a means of murder.”  Calcifer sat still after he finished stating the charges against Howard.  “Counselor Williams, is there any reason I should not bind your ward while awaiting punishment?”

Mr. Williams stood up nervously and addressed the Council.  “Your Lordship and honorable members of the Council, my ward believes that his actions were for the greater good of all witches.  He accuses the vampires of conspiracy to change the blood of witches to facilitate feeding and prefers not to be bound while awaiting his punishment.”  Mr. Williams sat back down and waited for the vampire rebuttal.

Looking towards Beck, Calcifer addressed him, “What have you to say about this accusation, Mr. Worthington?”

Beck now knew why the vampires came for support.  Howard was using his research as a means to justify his actions.  Beck stood and addressed the Council.  “Lord Agustus, honorable members of the Council, it pains me to think that someone so close to my research could imply that it was nothing more than a way for vampires to feed on witches.  As most of the Council already knows, my research was for the good of all.  It promised a cure for almost every disease known to human or witch and yes, it would have allowed vampires to feed on witches too, but is that not a small price to pay for longevity?  We vampires are so few in number and it has become more difficult for us to find safe blood sources.  Why should we not be allowed to feed on those who willingly offer themselves, regardless of their Nauss heritage?  It is but a small price to pay for the eradication of such diseases as malaria, typhoid, AIDS and even cancer.  What Howard destroyed was not a vehicle to ensure that vampires would gain power; for what we had to gain was minimal in comparison to what the world had to gain.  My lab has no secrets to hide, in fact, what Howard failed to mention is that all of my employees are humans and witches who believe in what we do.”  Beck defended his case truthfully and sat down.

Meredith chimed in, “Lord Agustus, I can vouch for Mr. Worthington’s statement, I have been to his lab and talked to his employees who are witches and everything he said is true to my knowledge.”

“Thank you, Madam Spencer.  My next question will be asked under a truth spell.”  The room gasped at his words and people started whispering to one another.  It was unusual for the Council to use a truth spell during trial proceedings, but the gravity of the situation warranted it. “Please bring Howard forward.”

Mozenrath looked to Calcifer in panic.  “Is this really necessary, Calcifer?” he asked in a hushed tone to the Council head.

“Lord Nadu, I believe we need to get to the bottom of this now,” he answered, eyeing the vampires that sat in the area nearest the Council platform.  “So yes, I believe it is necessary.  Don’t you?”

Mozenrath did not answer his question and Calcifer didn’t care if he did.  The truth had to be known and all the guilty parties punished, in order to keep the peace with the vampires. The Luminati of Magic brought Howard before Calcifer.  He looked like a mess and was still a little sedated from the drugs Aidan administered earlier.  Calcifer leaned forward and set the truth spell on him.  “Howard, why did you compel that poor farmer to shoot those women?” Calcifer asked calmly.

“They all deserved to die for serving a vampire of all things…They are traitors to our kind,” Howard spat out with pure hatred.

“Why did you burn down the lab?”

“He had it all figured out,” Howard said, pointing to Beck.  “He finally had the key to making our blood and vampire blood inter mingle with one another,” Howard laughed hysterically as he continued.  “Can you imagine the monsters it would create?  Just like the one I shot.  She is an abomination…half witch, half vampire.”  The room grew louder with the mutterings of the crowd amongst themselves.

“Silence!” Calcifer demanded before he asked his last question.  “Who helped you with this plan?”

As soon as Howard opened his mouth to speak, he grabbed his head in pain, screaming in agony as he crumbled to the ground…he dropped dead before he could reveal the identity of his master.  The crowd grew louder while healers ran to his assistance, but the damage was done; there was no bringing him back.  Seconds later, Mozenrath fell out of his chair, dead.  He had not known that when Calcifer set the truth spell on Howard, he also set a boomerang spell.  Any person who cast a spell on Howard would have their own spell slung back at them in full force.

Beck looked at Nikola and whispered, “What the hell just happened?”

“It appears the Council has saved you the trouble of returning for a trial,” he replied smugly with a smile.

The LM cleared the room of all the spectators while the Council gathered in the middle of the room with the vampires and allowed the LM to remove the dead bodies.

“Calcifer you old dog, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Nikola grinned, patting the back of Calcifer’s shoulder.

“Nikola, I must say, you are one hell of a schemer.  I hope the vampires are satisfied with the outcome, I have been trying to weed out the trouble makers for centuries.”  Calcifer was one of the main reasons there had been peace between witches and vampires for so long.

“It could not have turned out any better,” Nikola replied.

“That still leaves me with one problem…I need a new Council member.”

“I am sure you have a trove of young witches just clamoring to get that job,” Nikola laughed.