Deb scribbled away on her notepad, sketching the symbol on Ahmed's arm and the old home. Her laptop perched precariously on the edge of the coffee-stained table, displaying a seemingly endless stream of pictograms and logos. She squinted at each, hoping to find a match to the symbol and finally understand its meaning.
"So when do we give up on this whole the scratches on my arm have a meaning thing?" Ahmed mused, watching other students wander through the library.
"Don't you think it is strange you had a vision after pumping into so random girl and she leaves with scratches that match the graffiti on a house we have never seen before?" Deb asked without looking up, the tip of her tongue poking out in concentration as she perfected a curve on the symbol.
"Sure, but you know the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a new outcome." His voice was light, but it also sounded tired.
Deb didn't respond, too consumed by her research. Ahmed rolled his eyes and continued to people-watch, a blend of caffeine-fueled study sessions and procrastinated assignments, when Leona stepped off the elevator. With her gaze locked onto the young handsome Filipino man, who sat with his usual partner at a nearby table, she failed to notice another student in her path. The collision sent books tumbling, causing a minor spectacle. The Filipino man, his eyes meeting Leona's in a moment of charged recognition, offered a half-smile before quickly shaking it off.
"Sorry!" Leona's cheeks flushed a deep rose as she hurriedly gathered the scattered pages, her attention still flickering towards her dark-eyed crush.
Deb, finally tearing her gaze from the symbol, reached for her coffee cup. The familiar logo caught her eye, and it clicked—the sign she had been drawing, the one haunting her thoughts, mirrored the emblem on her cup.
"Ahmed, look—" Deb turned, her revelation perched on the tip of her tongue, only to find his seat empty. Scanning the room, she spotted him, deep in conversation with a young Chinese man, while Leona watched with envy.
Deb laughed to herself, a soft smile playing on her lips before she returned to her laptop and dove deeper into the small St. Jacob's brewing company where she had bought the cup. She read through the articles until she found a recent one about them moving from their original location into the city of Waterloo.
"This is it!" she shouted before becoming very aware the entire student body in the library was now staring at her. "So sorry," she mouthed shooting everyone an apologetic glance.
"You figured it out?" Ahmed made his way back to her, eyes wide with curiosity.
"It's to logo for the Celtic Coffee Shop," Deb whispered, turning her cup so Ahmed could see the logo. "Their old building in St. Jacobs is still empty. It would be the perfect place for two vessels, it was an old mill before the coffee shop bought it."
"Then why aren't you texting Zack right now? This could be huge!" He leaned closer, and Deb could smell the sandalwood cologne.
"I can't," Deb hesitated, recalling just how angry Ethel was the last time they brought her out for nothing, "I need to find something concrete first. Proof that Greed really has them there." Her gaze fell back to the images of the historic building, she was going to get to the bottom of this herself.
"I'm not sure I like that look in your eye," Ahmed chuckled softly, watching Deb hunt for blueprints. "It makes me feel like we are about to do something stupidly dangerous."
"Not at all, it will just be a small stakeout." Deb closed her laptop with a decisive snap, turning to Ahmed. "We get in, take a pick of Greed and his cronies and get out."
"Well if it is that easy," Ahmed said sarcastically, shifting in his chair.
---
In the dimly lit corner of Night School, Zack wiped down the bar after serving shots to a small group of women, eyes fixed on Rob sitting at the edge of the bar. The soft glow of neon lights danced across Rob's face, as he sat as stiff as a board.
"Think about it, Zack," Rob insisted, his voice barely rising above the thumping bass. "Nemo... he wouldn't just vanish without a word. I shouldn't have left him alone in the yard. Lindsey says they are doing everything in their power to find him but I don't know if human cops will be able to. I mean to just disappear like that, something supernatural must be going on here."
Zack raked a hand through his blond hair as he listened. His demon half wanted to rage but his human side prevailed. "We will find him Rob. But for now, we need to focus on one thing at a time, Paulina should be ready by now, let's head to her office."
Rob agreed with a half nod and followed Zack through the crowd and to the back office. Inside John sat in the leather chair across from Paulina's desk, with Ethel standing in the corner.
She watched Paulina pull different herbs and animal parts from the large cabinet adorned with Wiccan symbols for healing. Her hands moved with practiced grace, pouring liquids that shimmered like the night sky into a glass. They watched as she finished the concoction with a flourish, a drop of something potent enough to make every person in the room shiver.
"Drink this, John," Paulina instructed, her tone both soothing and commanding. "But be warned, it's easy to get lost in your own memories. If you do, I won't be able to pull you back."
John gave a short nod, his muscular frame tensed as though preparing for battle. With a steady hand, he lifted the glowing blue liquid to his lips and took it back like a shot. His eyes rolled back before he crumbled in his chair.
Minutes stretched into eternity before John's eyes snapped open, and he gasped for air. "The grain silo," he gasped, "behind the old mill. They have them... They are waiting..." His breath hitched as if the words pained him, "They're starving them."
"Of course they are," Ethel muttered, the rage evident in her voice. "Every one of my vessels they take from me weakens my power. It will be easier for them to beat me if they kill you all."
"Then we save them," Zack declared, rising to his feet. "We find the mill, we get them out, and we bring them back."
"But what about Greed and his covenant of Supremes?" Rob asked, knowing there was no way the sin would just let them walk in there. "What if this is part of his plan, he would have us all right where he wants us."
"We have to try," John huffed, his voice barely above a whisper, "I couldn't save them on my own, but together maybe we can."
"They are a part of my covenant," Ethel said, her gaze distant yet intense. "I won't let Greed kill them without a fight."
Rob's brows drew together in skepticism. "That's all well and good, but Greed knows all your vessel weaknesses, remember. He is a powerful sin who has survived centuries on Earth. We need a solid plan,"
"I have a plan." With an elegant flick of her wrist, Ethel's eyes flashed emerald green. The apartment froze in a tableau vivant; dust motes hung suspended in a beam of light, and the hum of the city beyond the walls halted. All five people in the room however continued to move, unaffected by her hold on time.
"Damn," Zack muttered, his voice returning to the stillness as time resumed its flow.
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Ethel smiled at the group. "I have learned a few things as a Supreme like now I can control who is affected by my time freezes."
"Show-off," Rob grumbled, crossing his arms. "Still not much of a plan."
"We don't need a plan, we just need the element of surprise," Ethel began, "I freeze time, Zack tears the door open with telekinesis, we grab Olivia and Kristian, and bail before the Supremes know what hit them."
"With just Zack and I, there will be less risk of screw-ups" she explained, casting her gaze around the room.
John snorted. "You're all mad if you think I'm going to stay back while you have all the fun. Besides my illusions can offer some cover if things go sideways."
"We can take my car," Rob sighed, glancing at Zack.
"Then it is settled," Zack replied, standing up resolutely. "We are going to rescue Kristian and Olivia." His eyes locked on Paulina then shifted to Ethel. "And we are doing it tonight."
***
The old mill loomed in the dark, cold and forgotten. Deb gripped the bolt cutters as she approached the back door, their metal teeth biting through the chains with a satisfying snap. She slipped inside the darkness, ready to find the truth.
"Well, it was only a matter of time before one of you showed up," a familiar voice came from behind her as a hand gripped her shoulder. Ms. McLeod's stern face emerged from the shadows. "Your timing is terrible, like always. Get in the walk-in fridge and stay quiet, wait for my signal."
Before she could protest, Deb found herself shoved into the cramped space, inhaling the musty air mixed with the scent of old spices. Ms. McLeod spilled a powder from a small flask the threshold, before closing the door.
As the door closed, Deb could hear the clicking of claws in the distance. They paused for a moment and Deb held her breath. Then the tapping continued until it faded into the background. Relief flooded Deb as she took a step back from the fridge door. It was officially time to text Zack.
Fumbling with her phone, Deb cast a weak light across the room. Her breath hitched; there, slumped against a shelf, was Olivia—or what looked like her. The body moved, ever so slightly, crumbling further to the ground.
"Olivia?" Deb whispered, but no response came. With shaking fingers, turned the body over and gasped, the hollow eyes of a long-gone Olivia stared back at her.
---
"Can someone remind me why we invited Kyle to this?" Rob asked, eyeing the man in his backseat.
"You're going up against Greed. Clearly, you need someone well-versed in his tactics," Kyle drawled, leaning against the car door with an amused smirk. "It should be fun watching get yourselves killed."
"Again, why?" Rob looked up, eyebrows arching high.
"Asks the human." Peter rolled his eyes before looking out the car window. "This is a great location," His gaze narrowed on the silos behind it. "Greed most likely has them spread out across the grounds."
"I can't sense any of them," Zack interjected, his expression clouded with doubt. "They are masking themselves if they are here."
"So you're basically going in blind." Rob stared out the window at the structure. "Great."
"We can still do this," Ethel decided, urgency lacing her tone as she pushed open her door, "I can feel Kristian's aura, he's in there."
Zack turned to Rob, "Stay here and stay out of sight, text us if you see anyone coming our way," He stepped out of the car, casting one lingering look back at Rob, John, and Kyle before disappearing into the night.
Noticing the old locks had been removed from the front door, Zack and Ethel crept forward, quietly slipping inside the building. Zack took a breath focusing in on Kristian's faint aura trail.
"Kyle thinks this place is booby-trapped," Rob's text lit up Zack's phone, as they walked. "He says whatever you do don't close any doors behind you, and don't touch anything."
"Great," Zack muttered, flashing the text at Ethel, whose jaw tensed.
"Of course, Greed would have a trap set," Ethel carefully slid another door aside, "The problem is just how quiet this place is, either they are going to ambush us or they want us to find Kristian."
"Why would they want us to find Kristian," Zack wondered aloud, as the edge of a silo came into view. "I thought the point of taking him was to make you weaker."
"Right," Ethel said as the entrance to the silo came into view. "But there are ways to corrupt a vessel, forcefully changing their loyalty. All it takes is feeding them a sin's blood."
"What happens to them exactly—" But Zack's words were cut short as Ethel opened the door to the silo to reveal Kristian inside.
Kristian paced like a caged animal, his eyes wild with something darker than fear. At the sight of Ethel, he stumbled back, his voice a ragged growl. "Get out, Ethel!"
Ethel dashed to his side, her presence a calm amid the chaos. "Not without you," she insisted, reaching out to steady him.
"No, they did something to me," he hissed, muscles bulging, veins darkening.
"Ethel you need to get back now!" Zack shouted, sensing the sudden change in Kristian's aura. They had walked straight into a trap.
---
"What do you think this is about?" Rob was reviewing the blueprints, a look of confusion spreading across his face. John looked up over his shoulder, trying to get a better view of the plans.
"Let me guess," Kyle smiled, his tone less mocking now. "Those silos are lined with iron bars."
"How did you know," Rob looked back at Kyle through the rearview mirror, his eyes narrowed.
"That symbol on the coffee cup makes a cute logo, it is also the symbol a select group of Celtic exorcists use to mark prisons for the supernatural," Kyle pointed to the old mill.
"You knew that this entire time and you didn't say anything?" Rob yelled, fighting the urge to punch the sin.
"You never asked," Kyle shrugged.
"I hate you," Rob said, pulling his phone from his pocket to shoot Zack a text to warn him.
---
Back at the silo, Ms. McLeod's hand found the door, her fingers trembling against the metal before she forced it shut with a click that echoed through the silo like a gunshot. Zack whipped around to see their only exit sealed off, his heart sinking when he recognized the telltale shimmer of palm ash lining the room.
"We're trapped in here," he informed Ethel, who was still trying to coax Kristian out of the shadows.
Outside the silo, Danny listened with an unreadable expression, his cane folding with a precision that matched the coldness in his voice. He turned to Ms. McLeod, "Don't pretend this is beneath you, Norma. You've dirtied your hands before."
Without a word, she linked her arm to his, and they disappeared down the corridor.
Within, Kristian began to shake uncontrollably. His body contorted, expanding beyond its usual size, his skin becoming a deep blue colour. Ethel stood her ground, her claws slowly extending as she prepared to fight her vessel.
"Kristian, please!" she pleaded, but her words were drowned out by the roar of pain from Kristian.
Deb, hidden in the shadows, heard Kristian's roar, She peeked through the small fridge window in time to see Danny and Norma walk past it. As they walked by Norma gave a small nod in her direction, the signal she thought. She emerged from her hiding place and headed in the direction they had come from. She reached the silo just in time to witness Kristian's claws sinking into Zack's belly, lifting him off the ground.
"Kristian, stop!" Deb cried out, her voice laced with desperation. She lunged for the door handle, ignoring Ethel's vehement protests.
"Deb, don't—"
But it was too late; the door swung open, and at the sound of his name, something in Kristian's feral gaze flickered. He released Zack, who crumpled to the floor and bolted past Deb, disappearing into the maze of the building.
Ethel glared at Deb, barely able to contain her fury. "Do you know what you've done!"
"Ethel she saved my life," Zack rasped, clutching his wounded stomach. His gaze met Deb's, gratitude mingled with pain.
"I am trying to help!" Deb shot back, her own anger rising as she helped Zack sit up. "If it weren't for me, he would have killed Zack and then you."
"We don't someone like you helping us," Ethel spat, her eyes flashing with accusation. "You were so quick to turn on us in favour of the exorcists. What were you even doing here in the first place?"
"I was trying to find proof that greed was here before I told you about this place," Deb said, her voice barely above a whisper. But Ethel wasn't finished.
"Really or were you trying to take Kristian out of the picture?" she challenged.
Confusion washed over Deb's face, her mind racing. "I would never do that, I follow the code,"
"So did your beloved Father Bill,"
Both women turned to Zack, their expressions demanding answers. Zack caught between pain and the weight of secrets, knew it was time for the truth to come out.
---
Ahmed's eyelids fluttered, his breath hitching in the quiet of his room as tossed and turned in his bed. He twitched, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple as his body convulsed. Then he went still, a solemn tune escaped his lips as he started to hum.
His eyes snapped open as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. Moonlight spilled through the window, causing him to catch the movement at the foot of his bed. Nemo stood at the end of the bed, but there was something off about him. Ahmed could clearly see his dresser through him, but it felt like he was really there.
Nemo's translucent finger extended, pointing towards the window where moonlight danced across the glass. Reflected there was the young man Ahmed had seen before in his vision, his features twisted in terror, his eyes wide with silent pleading.
"Help," the reflection seemed to mouth, though no sound escaped.
Ahmed slid from the bed, his movements fluid as he slipped on his slippers. He continued to hum the haunting melody as he moved to his door. He reached the top of the stairs, each step deliberate, drawn towards the front door as if by unseen strings.
"Where are you taking me?" Ahmed whispered, though in reality no words ever left his lips. The ghostly figure of Nemo remained silent, as he guided Ahmed out of the house.
"You're not ok are you?" Ahmed asked, feeling the chill radiating from Nemo's image. Nemo looked at him teary-eyed, shaking his head.
"But I can save this one?" Ahmed looked hopeful, praying that he was being led to protect someone. With a deep breath, Ahmed turned down the street, ready to follow Nemo wherever he led him.