"What happens to Jasper?" Maria snarled darkly as she slid into the car, a hand going up to inspect the blind man's wound. The cloth was soaking in blood but it had finally stopped bleeding. She was squeezed into the back with Jasper and Justice, Tim sliding into the front seat. The car was small and while Jaspar and Maria weren't tall, Justice's long legs were clearly cramped and uncomfortable.
"Slight complication," Raine grunted as he put the car back into gear and sped off again. Taking back roads which had iron rail tracks on one side. John was too powerful to be affected by iron but his fae minions at least would be. "The timing of the plan was a little off."
"A little off?" Maria narrowed her eyes, rumbling through the pockets in her leather jacket and pulling out a large bandaid. "Tim, do you have any first aid wipes on you?"
"Here," Tim passed a small packet. Maria ripped it open with her teeth and gently patted the wound down. Throwing the blood cloth on the floor at there feet despite Raine's complains that it was disgusting. The dust came off Jasper's wound easily, reopening the wound for a moment before the blood clotted again. Jasper hissed at the pain but said little.
"You have first aid things just on you?" Justice commented surprised, holding Jaspers hand as Maria cleaned the wound.
"Comes in handy in this profession," she muttered, more focused on Jasper. Without eyes, it was impossible to tell if Jasper had a concussion or not. The only thing they could do was keep him awake. She unpeeled the plaster and stuck in over the wound carefully. "There we go," she said warmly, kissing Jaspar's forehead.
Jasper blushed more, letting go of Justice's hand to touch the plaster and feel its size. He winced again but nodded slowly in what Maria could only guess was acceptance. "What is the plan?" He asked softly, pressing against Justice. Justice wrapped his arm around Jasper and looked at Maria with large brown eyes, clearly wanting an answer himself.
Maria met Raine's eyes in the rearview mirror. Yellow meeting brown. Raine was very much human. A man in his forties with a shaved head and tattoo of knuckle dusters on the top of his head. Thanks to Lord Calder and a set of unfortunate circumstance, Raine could only get a job as a bouncer in clubs which required him to look scary. "What is the plan?" She asked seriously. "You were briefed on the fact we can't use the border forest glitch?"
"I were," the man nodded. "Last resort. Trying church road first. Lots of iron and silver in the air. At this time of day, tis the safest option," he admitted. "Turning," he added, taking a corner at some speed.
The three in the back yelped as they were slammed into each other. "Raine!" Maria growled, amidst the sound of car horns and yells. "You are going to get us noticed if you'd don't drive more carefully!" she warned, rubbing her head where she had hit it against the roof of the car.
"Look we have to clear the inner city as soon as possible. Then I'll calm downs. We're almost on the highway," Raine stayed firmly. "Either shut you mugs or buckle up," he ordered, the car revving as he sped up again.
"You're going to have to slow down, Raine. Traffic ahead," Tim growled.
Raine cursed viciously as he slammed the breaks and the car squealed to a stop. "Right," he nodded to himself, reversing and spinning the car around. "Don't worry we have a few other opinions," he commented seriously, taking a few more corners violently.
"I think John might have found out," Maria mused softly, looking out of the window.
"He calling you?" Tim asked darkly. "I told you not to bring your phone!" he growled, turning over in his chair to glare at her.
"I didn't, Fang. Look out the window," Maria said sounding unimpressed. "Bit dark for the time of day, isn't it?" she pointed out seriously. It was 3 pm but it looked like a winter evening. Justice angled himself awkwardly and looked up at the sky. The moon was starting to cover the sun. People were looking up at it in wonder, clearing not believing what they were seeing. Raine switched the car lights on with a sharp click, saying nothing but he looked grim, his eyebrows furrowed.
"John can cause an eclipse?" Jaspar frowned before inhaling sharply. "It wasn't nighttime in my vision, was it," he murmured sounding very scared.
"Possibly not, no," Maria agreed, rubbing Jaspar's back. "Don't count this as over just yet though," she commented firmly. "We have one advantage John does not. We know how this going to play out in the worst case scenario."
Jaspar shivered and Justice looked over at Maria. "Worst case scenario?" Justice asked softly.
"I die and you all get captured," Maria stated a little too calmly for someone talking about their own death. "I will die trying to save Tim from being killed. John doesn't want to kill me. He sees me as his," Maria scowled darkly, looking away from the two men.
"Fae sees everyone who obeys his orders just the once, his," Raine grunted. "Can't obey the fae. Have to fight every sec of the way. Unless you already his. Then, you fucked."
"He stopped me having a cigarette after I saved his latest capture," Maria muttered darkly. "I'm not human, it is perfectly fine for me to smoke and relax a little," clicking her neck to relieve some of the awkward positions. "I need to living here.
John walked into the Rook slowly, anger filling every fibre of his body as he saw the state of his property. The men inside froze, all bowing slightly and moving out of his way as he John walked through the room. They weren't stealing from him, luckily for them. They were actually helping clean up. Elison was sat crossed legged in the centre of a demon trap looking slightly ill. It was a powerful trap, one which was Raine's speciality. Few would be able to break it without Raine's will.
"Raine trapped you," John thundered, understanding now why Elison had not gone after the runaways himself. "Rude pest. He will die for this Elison," he promised, using his magic to break the spell. Raine's will was nothing to his own.
"I'm glad. Raine should have been taken out a long time ago," Elison scowled standing up shakily. "Leo's at the Kings Retreat. He broke down after they left."
"Was he left behind?" John demanded, sending his powers down the link which connected him to the man he was turning immortal.
"In a manner of speaking. Justice asked him to come, Leo said no and that Justice shouldn't try it. So Justice left," Elison grunted, stumbling over to the bar and leaning against the wood. He picked up a card which was still on the surface despite the wind had blown most of the tarot deck to the ground. "I don't know if Jasper was in on this or not."
"Jasper will live either way. He is too valuable to kill over this. True seers are so rare. Justice..." John trailed off, not darkly though. He was clearly furious but it ebbed slightly in a sadness. "I didn't want to kill him but he has left me no choice," John murmured sadly, picking up a bottle of whiskey from behind the counter and pouring himself a glass.
"Boss," one of the men cleaning said gently. "We will all miss him but Justice knew the rules."
John glared at the man for speaking out of turn with him. The man mumbled an apology and continued cleaning. "Why do you have a tarot card?" John asked, looking at it. The lost maiden, an uncertainty in the future or finding something lost depending on which way around it was drawn. The card was apt in this situation for either direction. Already John had his pets looking for Raine's car. Creatures, both fae and not, were searching for the people who had dared defy his will.
"Justice got Jasper to do a reading," Elison admitted. "Six of torches, The Warlock of Slingstones and then... this," Elison said drawing the card he had taken from the two young men from his pocket. "I didn't let them see it. I was more concerned with the secret Justice had been hiding which involves the Wardens."
"Let's see it then," John said almost too calmly, but the glass in his hands shattered. He looked down surprised but just grabbed a new glass and repoured the drink.
"The fallen," Elison revealed placing it on the table. "Not sure which way up it was."
"Failure or rebirth," John mused darkly, closing his eyes. "The question is, is the rebirth a new life out of my influence or..." he suddenly smiled darkly. "I know what to do to him," he purred. "Maybe I don't have to kill him completely."
"John?" Elison murmured at the look, suddenly very concerned for Justice. Death was one thing. John was angry with Justice but he wasn't normally cruel when killing his boys who had run away. Flat out betrayed him, sure, but not simply for wanting freedom. John did get that. Didn't necessarily understand on individual cases but he got the idea in general. That look suggested something a lot more sinister for Justice, however.
"None of your concern, Elison," John waved him off calmly, fury slowly building up in his eyes again. "Now," his eyes grew darker, the whites turning black and more of John's true form showing through as his powers built up around them. "If you excuse me, I have to go capture the troublemakers," he scowled darkly, disappearing into the wind. Leaving a dark presence behind and broken glass.
Elison shivered, and walked to the giant hole in the wall. The others joined him, as the moon slowly moved in front of the sun. "Oh, people are going to die today," someone said softly. "Rest in peace, Justice."