Blood Games

Not Ready

I recognized Father McCabe's car parked down the block from my house. Agent Harding pulled up in the driveway. I just hoped that we weren't too late. I had a bad feeling Nick had done something crazy. I wasn't ready for him to be gone. It was strange, since we'd only just met, but the Ghost had gained my trust.

"What's the plan?" asked Matthew.

"Can you ask Nick what the situation is?" Harding asked.

"I can try."

I reached out mentally. I could feel all kinds of energy swirling inside the house. There wasn't just one spirit. I couldn't get a fix on Nick. It was way too chaotic. Had he called other ghosts? He didn't have the power to do something like that.

"I can't contact him. I think they're in trouble," I said.

"All right, we're going in hot. You three say in the van," Harding said.

"That's not a good idea," Timothy said. "I should go in first."

Harding laughed. "Yeah, I'm going to send the twelve year old on his own."

"He's promised not to hurt me and I believe he'll keep his word. If we want to keep Marva alive, let me go talk to him."

"He won't go alone. I'll go with him," I said.

"I suppose you want to go too?" she asked Matthew.

"I think the two of them can handle it," he said.

"I'm going to allow the two of you to enter the house first, but we'll be right behind, ready to shoot," Harding said.

I was surprised she'd given in so easily. It had to be because Timothy was right, Knox would kill Marva if the FBI went in first. I wasn't sure he wouldn't do the same when he saw the two of us, but hopefully we could stop him. My front door was unlocked. I pushed it open and Timothy and I stepped into the living room. Marva sat on the couch with a shocked look on her face. Nick was surrounded by energy which was being drained from Knox, who had collapsed to the floor. The Blood Mage was showing all of his decades.

"He managed to do it," said Timothy. "He's taken back the energy Knox stole."

"I can see that, but how can you? You're not a Necromancer," I said.

Nick wasn't manifested. Marva looked as confused as Timothy should be. Did he have some other power he hadn't told me about?

"I can't see Nick, but I can see the life that is draining out of Knox. It's a Blood Mage thing. Is he OK?"

"I think so, but Knox isn't," I said.

There was one spirit still with him. She was a young woman with dark hair and she was flowing around him like a one woman storm. I sensed that Knox could hear her. It wasn't the usual case of possession. His connection to her energy was allowing her to communicate with him. From the look on his face, I didn't think she was being kind. She had to be one of his victims.

"Why don't you let me help you move on?" I asked her.

She turned to me and laughed. "I'm not ready, little Necromancer. This is my time. I will torment my old love until he dies. It is his fate and mine. We are bound."