Natalia made her way to the stage. She announced the winners of the raffle and thanked everyone for coming to the event. Just before exiting she made one more announcement.
"In the spirit of the holidays, I am pleased to announce the engagement of my daughter Abigail Dawn Johnson. Please be sure to wish them congratulations." She looked me dead in the eyes.
Abby frozen as a sea of well-wishers descended upon her and Vince. I could see the panic swelling in her face. Henry saw it as well and directed the band to start playing.
I nudge Foster in the side. "Go ask Abby to dance."
Foster grabbed Abby's hand and gently tugged her free. A look of relief washed over her face as he led the way to the dance floor. One by one the dance floor filled with couples and the group surrounding Vince dissipated.
Now that he was not the all-star football player nobody seemed to worship him. I would have laughed but honestly it is rather sad. If only we could find a way to break the contract and released Abby from being in his debit.
"You know that was no accident." Bailey said. "She purposely made that announcement so Abby would be forced to commit to the engagement." She held out her hand to me.
I accepted Bailey's hand. "I agree it was no accident." Natalia is not planning on leaving Abby alive so why the show? "Do you think Vince is also blackmailing Natalia? It would explain why she keeps changing directions every time he is around."
Bailey nodded her head. "You could be onto something. What could Vince be blackmailing her with though? It would have to be something really big to get her to dance the way she is."
Henry stalked off the dance floor in a hurry. Natalia followed closely behind him and from what I could see neither of them were happy. I was about to suggest to Bailey we follow them when Chloe pulled me off the dance floor.
Oh give me a break already. I am not in the mood to go another round with Chloe. Sage joined us with Bailey a second later. Chloe handed me a handwritten note. She explained the note was delivered a few minutes ago by a masked female.
I moved everyone to the balcony for some privacy as I read the note to them out loud. It was a poem. Someone went to a lot of trouble to create such a dramatic warning. I am betting this has everything to do with Laurel.
In the princess lair I have wandered. How Lavish she is kept with matching drapes and silk sheets. The one forgotten will be remembered. What was hers will be again. From dust the princess will rise to fight. So heed now this sirens call of warning. One by one her warriors will fall. Surrender now or risk losing them all.
"What does that mean?" Chloe asked.
Violet took the note from Bailey's hand. "It means someone has been in Abby's room. They think Abby took something from them and says they will take it back."
She studied the note some more. "The fight is coming. Abby surrenders one or all of us will die. I think we better give this to Henry or Natalia." Violet concluded.
Bailey agreed. "We need to warn them."
All I could think of was Henry's visions. My feet didn't want to move forward. He said it would be soon but I did not think it would be this soon.
We located them in Natalia's office. They were not alone. John Raines the current chief of the Eumac tribe stood next to Henry with a grim look on his face. I showed them the note and explained what Violet had decoded.
They exchanged a brief look of sadness before snapping into action. Henry instructed Bailey and Sage to call in their circle leaders and John was sent to summons the remaining leaders.
Henry barked orders to the staff telling them to revert to plan B and move everything to the barn. The ushers were sent to the ballroom to start directing the guest. Violet explained she had decorated the barn as well at Henry's request.
I caught Henry arm. "Is this what you saw?" He looked at me but remained silent. "Please Henry give me answer." I pleaded. Henry patted my hand then stepped away.
Natalia gathered our group of misfits and led us down into the basement to a room just off a dark hallway. I recalled passing the room earlier when Henry took me down his rabbit hole.
The room was plain compared to the rest of the house. The wall were dark and bare. No pictures, mirrors, or artwork hung on the walls. The only item in the room was a long wooden table with twelve chairs chained to the floor.
I shot Natalia a questioning look. "For everyone safety." She replied. How dangerous do these meeting get? "You would be surprised." Natalia answered my thoughts. "Stay here." And she hurried out of the room taking Vince with her.
Violet and I sat next to each other with Abby on my opposite side. I could tell by her wide eyed expression she had never seen this room before.
"Brady." She whispered. "What is this place? why are we here?" Her voice shook with fear.
"We are in the meeting room. A place where leaders from all the circles come together to discuss business. We are here because we will shortly be under attack." I did not see the point in lying to her. She would know shortly anyhow.
Violet gripped my arm. "Some of us are already under attack." She closed her eyes. "Foster is with Henry and they are fighting Donovan outside in the driveway. There are others fighting but I can't make out who they are." She released my arm.
I jumped to my feet. This must be what Henry saw. I have to get up there before his vision becomes reality. I kissed the top of Abby's head and started for the door.
"Stop." Violet called out. A smile spread across her face. "The fighting is over. Donovan is dead. Henry and Foster are fine." I let out a sigh of relief and returned to my chair.
Chloe celebrated quietly with Sage in the corner of the room. One by one Circle leaders filed into the room taking their various seats at the table. Some I recognized from around town but others I had not seen before.
Each newcomer casted a curious glance in our direction but nobody spoke a word. Natalia reappeared in the room with Vince. She directed him to go stand in the back corner with Chloe. Sage had taken a seat at the table next to a grey hair man. The tension in the room mounted as we waited for Henry. Finally he appeared with a worried crease deepening in his forehead.
He went directly to the head of the table. Foster smiled at Violet as he passed us to join the others. Natalia closed the door. "Greeting leaders." Henry addressed the table.
"Thank you for coming on short notice. I am positive each of you had to make a sacrifice to be here. I will make this as quick as possible." Henry stated.
"Why are we here?" Barked a man with snow white hair. "I saw the commotion outside when I arrived. Does that have anything to do with this meeting?" He demanded.
Henry nodded. "Titus Barclay. All will be explained." The others murmured to themselves but nobody spoke directly to anyone else. Titus did not look pleased with the answer he was given.
"Donovan Croft attacked us tonight." Henry declared. "He is dead but this fight is not over. We have reason to believe Laurel will attempt an attack tonight as well." He nodded to Natalia.
She stepped up to the head of the table. "We called you here tonight so we can plan for this attack. Laurel is a powerful Enchantress as are the warlocks accompanying her. We do not want her killed only captured." Natalia finished.
The room was silent. Nobody knew what to say. It was one thing to talk about the possibility of a fight. It was another thing to actually plan for one.
I have encountered plenty of these types in my line of work. They are all big shots with giant mouths until it comes time to face their opponents.
"Oh for Pete's sake Natalia." The black-grey hair gentleman cried. "You have us in a bind. We can handle the Laurel situation but to ask us to work side by side is bloody suicide."
"Calm down Troy." Natalia ordered. "I have faith we can find mutual ground to work from. We just need the right motivating factors." She advised. Violet and I exchanged a knowing look.
Troy picked up on our thoughts. "I am not the only who knows this will end badly if were forced together. Just ask your guardians over there." He nodded at Violet then at me.
Unfortunately he was not wrong. Until now I have not seen so many different fractions of the underworld in one place without chaos and bloodshed. Even Katherine knew to keep the wolves away from the vampires and the shields separate from everyone else.
As if on cue arguments broke out across the table. Leaders argued with other leaders while some just argued about leaving amongst themselves. Mia waved at me from across the table.
I waved back. She was arguing with Titus about staying when the door to the room flew open. A Woman dressed from head to toe in black lace strolled into the room. She was accompanied by two extremely large men who flanked her sides.
My eyes went to Abby. She looked startled and alarmed. Natalia attempted to maneuver herself so that she was blocking the path to Abby. One of the men stepped into her path. She let out a piercing snarl and flung herself at him.
He caught her by the throat with one hand and slammed her hand into the ground. Pieces of jagged wood flew across the room. Henry eyes widened in shock. He looked at me once then flung himself at the same man.
The windows behind me shook as Henry crashed through the floor. Everyone that had been at odds moments before leapt to their feet in unison. Everyone readied themselves to attack.
It would seem there would be unity among us after all. I kept waiting for Henry to use his powers to attack back but he just kept lunging at the men. Why is he not using his powers?
"Enough!" The woman in black yelled. There was an echo in her voice that instantly paralyzed everyone in the room. Even I could not move a muscle in my body.
"Brady?" Abby whispered to me. "I feel funny like I did on the night of the accident. Something is happening inside of me." I could hear the panic in her voice. I closed my eyes. Please let this work.
The black laced woman stepped forward. "I will not hurt any of you." She looked down at Natalia. "Well maybe just one of you." She waved her hand at Natalia. "Hello Mother."
Laurel. I cursed under my breath. "Listen Abby. I want you to focus on the feeling inside of you. Do not fight it. I need you to embrace it and pull it into you. It will help you break free. When you get free, I want you to run." I directed her.
"Okay. Here I go." Abby whispered back.
Laurel look back at the rest of us. "I will spare all of you if Abby surrenders herself to me. If she fights me well then you all will die with her." She ripped off her veil.
Abby let out a blood curdling scream. "Laurel is that you?"
"Yes little sister. I am alive and well." She answered. "No surprise dear old mom kept that from you. There is a lot she keeps from all of us." Laurel laughed.
It was a wicked evil laugh. The kind that sends cold chills down your spine. Laurel turned to her mother. "Isn't that right mom?" Natalia glared up at her in response.
"I don't understand." Abby's voice broke. "She knew?"
Laurel's answering smile was cold. "Oh she knew alright." She turned away from Abby. I could see it in her eyes the next move she made would be a deadly one. I pushed frantically against the invisible restraint but it was no use.
"Abby, I know you are in shock but I need you to focus. Laurel is the enemy not a friend. I need you to accept your powers now by pulling them into you. It will hurt but I need you to so this now." I pleaded desperately.
Violet started whispering key information to Abby. She is walking her through the transformation. Abby let out another bloodcurdling scream this time because she had latched onto her powers. I sorted through different bonding spells in my head.
I need to figure out which one Laurel is using so I can figure out how we can get out of this hold. Laurel derailed my concentration when she struck a match off Natalia's cheek and held it out in front of her own chest.
"I hope you burn in hell with all the other soulless demonic creatures like yourself." Laurel smiled. "Ashes to Ashes, Mother." She tossed the match in Natalia chest. I closed my eyes as her body was swallowed by the flames.
Abby's screams of anguish echoed throughout the room. Each of her screams pierced a hole right through my heart. I felt the boundaries of the restraints loosen.
My body was already moving forward by the time I regained my full senses. I was not the only one. Abby was throwing energy orbs across the room.
I scanned the room for Laurel but she was gone. As were the men that had attacked Natalia and fought Henry. I turned back to tell Abby the threat was for now over but she was not there.
The room was filling with smoke. I located Abby on the floor next to Natalia's burning body. She had her hands out reaching for her mother. A silent scream pouring from her lips.
It was then I realized it was not just Natalia burning it was Henry too. I pushed back at the terror which threatened to grip me. Abby was too close to the flames. I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. She gripped my arms.
"No Brady, Please help them. Please help them." Abby whimpered.
Violet stepped up next to me. "I'll take her Brady." She looked down at the ground and shuddered. "Just do what you can." We exchanged a knowing looking. Even if I could stop the burning there is no way to reverse the damage.
"Brady?" Henry croaked. "Are you there?"
I fell to my knees next to him. His entire waist was engulfed in white hot flames. I inched forward gripping his hand. "I am here Henry. I am here." I cried. He smiled up at me with so much love it broke me inside.
"Do you recall everything I told you?" I could hear the death rattle setting in. He had seconds not minutes left. I searched desperate through the smoke for Abby. She should be his last goodbye not me.
I nodded. "I can still save you though."
Henry shook his head. "This is my destiny Brady. I saved you so you could save my Abby." He coughed. "Promise me you will."
A blood tinged tear rolled down my face. "I promise." I cried. "I promise." I watched as relief flooded his eyes and the flames danced up his chest. He struggled to take a breath.
"Goodbye my son." He whispered. Flames kissed his lips then shot up over and around his face until the man fade into a ball of fire. I stayed kneeling beside the fire letting tear after bloody tear fall from my chin into the flames.
"Goodbye my friend."
Foster laid his hands on my shoulder in a show of comfort and support. I rose to my feet and gripped his shoulder in return. I lost my maker. I lost my friend but he lost something far more precious. He lost a brother and his mother.
We didn't need to speak the words. We could feel each other's pain. The sound of glass shattering and shouting voices reminded me there were others in the room. A body moved quickly through the smoke towards us.
I released Foster and ready myself for the oncoming attack. Troy broke through the wall of smoke. He came to a stop just short of the flames. "Are you alright?" I could see the vein in his neck swelling as he prepared for transformation into his wolf form.
"We're fine." I answered.
He relaxed his stance. Troy knelt down in front of the fire and placed his hands on the floor. One next to Natalia and the other next to Henry. "Your death will not be forgotten friends. The circle of Lycan will avenge you." He vowed.
Two bodies came through the wall of smoke, a pale blond hair boy and a girl with silver eyes. They knelt next to Troy.
Each placed a hand next to the bodies of our fallen friends. "Your death will not be in vain. The circle of Eden will avenge you." They vowed together.
John Raines stepped through the smoke with tear stained cheeks. "We may not be supernatural beings but our loyalty is strong. The circle of Terra will avenge you friends." Chloe stepped up beside her father.
Ethan was the next to move into the growing circle. "We've not run from a fight nor will we do so now. The circle of shields will avenge you." The smoke parted as Bailey moved to the front.
"Henry was my friend. I will avenge you." She promised.
Abby moved through the crowd. She stopped in front of the leaders. "I don't know anything about circles. I don't even know what some of you are but I will join you. I will help you avenge my parents." She swore.