Hide And Go Seek

Thirty nine

 

                    Thirty nine

  

   “I don’t know how I didn’t see it before,” I sigh, shaking my head.

   “Just tell us who it is!” Drew orders urgently.

   “Okay so… I left home a long time ago, right? Six years. And for a while I was on my own. I had no friends, no one I could even try to call friends. I was alone… but then one day I took down a Troll who was wreaking havoc through a small town – and I met a man named Sal.”

   “Sal?” Monroe asks suddenly. “Is he a Seeker?”

   I nod my head jerkily, my pulse thrumming with excitement. “Yes, Sal was another Seeker and he was very experienced in all kinds of ways. He knew my mother from her younger days -  before, according to him not me, she turned into a bitch. He taught me a lot and helped me out in more ways than I could ever thank him for.”

   “Get on with your point!” Drew says impatiently.

   I fix her with a flare. “Shut up and let me finish.”

   She sighs and rolls her eyes but doesn’t say anymore – for now at least.

   “Anyway! Sal introduced me to a group of Seekers who meet up once a month in London to, I don’t know, converse about some of the big bad guys, right? I’m not sure what else they do because I only ever went once.”

   “Where do they meet in London?” Malik asks suddenly, a light glinting in his eyes.

   “What, so you can go and hunt them down?” I scoff. “No chance.”

   He pulls a face but I keep talking.

   “There’s been one Demon they’ve been trying to get a hold of for a long time now.  His name was Drake.”

   “That sounds familiar,” Drew squints.

   “He was big… a few years ago. I mean massive. He’s had so many Seekers after him – I couldn’t count even if I tried. But he’s not a normal Demon. He’s more powerful than any I’ve ever come across or heard of.”

   I pause to glance around at the others. The body guards stand a little further away and I’m glad, I don’t entirely trust the bunch. But Monroe, Drew and Malik are watching me intently to find out what else I’m going to say.

   “Drake can drain Magic from any kind of being,” I murmur. “No other being other than Witches can do this. But somehow he’s managed to obtain the ability to drain Magic and add it to his own.”

   “He’s not going to drain her, is he?” Drew asks desperately.

   “No, no… he might be trying to draw someone there, to drain them.”

   “Who? Her mother?” Malik asks.

   I shake my head. “I don’t know. If it is Drake, he would know that we’re looking after her, she’s in our care… so that means he might be aiming for one of us.”

   “But who?” Monroe asks.

   “You’re a Seeker – use your sense to see which of us is the more powerful!” Malik demands.

   “Okay, okay!”

   I sigh and close my eyes. It’s hard to separate them, all three of them – plus Drew’s guards. I work on them first, searching through them. They’re powerful… but not nearly as much as the three that surround me.

   Then it’s a delicate procedure to push one power from the other, to keep them separated long enough to feel which is the strongest.

   It’s Drew.

   I point at her, eyes flickering open. “It’s definitely you. You’re the most powerful being here.”

   “Are you considering yourself as well?” Monroe asks suddenly.

   I shake my head. “I don’t have power like you guys. It doesn’t work like that. I’m basically human with enhanced abilities.”

   “You’re sure it’s me?” She sighs.

   I would have expected her to look pleased – being notified in front of everyone that she’s the most powerful here. But she looks pissed off and disappointed.

   “Yeah, what’s with the face? I thought you’d be pleased.”

   “I’d rather not be his aim,” she growls softly. “I want to be able to get in there and get her out…”

   “But you have to stay away. If he gets your power… god only know how much that’ll affect him, how much stronger he’ll get!” I reply, my voice slightly too sharp.

   “But I have to be there!” She almost shouts.

   I wave a hand in her direction. “Calm down. I realised as soon as said the words that they wouldn’t be happening.”

   Her brow pinches together with worry and she looks far more stressed than I’ve ever seen her before.

   “Obviously you’ve got to come along… I mean, we’re all at risk anyway. It’s not just Magic he drains – its life. Essence. We just have to be careful – don’t let him touch you.”

   “Well that shouldn’t be too hard,” Monroe replies sarcastically.

   “Sarcasm doesn’t help mister,” I mutter.

   “Sorry,” he shakes his head. “So what happened to this Demon anyway? He just dropped off the face of the Earth? How come we haven’t heard of him?”

   “It’s exactly that!” I nod vigorously. “He just vanished – for as long as I’ve heard things about him, I’ve never heard of him being caught. At one point, he just vanished – all we know is that he went into the Underworld and hasn’t resurfaced.”

   “So how do we find him?” Drew asks.

   I flash a grin suddenly. “I took something from him – when he was pretending to be a Faun.”

   “What?” Malik asks.

   I reach from behind, lift my shirt and pull out the small flute I’d stolen secretly before.

   “How… what?” Drew’s mouth opens. “How’d you get it?”

   “You don’t get to where I am without learning a few tricks. It was far too easy to steal his flute!”

   Monroe laughs, smiling wickedly as he leans over to press a kiss to my forehead. “That’s my girl!”