The Keepers: Sienna (FREE Prequel)

Sienna - CHAPTER FIVE

Mason was back in town.

“It is Mason,” she repeated, louder this time and pointed to the man on the ground. “Check his eyes.”

Ethan knelt beside the body, lifting an eyelid. His grim expression confirmed her suspicions and drew a curse from Declan.

Declan took two strides toward her and she refused to flinch when he stopped directly in front of her. “His eyes are black, a typical Mason signature. What the hell do you know?”

“Mason was here. Or at least I think he was.”

Archer reached for her arm. “Did he hurt you?”

No,” Sienna said, shaking her head. “He didn’t touch me.”

“And you’re only telling us now?” Declan asked, something sharp and fiery edging his tone.

“I wasn’t sure.”

“Did you see him?”

“I ... I don’t know. I didn’t recognise his face.” She explained the incident in the hall, unable to suppress a shudder. “I thought it was some teenagers trying to scare me but now I know that it wasn’t. It was Mason.”

“But you said you didn’t recognise him.”

“It wasn’t his face. He wore a mask or something. Whatever it was, he wanted to frighten me and let me know that he’s back. This,” she said, pointing at the dead body, “is another message from him.”

“No kidding.”

Archer circled them, scanning their surroundings. The parking area was quiet and dimly lit by a few scattered street lamps. The forest that loomed behind it was pitch-black, offering all sorts of hiding places. He pointed to Ethan. “Try calling Sarah again. Warn her.”

“Hopefully she’s found Rose,” Ethan said, already walking away, his body rigid and snapped to attention as he made the call.

Four teenage girls came walking out of the carnival, headed for their car, and Declan hurried to sidetrack them. Several giggles later, the girls turned back to the carnival.

Prince Charming at work.

Sienna glanced at the body, a feeling of dread settling in her stomach like lead. “We have to stop Mason.”

“No shit,” Declan said, coming up behind her.

“Now.” She spun around and started walking down the sandy road, a fresh wave of anger feeding her determination.

Declan was in front of her in a whoosh of air and a speed that barely stopped her this time. “Uh, uh, witchy.”

She tried to walk around the bulky frame but he side-stepped her, providing a wall of muscles that was impossible to penetrate.

“What are you going to do, Sienna? Walk up and slap him on the wrist? This is Mason, dammit!”

“Don’t you think I know that? I know exactly what he’s capable of and I’m sick of it. He just killed an innocent man at a school filled with children!”

“He’s not innocent,” Archer said, coming up behind them. “He has Mason’s mark.”

Sienna gaped at him. “He does?”

“On his wrist. Just like the others.”

She thought of the four other men the sheriff had found murdered over the last month. They’d all been attacked by an animal – a horrible accident, were it not for their dark, withered eyes and the mark on their wrists.

The mark of the one warlock they all loathed.

“Why would Mason be killing off his warriors?” Declan asked.

“He’s gone too far and they know that.” Archer nodded in the direction of the dead man. “He’s probably one of the better ones who tried to stop Mason.”

“We have to stop Mason,” Sienna interrupted, staring at the body slumped against the car tyre.

“We have to find him first, so if you have a warlock locator spell up your sleeve, now would be the time to pull it out,” Declan said.

“My locator spells don’t work like that, Declan. Besides, Mason would have thought of that already.”

“You witches. So unreliable.”

She pulled a face at him. “Careful, Bennett. I can think of a great toad-turning spell that I’m itching to use.”

He flashed her a fake smile. “Just try me, witchy.”

Archer stepped forward, always the peacemaker. “This isn’t helping. We need to find Mason before he hurts someone else.”

“He’s long gone,” Declan said.

“We don’t know that!” Sienna argued. 

“Sticking around after the stunt he’s just pulled would be suicide. The man’s a creepy murderer, not stupid.”

Something in her eyes must have given her away because Declan waved a finger at her and shook his head.

“No solo missions, witchy. Whatever it is you’re planning, you run it by us first, got it?”

She turned away and he grabbed her wrist, drawing her around so that she faced him again.

“Sienna.”

“I’ve had it with this man,” she snapped, yanking her wrist back. “I’m sick of all the wasted lives, the death, and the constant threat he poses to our kind.”

“We’ll figure out a way to stop him.”

She blew out air and gave a brief nod, trying to quell the agitation inside. “We have friends here. Family. I just –”

“I get it, Sienna,” Declan said, lowering his voice, his intense gaze meeting hers. “Trust me, I get it.” They fell silent, the need for words unnecessary. They shared the same duties, the same worries, and fought the same battle.

Archer reached for her arm, glancing at the sheriff and two deputies heading their way. “Pam is here. We’ll figure this out later.”

“We have company,” Declan grumbled, nodding to a group of teenagers headed towards them. One of the girls caught sight of the slumped body between the cars and froze in her tracks, snapping out a warning to her friends.

They all stopped, turned to gape at Sienna and her Keepers, and it took mere seconds for the grim reality to set in. 

The girl screamed, the shrill sound intrusive in the quiet parking lot, instantly setting off two of her girlfriends.

Declan cursed, shot Sienna an annoyed look, and rolled his eyes as he began moving towards the teenagers. “Have I told you before just how much I hate screamers?”