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"Nik, look at what I found." Nathan grabbed Cole and Foster by the neck and held them out in front of him. "I wanted Walker, but that damned Josef got in the way, and all I could get were these two and, of course, Zac, but that man is useless." He looked Master Hadden square in the eyes, a blatant show of disrespect.
"You let him lead the tech department. He couldn't lead a thirsty horse to water." He released Cole and grabbed Zac, throwing him across the room toward the soldiers. "I'll get to you later." He promised with a grin. "We have a date with entrails, remember."
He once again took Cole by the throat. "I plan to kill these two. It's all part of the pact that I made, which gave me the power you are now experiencing. The dark lord does not come cheap; he wanted more, but I'll start with these two. There is nothing sweeter than the heart and soul of a beloved." Nathan smiled and looked at Enzo. Enzo gritted his teeth and forced himself not to react.
Enzo felt his heart tearing out of his chest at the sight of that madman with his hand around Foster's throat. He knew the plan, and he had all the faith in the world that it would work, but the waiting was unbearable. Nathan took several steps toward them, eyes wide and expectant. "I'm going to take everything from you, Nik, your business, your building, your coven, your beloved, and then I will take your life."
The moment he dropped Foster and Cole was the moment they struck. Master Hadden and the others who were inducted and initiated by the Cyprians unsheathed their swords and attacked. Nathan tried to raise up one of his armies but managed only a handful of half-man, half-ghoul creatures who were easily cut down with the power of the Cyprians.
Enzo made his way to where Foster and Cole had run once released, and after a quick hug, Enzo had them with their backs to the wall and him standing in front of them. He didn't carry a sword, but his handgun was powerful enough to stop the ghouls that advanced on them. Pretty soon there was nothing left except Nathan standing on top of the registration desk with nowhere to run and suddenly powerless.
"What's wrong, Nathan? Has the dark one abandoned you? Have you displeased him?" Master Hadden advanced on him slowly while everyone else stood back, watched, and waited. Enzo could feel Foster's hand on the small of his back, and nothing in this world had ever felt so good. "I love you, Foster." He declared without turning around. He just felt the need to say it.
"I love you too, Enzo," Foster told him, and it was beautiful.
Master Hadden swung his sword, taking off one of Nathan’s legs and knocking him off the desk and onto the floor. Nathan began to struggle and beg and promise as the little man that he was came out in full force. The power he'd been lent was gone, but he seemed to think he still had leverage.
"You can't kill me." He tried to bargain, but Master Hadden had enough and plunged the enchanted sword through his heart, twisting it and cutting the organ from his body. The shock on Nathan's face was very satisfying. Master Hadden held eye contact, making sure to enhance the pain and drawing out his death for several minutes.
The minute Nathan's eyes closed, and death took him, the main doors burst open, and Marek, Thayer, Michael, and others came charging in with their swords drawn. They stopped when the scene before them became clear. Cole stepped out from behind Enzo and ran to Michael, who gathered him up into his arms. Noori walked over to stand beside Marek, who looked quite relieved to have the Commander close.
Two guards came out of the stairwell holding Josef, who was slowly coming around. He was bloodied, but he wasn't dead, and everyone was thankful. The Master and Josef had been together longer than most in the room had been alive, and it would have been awful for him to have been taken out by a toad such as Nathan.
A light flashed across the lobby, bringing everyone back to attention and readiness. Behind the light came a figure, a tall man who walked with a swagger, and Enzo remembered him they'd met before. His name was Battiste, and he was a mystic, a very ancient mystic.
He walked up to where Master Hadden stood, looked down at the body at his feet, and shook his head. "What have you done, Nik?" He stated softly. Nik did not respond; he explained himself to no one. "You have a hex Nik." He said. "Your building is hexed, and only the individual who places a hex can remove it. Nathan placed the hex, and now he is dead." Nik straightened his back and gazed at Battiste.
“What am I looking at?” He asked.
"Since you killed him here within the circle of his hex, his death serves as an offering to the source of the hex and strengthens its influence by the power of ten, maybe more." Battiste shifted his gaze from the body on the floor to Master Hadden. "He went old world on this one, Nik. It's not going to be easy. The hex will continue to grow, and the effects will continue to be devastating. It won't be safe for anyone to be within these walls."
“How do I fight it?” Nik looked around at his people and then back at Battiste. “We can fight this.”
"You will need to find a charmer they are the only ones who can release a hex of this magnitude." Battiste wasn't his usual cocky self but rather thoughtful and considerate, which made everyone nervous about the severity of the situation they were in.
“Where do I find a charmer?”
"Get yourself a time machine and go back a couple hundred years, and you might find one. This is an old-style hex that hasn't been utilized in centuries, so I don't know if charmers still exist." Now, that sounded more like the old Battiste.
"We pack up and move to the mountain retreat." The Master announced, and instantly, everyone jumped into action, glad to have something to do. Enzo pulled Foster into his arms and kissed him breathlessly, so happy to have him back in his arms and in one piece.
"I will never let you out of my sight again," Enzo promised as he clutched him frantically to his chest and continued to rain kisses on his face, capturing his lips repeatedly.
"I was scared but not hopeless. I knew you would save me; I had no doubt."
"I will always save you." Enzo kissed him several times, not satisfied until Foster's lips were plump and swollen red. He was the man he would build a future with, and that prospect, even under the shadow of this misfortune, was glorious.
Semi-trucks and movers were coming and going throughout the day and night until a caravan was organized, and the building, the Hadden Center, was emptied, and the Coven left for the mountains south of Pittsburgh.
Two units of soldiers remained to guard the Imperial and keep watch on the situation at hand. The rest of the members moved to the mountain outpost, a huge compound built into the side of a mountain. It was a place built and used as a retreat for peace and quiet but would now provide the Coven with the space and protection it required. It was fortified on three sides by the mountain set high enough that access could be easily controlled or, if necessary, hampered.
Enzo requested permission to return to Harrisburg with his beloved until such time that he and the others residing in the capital were needed. Permission was given. They assisted in the move, and once the Coven was on its way to the mountain outpost, he helped Foster pack up, and they were soon on their way to Harrisburg.
"Never a dull moment with you, Enzo," Foster said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Nothing good ever comes from magics." He responded with a shake of his head. "Master Hadden has dealt with much in his many years upon this earth, and he will deal with this too. He has Josef, who has thankfully recovered completely, and he has Walker and a Coven that loves and respects him, so he will do fine."
“Who was that man who came in at the end and announced that the place was hexed by Nathan?”
