EIGHT

Faith shrieked, as the hand protruding from the wall grasped firmly hold of her arm and pulled. She felt herself pitching off-balance towards the cement and closed her eyes, sure that moments later she would slam her face into the stone brickwork.

Instead, she tumbled forward through the masonry and into the arms of a red-haired girl, who helped her quickly regain her balance.

“Welcome Faith!” The girl exclaimed grasping both her hands in her own. “I’m so excited to meet you. I’m Hope, and these,” she said of the two girls who were standing somberly behind her, “are my sisters, Justice and Liberty.”

Faith smiled, immediately captivated by the spunky redhead before her. She was tall and slim; her red hair was wavy and cut in a bob just above her shoulders. Her green eyes sparkled at her from beneath her bangs. Her skin was porcelain smooth, without a freckle in sight. She wore a slim-fitting charcoal grey t-shirt dress with a plunging V-neck and long fitted sleeves that fell to her knuckles. The skirt of her dress reached mid-thigh, as did her boots, which were a soft suede.

Her sisters behind her were as equally beautiful, with long ginger hair that fell in waves past their shoulders and stunning green eyes. Justice had on a pair of army-green cargo pants that she wore low on her hips, and a black fitted tank top, which was cropped just short of her waistline, displaying the tiniest hint of her toned physique beneath.

Liberty too, was dressed similarly in cargo pants, but entirely in black with a heavy belt at her waist and a long-sleeve tight fitting shirt that did little to hide her curves beneath.

Glancing between the three, Faith suddenly realized. Except for their hairstyles, which were each a little different, they were seemingly identical.

“Wait, are you—?”

“Triplets.” Hope admitted, with a nod.

Not just triplets, Faith realized as a chill of understanding ran along her spine. She was standing in the presence of the Scarlet Trinity. Magical Royalty. Three sister witches, who were blessed with the gift of magic far beyond what their young years should have allowed. She’d had no idea that when she sent that e-mail, she was sending it to the Trinity. She’d simply answered a posting from an online message board for any information regarding missing witches. She’d hesitated initially because while she had realized almost immediately that Allison Greer was a natural born witch—Allie herself did not identify as such and if Allison hadn’t been living as a witch, then perhaps she hadn’t fit the criteria that the ad had been searching for. Thankfully for her, the trinity hadn’t seen it that way.

*

“So, tell us about this sister witch. The one that’s gone missing.” Justice said as she stirred her coffee before taking a careful sip.

They were sitting at the table in the small country kitchen they’d retreated to. Immediately, Hope had offered to make coffee. They had a machine, the kind that brewed a cup at a time, and she’d politely made Faith’s coffee first. Faith had been happy for the distraction, for while they’d waited for the coffee to be brewed, the other two sisters—who had taken up seats on either side of the table, had continued to stare at her in solemn silence. Of the three, it seemed that only Hope was truly happy that she was there.

It wasn’t until they were all seated, coffee’s in hand, that the inquisition began. As quickly and simply as she could, Faith recounted the last few days before folding her hands together as she too fell into silence.

The sister’s it seemed, were contemplating.

“She could be our next maiden.” Justice began, only to be cut short by Liberty.

“I disagree. The timing is off—”

Justice shook her head. “Not if we caught a lucky break. We don’t know when or how he picks his targets.”

“No, but if this is our guy, then he is suddenly breaking pattern. They only go missing in the days before the full moon. It’s more likely she’s become monster chow, considering the stomping grounds.” Libby solemnly shook her head. “I just don’t think we should be wasting our time on this.”

Faith watched as the two girls locked wills across the table from one another. Their brief conversation though confusing, begged questioning. “Does this mean you won’t help?” she asked, her attention on Liberty.

Hope immediately interjected. “Now, we didn’t say that—”

“And what do you mean, she’s monster chow?”

Faith slammed her cell phone down on the table in front of them. It was open to a picture of she and Allie. They were both smiling brightly their arms draped around one another as they posed for the selfie. “This is my friend, we’re talking about—not some random nobody.”

Liberty stared at the photo before meeting Faith’s eye. “I like her.” She said suddenly. “She has spirit.” She got up from the table, leaving the room.

Faith looked curiously between the two remaining sisters, who were exchanging a knowing look.

Liberty returned shortly with a large tablet. Sitting down, she slid her chair closer to Faith’s. “This is what we’ve been up against,” she said as she began showing Faith a series of photos, women of varying ages and ethnicities. “Sister witches are disappearing, in sets of three. Always a maiden, a mother and a crone, and always in the days leading up to a full moon.”

“We’ve discovered four sets—” Justice said speaking up.

“Four that we are aware of,” Libby clarified. “And this is what becomes of them.” She brought up a new set of photos.

Faith, grimaced and quickly looked away. The photos were gruesome. The women were obviously dead; their faces shrivelled and drained of colour, as if the life had been sucked out of them.

“Each set of women were openly living their lives as wiccans.” Justice continued. “Other than that, there seems to be no other connection between them.”

Libby reached out a hand and touched Faith’s arm gently. “In no way, did I mean to diminish your loss. I just don’t think we’re dealing with the same thing here.”

“But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to help.” Hope said brightly, attempting to lighten the mood around the table. “Right?” She glanced at her sisters.

“Well…” Justice said carefully as she caught Libby’s eye. “A sister witch, is a sister witch, and isn’t that what we’ve vowed to protect?”

Libby rolled her eyes but smiled broadly. “I know when I’m out voted.” Standing she pushed in her chair. “C’mon. Let’s give you the tour.”

As Faith stood, she thought she caught another silent exchange between the sisters who were still at the table but had no time to consider it further. The next moment Libby was swinging the kitchen door open and holding it for her as she ushered her into the dining room.

“Welcome to our command centre.” Libby said as Faith took in her surroundings.

What would have been the dining and living area of the farmhouse had been turned into an office space instead. Corkboard and whiteboards hung on the wall, covered with photos and newspaper clippings. A large map marked with colored push pins and drawn on in marker was also hung. Three desks, each with their own computer station—one of which had dual monitors, sat central in the room among a series of office equipment and file cabinets.

“Seriously,” Justice said as she pushed by, taking a seat at one of the desks. “Nobody calls it that.”

Hope too joined them, taking a seat at the desk with the multiple screens, while Libby crossed the room to where a small sitting area had been set up. A love seat and pair of straight back chairs were grouped together around a low oval-shaped coffee table. She presently grabbed one of the high-backed chairs, dragging it back across the room with her. Stopping in front of Hope’s desk, she motioned for Faith to have a seat.

“So, let’s begin your education,” Libby said with a grim smirk. “Welcome to your city,” she announced as Hope began typing.

Faith watched transfixed at the screens in front of her as a map of the globe, an outline of blue lines against a black background, was displayed on one of the monitors. As Hope entered coordinates, the map began to shift and move, zooming in on its target, shifting from continent, to country, until she was viewing a digital schematic of the city of Kingsford.

“As far as we can tell, there are seven major hubs of activity that are of concern in Kingsford.” Justice said, taking lead.

“Seven?” Faith questioned shyly. She was feeling overwhelmed by it all—it was all so Jason Bourne like.

Libby shrugged. “Well, there are probably more, however the information we’ve gathered concentrates only on those groups which have become more notorious. Highland Park, for instance.” She tapped a spot on the screen. “Is considered Faerie territory. Which is not surprising really, considering that the fair-folk seem to lay claim to all green space within a metropolitan.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“However,” Justice said regaining control of the conversation, “The Fae are rarely up to anything nefarious enough to hit our radar.”

Hope giggled.

“What?” Faith asked as both Libby and Justice immediately glared at their sister.

“She said nefarious,” Hope repeated, trying not to laugh. “What was it that Libs said last week about that death cult we disbanded—they were a motley crew of miscreants.” She snorted again. “Miscreants.”

“Good Goddess,” Libby said sounding snarky. “You’re suppose to be the smart one.”

“Continuing,” Justice went on, ignoring her siblings. “We have eyes on a hoodoo group, led by a bokor that calls himself Papa Darkness.” She indicated another spot on the map. “At present, they seem content keeping to themselves, so as far as we’re concerned, they are entitled to their worship in the same way the other religious communities are.”

“Then there’s Sidewinder’s hotel,” Libby said speaking up, “It’s a strip club down by the tracks which offer’s temporary lodging in her upper two floors. You know the kind, with rooms for rent by the hour, day or week.” With her finger, she began marking several positions on the map. “With its lax standards and proximity to both the train and bus stations, they tend to get a lot of deviant activity.” She glanced at Hope suspiciously, “and miscreants.”

Justice nodded. “So, that leaves McGuire’s Pub—a biker bar which has made our radar because of the weres who’ve been known to hang out there, and After Dusk, a Victorian mansion that was converted to a private club for the vamps and vampire enthusiasts.”

Faith wrinkled her nose. “Vampire enthusiasts?”

“Trust me,” Libby interjected, her face sour. “You don’t wanna know.”

“And finally, there’s the Pitt. It’s a nightclub, which differs from the others, for the simple fact that unlike the previous two mentions, it precludes itself from being territorial. Instead, it boasts a neutral playing field, where all things that go bump in the night, can literally bump and grind in the night—if they so choose, but make no mistake—it is run by a den of blood thirsty vampires.”

Faith felt her skin flush and ears grow hot. She felt embarrassed, knowing that she herself had been a willing patron there. “Wait.” She said suddenly. “I thought you said there were seven hotspots, but you’ve only mentioned six.”

“Oh. Well... there’s also Chinatown,” Justice said with a shrug. “Strange shit, is always going down there—but I thought that one was sorta obvious.”

Her sisters nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, they seem to have their own level of weird.” Libby added. “Lots of ancient magics happening there.”

Faith felt dejected. She didn’t realize that much was going on in the city that she called home. “So much I was unaware of—”

“Don’t feel bad.” Hope said reassuringly. “Most people are clueless as to what’s happening around them, and usually it’s for the best.”

Justice was nodding in agreement. “And the older the city the deeper the history. Queen’s college for instance. Did you know it was originally a penitentiary, complete with gallows? They used to hang the condemned in what is now the courtyard. And when they converted it into a school, they incorporated most of the original buildings, which means it is downright lousy with paranormal activity. Thankfully, unless a spirit reaches the level of poltergeist, they’re usually relatively harmless.”

“But we are getting off topic,” Libs said matter-of-factly, as she leaned in towards Hope. “Can you bring up those files relating to the Pitt?”

“Sure thing.” Hope said as her fingertips flew across the keyboard.

Almost instantly, a series of photos went cascading across the screen. Most of them were random faces, strangers in a crowd that were meaningless to her, but one of them stood out.

“Him,” Faith said pointing. “He works at the Pitt. He was behind bar the night we were there.” She racked her brain to remember his name.

Hope brought up a file, as several pictures and pertinent documents spread across the screen.

“Ryan.” Faith said finally remembering. There had been a blond gentleman seated at the bar—Allie had seemed particularly taken with him—and he had introduced them. “His name is Ryan.”

Hope nodded in agreement. “Meet Ryan Jerome Taylor.” A document which looked a lot like a driver’s license was now foremost on the screen. According to his most recent tax return, he is listed as co-owner and operator of the Pitt.”

“Co-owner?” Faith repeated as she watched the screen.

Hope’s fingers clicked across the keyboard once more. “Looks like there’s a silent partner. One Damon St. Clair.”

“Damon.” The name rang familiar. “I can’t be entirely sure, but I think that’s who Allie said she was meeting. It can’t be a coincidence, can it?”

“Doubtful.” Libby agreed.

“What else do we have on him?” Justice asked, as Hope once more began typing search strings into multiple windows.

“Not a lot, actually.” Hope said with a frown. “His name pops up here and there… seems he’s been involved with some financial holdings across the city, but it’s all decades old. There’s nothing recent that I can see, apart from the pitt. I’ll keep looking of course, but this guy is a shadow. I’m not even pulling up a residence for him.”

“How can that be?’ Faith asked, amazed at all the information Hope was seemingly maneuvering through all at once.

Hope shrugged. “The older ones are quite adept at hiding. Their anonymity means everything to them. It’s how they stay alive. But no worries. I’ll just have to broaden my search, delve deeper into the past—if he’s left even one breadcrumb—I will find him.”

“Without a doubt,” Justice said proudly. She turned her attention to Faith and Libby. “While she’s doing that, I think the three of us should stake out the Pitt, see if we can get eyes on this guy—if he has interests in this bar, then he’s likely to return. If he is a vampire, as we suspect, it just may be where he’s been finding his victims.”

*

That evening, Faith sat at a booth in the Pitt. She was sipping a ginger ale as she kept her eyes on the patrons that were happily frolicking within the bar. She envied them. Only a week earlier, she had been as carefree and oblivious as they were. Now she felt nervous as she sipped her soda and tried to blend into the upholstery behind her.

“How goes it?” Justice asked, joining her as she slid into the booth. She was wearing a little black dress. It was simple and sexy, with a halter style neckline that revealed her strong arms and well-defined shoulders. “Spot our mystery man yet?”

Faith shook her head. She too had changed for their trip to the bar, but unlike last week, she hadn’t felt into it. Instead she had gone home and thrown on the first thing she’d seen in her closet—a white lace dress which she’d paired with a faded denim-jacket and pair of ankle boots. “Not so far,” she admitted as she anxiously played with the straw in her drink.

“Relax.” Justice said as she reached out a hand to stop her incessant stirring. “Nothings happening tonight. We’re just going to familiarize ourselves with the subject.” She suddenly raised a hand to flag down a waitress. “Maybe it’s time you had a real drink to help calm your nerves.”

The bar maid smiled brightly as she approached their table. She was a thin black woman with a headful of bouncy curls and beautiful almond-shaped eyes. “What can I get you ladies?”

“Two mojitos’ please,” Justice said ordering for them both, mindless of Faith’s protests. “Sure thing,” Teresa said before heading towards the bar.

“Love, love, love this place,” Libby said as she joined them at the booth. She pushed in at Faith’s side of the table, forcing her over so she was sitting opposite her sister. She looked directly at Faith and smirked. “You are officially forgiven for fraternizing here.” Libby too was wearing a little black dress, which was a solid fabric from the bust down, with the shoulders and sleeves being made of sheer lace. She had a beer in hand which she was presently making short work of. “I’m just surprised it isn’t busier.”

Faith slid over to make room. “It’s actually crazy busy on the weekend.”

“Did you notice the ward?” Justice asked, leaning in close.

“Uh-huh. Going to make any glamour’s obsolete.” Libby acknowledged with a shrug. “Smart move, don’t you think? Nullifying magics?”

Justice nodded. “It’s what I would do. I wonder who did the spell for them? It’s hard core for sure.”

“Might be faerie.” Libby considered the options as she took a swig from her beer. “Or Djinn. Warlock maybe?”

Justice smirked at her sister. “And why not a witch?”

“I prefer to believe my fellow witches hold themselves to a higher set of standards.”

“Uh-huh.” Justice rolled her eyes. “Cause a fellow witch would never involve themselves with spell-for-hire in order to make a living.”

“Actually,” Faith said quietly. “We have a similar ward at the family shop. My grandmother set it up, so we know the identity of whom we’re selling to.” She stopped speaking as the waitress appeared at the table with their drinks.

“Two Mojitos.” she smiled as she set the drinks before them.

“Thanks.” Justice said as she passed her a bill. “Keep the change.” She waited until the waitress was out of ear shot before continuing. “About that—your family. You’re a third-generation witch?”

Faith took a sip of her drink while she considered the question. “More like fifth, I think. Nana always talks about her grandmother teaching her.”

“And your mom is a witch too?” Liberty asked as she tilted her head towards her before taking another sip from her beer. “No generation-skip?”

“My mom, my aunt and my cousin. Even my uncle does potion-work.”

“So, magics run strong in your family,” Justice smiled and glanced at her sister with a knowing look.

Faith caught the exchange but didn’t think much of it. If she had been in their position, she’d have wanted to know more about who she was working with as well.

“How much formal training have you had?” Libby inquired.

“Well, my cousin Tish and I were homeschooled potions while we were still in high-school. After graduation, I took a year of practical magic and two years of spell casting, before being accepted at Queens College.”

“Where did you study?” Justice asked intrigued. “The Academy of Clandestine Arts? Or Haskell’s School of Arcane Knowledge?”

“A.C.A.” Faith admitted. “My cousin is enrolled there now.”

“Nice.” Libby exclaimed.

“So, Faith,” Justice said cautiously, “If you don’t mind my asking, why college? Why not pursue a career more suited to your mystical talents?”

“I haven’t ruled that out.” Faith sipped at her drink. She was enjoying her Mojito more than she thought she would. With the sisters at the booth with her, she was beginning to relax as her nervousness melted away. She shrugged as she continued. “My family wants me to have a well-rounded education. So, I’m taking some business classes, some basic programing and a psychology course. More than likely, Tish and I will take over the family business.”

“Or,” Justice said casually. “You could join us instead. Round out our coven…do something incredible with your life.”

Faith almost choked on her drink. She stopped short of a spit-take. Had she really heard them correctly? “You want me to join you?”

“Your aspect is water, isn’t it?” Justice continued ignoring the surprise in her voice.

“How did you guess?”

“Easy. You are well rounded, easy to get along with—very go with the flow: water. Can you guess what our aspects are?”

Faith thought about it for a moment before responding. She thought she had this. “Well, I think Hope is definitely an air aspect.”

“How so?” Liberty asked as she waved her arm. She had finished her beer and was trying to get the attention of the bar maid.

“Her personality is just so light and bubbly—so friendly.”

“And me? What’s my aspect?” Libby challenged her.

Faith bit her lip. “Fire. Sorry, but you’re a bit of a hot-head.”

Liberty cast a dirty look, while her sister chortled at her expense.

“Which means that, you—by process of elimination—would be earth. Also,” Faith shrugged. “You seem very grounded to me.”

“Bang on.” Justice said with a smile. “So, at the risk of sounding like a corny romance novel; you must realize, that you, complete us. I mean, I know it’s soon, that we’ve only just met, but that spell we cast together—did you not notice how bright it was, how powerful?”

“She’s right.” Liberty had finally succeeded in getting the barmaids attention. “That did sound like the back of a cheesy romance novel.”

Justice stuck her tongue out at her.

“But in all seriousness,” Libby continued. “My sisters and I are a well-oiled team, but your addition increased our output exponentially.” She dropped her voice as Teresa arrived at their table. “At least it’s something you should consider.” Loudly she asked, “What do you say ladies? Another round?”