❖𝒩𝑜𝓇𝒶 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓃𝑒❖
"What the hell do you mean 'we're all gonna die'?" I asked, a growl sipping from my throat as I watched Zecchia mess around Hamish's bar. She picked up a bottle, nearly knocking Wilma over. "Watch it." I snarled, going to stand up again. Hamish held me down again, gave a sigh, and made his way over to the bar.
He removed the bottle from Zecchia's hand and picked Wilma up, placing her on one of the tables nearby. Before much else could happen, the door to the den swung open, and in walked a tall, blonde, and very confused girl. Horror instantly filled her face upon seeing Zecchia devouring more cherries. "That doesn't look like our weapons, you idiots!" She hissed, looking the Knights over, her eyes narrowing further when they landed on Jack. I stood, wincing at the pain that shot through my skull, making my way to Hamish's side.
"What weapons?" I grumbled, looking the girl over. She did the same. "Can someone please tell me what is going on?"
"Holy shit--you're kidding me right?" The girl asked, snapping right back to Jack. "First you steal the sickles, then you summon a demon, and now you're harboring one of the Order's most wanted traitors?" Jack and the others looked a little confused.
"Uh--"
"Excuse me?" I hissed, taking a step forward. She stood her ground, though I could see the slight fear in her eyes.
"You're Nora Stone--"
"I know, thank you. How do you know me?" She looked from me to Jack then back to me.
"The Silent Sisters came looking for you two years ago. You're a werewolf and you killed a practitioner and innocent people--" I laughed, startling the girl.
"Hardly. When you met the Silent Sisters they weren't in their right minds--" Zecchia chuckled at this, making us look back to her. "What?" I growled, 100% done with the demon.
"I just admire Melech's work--of course he couldn't have done it with the help of that pretty little stone shoved up your hide." My blood went cold. Shit...
"You have the Mind's Eye?" Hamish asked calmly. Too calmly. Before I could face him, Mavis spoke.
"We-we kidnapped Jason." Oh god. This just keeps getting better and better. I looked to Mavis just in time to find Chole slap her upside the head. "Ow."
"This really just keeps getting better and better." The blonde girl said as Jack grabbed hold of her arm. They made their way upstairs.
"Where is he?" I asked, hoping Hamish would leave the topic of the Mind's Eye alone. Mavis looked to Chole and Randall, who shrugged.
"Might as well tell her since you're already started snitching," Chole said, crossing her arms. Mavis went to argue with Chole, but upon seeing the look on my face--which was one of pure annoyance--she stopped.
"In the basement."
"This basement?" Hamish asked, to which they all nodded. "Great." I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"Why?" Mavis continued to look guilty while Chole started getting angry. Randall looked to the two, seeing if they would answer. "Why?" I asked again, firmer this time.
"Cosmos." As soon as Mavis said the name, she switched from being passive to all-out pissed. "Because you don't ever talk to us! Because I needed to know why the Silent Sisters want my hide so bad!" To say I wasn't taken back by her sudden outburst would be a lie. She had never, never shouted at me like this before. I stood there, shocked, for a second.
"You three stay up here and watch that fucking demon," I said turning to leave.
"We don't listen to you," Chole growled.
"Then listen to me. Stay up here and watch her." Hamish said making Chole huffed, but she stayed. This annoyed me further but I pushed it aside and made my way towards the basement, Hamish following after me. When we made it into the stairwell and the door was shut behind us, I turned to look up at Hamish.
"I need you to know why I took the Eye before you start making assumptions." Hamish kept quiet and nodded. "I took it because I needed to keep it safe. And thank god I did before that fucking demon stole everything."
"Safe from who? The Silent Sisters?" I nodded, looking down the steps at where their messenger was sure to be. "What? To use it?"
"It's--it's a bit more complicated than that."
"How complicated?" I hesitated, looking back down the stairs. Hamish took hold of my hands, making me "Nora--please." I could tell he was on his very last legs with me holding back information.
"They want to--to end the world."
"What?" He hissed.
"They need the Eye, the Phoenix dagger, and Mavis's hide to do it. That's why I stole them and that's why I need to keep it away from them."
"Why--Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
"Because it would have put you in danger. But seeing as the world might end very soon, I might as well tell someone." I turned away from him and made my way down the steps.
"Nora--" I heard Hamish follow after me. I stepped down into the basement and found Jason sitting there tied up to the nines. The teen looked up to us slowly, now sporting a new black eye. I frowned, knowing Chole must have done that.
"Nora. What a surprise." He greeted, steeling his once pain-filled face. It made me sick seeing this kid going through all this. Having to watch people get murdered, being kidnapped, and having to hide the fact that it scares the hell out of you, just so you could please the sisters.
"Jason. Have they tried contacting you?" He shrugged the best he could, holding his head high.
"I wouldn't know." I sighed through my nose.
"Kid, look, I know what you're going through and it's not worth it. Not one bit."
"I'm not a kid and it's not like I have a choice. You know that."
"How were my girls and Randall able to capture you without so much as a scratch?" Jason stayed quiet. "When the Sisters find you've been taken by the enemy they'll kill you."
"You think I don't know that?" He spat. "I came alone because I fucking--urg--because I don't want the world to end. My sister--" He froze, having realized he had shared a little too much. "Your pups wanted answers and I gave it to them."
"You told Mavis about Cosmos?"
"I told her that the Silent Sisters wanted to kill everyone and they needed her hide and everything else you stole to do it." He pulled at his bindings a bit in frustration. "You still have everything, right?" My mind went to the Phoenix dagger. I had no clue if Hamish had kept it with all the other stuff or not. God, I hope he didn't. "Right?"
'Do you have the dagger or did it get stolen?' Hamish was quiet for a moment. 'Hamish?'
'It was stolen with the rest of the stuff.' I made sure to keep my face as steeled as possible. Shit.
"You're still connected to them. I can't tell you." Jason groaned dramatically. The room went silent for a moment.
"You have to kill me." I stiffened.
"No." He growled.
"Do it. I'm your enemy." I shook my head.
"No." He growled.
"I'll tell them. I'll tell them where you are. Where your little boyfriend is." He gestured toward Hamish with his head. "Where your pack is. The smart choice would be to kill me. Now."
"I will not kill you." I gritted out. The practiced clam he had been masked in seemed to crumble in seconds. He was scared. Scared of the Silent Sisters.
"They'll kill me--slowly. You know what they do. Seen them peel the skin off wolves--practitioners." I slowed hard, a flash of said gory act crossing my vision. Someone placed a hand on my shoulder. It was Hamish, corner in his gray-blue eyes. Eyes like a stormy sea. I cleared my throat and turned back to Jason, whose eyes were filled with tears. "Just do it--please."
"No." He all but sobbed. "But I'll help you." He laughed.
"And what? Be on the run like you?"
"Yes. I'll teach you how to keep them out of your head. How to protect yourself from them."
"Nora--is that a good idea?" Hamish asked. "How do you know you can trust him? What if you let him go and he turns around and stabs you through the back?" I didn't know really. But I knew how he felt because I'd been in his shoes once. I'd been scared and had felt like there was no end in sight.
"He has low-grade magic. Even if he tries he won't be very successful."
"I don't want to join your little rebel alliances."
"Doesn't look like you have a choice."