Some Witches Need Anger Management

An Old Friend, An Old Enemy

"Does someone want to tell me who the hell Lilith is?" I asked, looking from Jonathan to Harry and Anna.

"She's the Queen Of Hell," Jonathan replied "The Mother Of Demons."

"Lucifer's bride," Harry added, a bitter edge to his voice as he let Anna go "The sulfur... of course. I should have known."

Jonathan snarled "She's meddling with the plan. Lord Lucifer won't like take kindly to that."

Plan? For the apocalypse? Maybe she was trying to stop it from happening?

"Why should we believe a word you say?' Harry spat "After everything you've done..."

"Because it's true," Jonathan replied firmly "I know her intentions, and if you want your 'happy ever after' then you'll need to listen to me."

"Shut your mouth Jonathan!" Anna shouted, still trying to free herself.

Harry looked scared,"It was a mistake coming here." he said turning towards me, but Jonathan was quicker, the stake gripped tight in his hand as he leaped forward.

He grabbed Harry's arm, pinning it to his side before slamming his fist into his face. Harry fell hard to the floor, blood running from his nose. With the stake in his other hand Jonathan then forced the pointed end into Anna's chest before she could react.

She shrieked, trying to pull it free, while Jonathan held it firm, the stake digging in, dark blood bubbling up around the point. The look on his face as he stared down at her made my heart twist. I had not seen this coming. Red smoke flowed from the wound and out of Anna's mouth as she screamed, and began to literally fade away, pieces of her breaking away and disintegrating.

As the last remnants of Anna vanished Jonathan let the stake fall, he dropped to his knees beside Harry, his whole frame shaking as he buried his head in his hands. A sob escaped his throat, and tears were streaming down his cheeks. He seemed completely unable to speak or even stand, so I just stood awkwardly until finally he looked up at me. His eyes were rimmed red, but they were also filled with something else. A sense of relief.

"Thank you," he said, his voice horse, "If you hadn't shown up when you did I don't know how I would have gotten free..."

"I don't know what game you're playing," Harry complained, sitting up and holding his still bleeding nose.

"Oh, don't act all high and mighty with me Jekyll," Jonathan spat, "She had orders to kill you both. There was a spell she used to talk with Will Jackson. I was doing you a favor."

Will. That bastard...

"Why are you telling us this?" I asked.

"Because," Jonathan said, grimacing in pain, "I don't like the idea of a load of bloodsucking leeches taking over the world. Will hired me to turn your brother... not to be a part of his obsession to free Lucifer."

"They brought you back from the dead!" I scoffed, "And you expect us to believe that your not with them?"

"Kid, believe whatever the fuck you want. I just killed the only thing keeping me from Hell, I've got no reason to lie. I didn't want to come back. I'd accepted my fate. I was brought back against my will."

"So, why did you save us?" I asked.

A smile twisted Jonathan's face as he stood up, dusting himself off, "To keep you and Jekyll here on the board, because, as much as I hate you both, there is no one more willing to fight than your pitiful little group of misfits. Lilith and Lucifer can play their twisted games till the world ends, and they will, but I'll be dammed if any bastard vampire is going to run my life!"

"Watch your mouth," Harry warned.

Jonathan laughed, "Why? I'm done dancing to his tune. I don't have long left. I can already feel it. Anna's magic was the only thing keeping me alive, now that she's dead..." grunting in pain, he carried on, "I will go out on my own terms, but, before I go... Lilith... she's the real threat. Not Lucifer."

I frowned, "What do you mean?"

"She has her own agenda... I don't know what," Jonathan replied, his breathing getting slowly shallower, "Just... stop her... whatever she's planning."

Jonathan took one last breath before closing his eyes and falling to the ground.

"Damn it!" Harry said, looking down at Anna and Jonathan with disbelief, finally able to let go of his nose.

I sat on the floor beside him, looking back down at Jonathan. It really was an odd situation. How were we meant to stop Lilith? We had no idea where she was, or what she was planning...what could we possibly do?

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"We need help," Harry said reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small round object. It appeared black in colour, except that there was light swirling within the centre. It looked almost like a coin, yet not quite. With shaking hands he placed it on the floor, "Luckily there's a favor I can call in."

He closed his eyes and muttered softly under his breath to it as he pressed his fingers together, forming a small circle over the top of the object. He repeated the action over and over again, the circular patterns moving out across the floor. After a minute Harry stopped and stood back, the pattern suddenly coming to a halt, leaving a faint trail of light that faded quickly.

"Who did you call?"

"An old friend." Harry replied, without saying any more.

Suddenly, the air in front of Harry shimmered like heat rising off tarmac on a hot day. A tall man stepped through the haze, dressed in a suit that appeared almost medieval, covered in bits of chainmail, but was also very clearly modern. His hair was short, cut neatly at the sides, and grey strands framed his pale face.

"Ah, Jekyll, it's good to see you," he said, smiling, although it didn't reach his eyes.

"Arthur," Harry bowed his head briefly. I stood unsure what to do.

"You brought someone new. What is your name?" Arthur asked turning his deep blue eyes onto me.

He had an air of importance and status about him that made me feel uneasy.

"I'm Dylan," I answered, "Dylan Colby."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, "Your brother has made quite a name for himself."

"I'm not my brother."

Arthur laughed. He didn't seem offended, more amused than anything else, "No, I suppose you're not."

"Can you help us stop Lilith?" I asked, wanting to get to the point as quickly as possible.

Arthur studied me for a moment, his gaze unreadable, "So, Jekyll, that's why you summoned me."

Harry sighed, "Yes, we need your help. We need to find out what happened to our friends. Lilith seems to have taken them."

"Your friends are not important," Arthur said dismissively, "What Lilith is hiding is far more interesting, and it may be your only hope of stopping Lucifer from tearing everything apart. An old enemy of mine ripped open the multiverse... this is the time to get your priorities in order. Decide which side your going to choose."

What the hell was he talking about?

"An old enemy?" Harry asked, "Who?"

"The magician who calls himself 'M'," Arthur replied, "I knew him a long time ago, back in the Dark Age. He arrived in my court a young druid filled with power and rage. Back then he went by a different name. He called himself Mordred."