Moonlight

Chapter 3

Hamish, Lilith, Randall and I were looking at Jack, Randall snapped his fingers.
Randall said" Wake up. Wake up." Jack groaned then looked up,
He said" Where am I? Why am I naked? Where are my clothes?"
" Oh. They got ruined when you ripped out of them." He gave Jack the remains of his clothes and his phone too," You'll get used to it."
" Used to what? Who are you people?"
" Dude, it's me, Randall. I'm your RA."
" I know that. I meant them."
" Oh, this is Hamish and Lilith. And together, we are... the Knights of Saint Christopher!" We stayed silent, we weren't gonna do it," Guys, I thought we were gonna say that together."
" And that's what?" Jack stood up, wrapping the robe around his waist, he looked at us," Improv troupe?"
Hamish said" We are a sacred brotherhood-"
Lilith and I said" A gender neutral collective."
" Anointed to fight dark magic with the power-"
Randall and I said" Dude! We're werewolves!"
" And now, so are you."
Jack said" Oh." Then he laughed, he thinks it's a joke," Yeah, I get it. Townie wanted to join a secret society, so let's make him think they-" Then he puked up deer,
Randall said" Yeah, you ate a deer last night."
" This isn't happening. This is not happening."
Hamish said" Oh, it's happening. The spirit of Silverback chose you as his champion. He bound to you, and you transformed."
" Transformed into what?"
Randall said" A werewolf. Dude... try to keep up. I told them you were smart."
Lilith said" Silverback's been dormant for 50 years and he picks this dumb ass?"
" Jack's the real deal. Every time I got close to that golem, he was there."
Jack said" You saw me fight Clay and you didn't help me? You were that thing in the graveyard. You almost killed me."
" Welcome to the club!"
" No! I am not going to be a werewolf."
Hamish said" Too late. You already are."
" Look, no, it wasn't a full moon last night."
Lilith said" Not a thing."
" What about silver bullets."
" Ah, duh. Because it's a bullet."
" Take it back. Un-werewolf me."
Hamish said" Once you're selected, you're a champion until the day you die."
Lilith said" Just say the oath and get on with it. I have class in an hour."
Jack said" What oath?"
I said" I give my life to the cause."
" Fuck this and fuck you." He walked out, I looked at Randall,
Lilith said" Hey! That was my robe!"
Randall said" He'll come around."
" And if he doesn't?"
Hamish said" We kill him."
——
Jack walked into his dorm,
Randall said" I know that look. Life's pretty hectic until you learn to control the wolf."
Jack said" Hectic is not the word I would use. How the hell did you get in here anyway?"
" Poof! Magic."
" I would have heard that damn ringing."
" You've already made that connection? Sweet. I thought I was having a stroke the first time it happened to me."
" Why the hell does it keep trying to make me change anyway?"
I said" It's not the ringing, it's Silverback driving the change. He hears that sound, he'll try to get out."
" I need him to stop trying so hard. 'Cause I almost transformed during an incantation tonight."
Randall said" Dude! You got into the Order? Why didn't you tell me?"
" Because it's a secret society."
" This is great! Now we can't kill you!" Oh, Randall!
" Why would you want to kill me?"
" No, I'm saying I don't want to kill you. If you're a double agent, maybe Hamish and Lilith won't either."
" Why do they want to kill me?"
I said" Because you won't say the oath."
" That seems extreme."
Randall said" Werewolves. This is awesome. You'll be our guy on the inside."
" Randall, hey." He grabbed Randall's arm," You can't tell them."
I said" It's either that, or Lilith rips your heart out. We're trying to save your life."
" And I'm trying to come to terms with this. I need some time. And my heart." Randall and I looked at each other then to Jack,
" We'll do what we can."
Randall said" But they won't wait forever." We walked out, I looked at Randall,
" How are we going to keep them off of him?"
" We'll figure it out."
——
Hamish and Randall were tossing a ball back and forth,
Hamish said" Dsymenorrhea."
Randall said" Severe period cramps."
Lilith said" Have you heard from Morton yet?"
Hamish said" Nope. Adenomyosis."
" Did you at least check on him?"
Randall said" Endomentrial tissue in the uterine lining. Why would I?"
" 'Cause he's an untrained, rogue wolf."
I said" He's not a rogue wolf."
Randall and I said" If anything, he's an emotionally unavailable wolf." Lilith caught the ball,
She said" We don't know what he's up to. Or who he's talking to."
Randall said" Like you weren't overwhelmed when you first changed."
" Your point is?"
" He needs some time."
Hamish said" We'll let him process a little longer." Then the stupid ringing started,
Lilith said" Seriously? Again?"
" Let's go. Quick patrol around the city."
" 20th time's the charm." I followed Lilith and Randall followed after me, I sighed.
——
We were at the tavern,
Lilith said" Remind me why we haven't dealt with him yet?"
Hamish said" Because we've been running all over town like idiots, trying to track down whoever is doing all this magic."
Randall said" Ten bucks says it's some frosh testing out their first set of tarot cards."
Lilith said" I can't remember it ever being this bad."
Hamish said" You're kidding, right? Every year, the new order recruits get a taste and start using magic on themselves."
" It's him. Look at him. Yesterday he's thrift store chic and today he's Mr. Fancy Pants."
Randall said" Maybe he's gotta do laundry."
Hamish said" No, she's right. Those pants are fairly fancy."
Lilith said" How is a townie getting magic?" Randall and I looked at each other, his pleading eyes bore into my glare,
Randall said" Yeah, I probably should've mentioned this before, but... Rachel, huh?"
I said" Jack's in the order."
Lilith said" Shut the fuck up."
Randall said" So he's in the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose. That doesn't make him a bad guy."
" They're our sworn enemies."
" Which is why having an inside man is going to be fantastic. Besides, we don't know if he's doing the magic or not."
Hamish said" We'll get confirmation."
Lilith said" So, we're magic cops now?"
" We've always been magic cops."
" Fair."
I said" Confirmation means breaking into his room, right?"
Hamish said" Definitely."
" Cool."

Randall knocked the door open,
He said" He's not supposed to change the locks. Now I have to write him up." We looked around, yep... he's either the one doing magic or he won the lottery.
Lilith said" I think you can save the ink."
" Okay. This room is 10x cooler than it used to be. But that doesn't prove he's doing magic."
Hamish said" This does." Lilith hummed, pointing at the paper.
" I still don't think we should kill him. He's smart. He got 96% on that."
Lilith said" He's in the order. We can't trust him."
Randall and I said" Silverback picked him for a reason. We should try to figure out what that is."
Hamish said" Hey, hey. Last time I checked, I'm in charge. And I say there's only one way we settle this."

Beer pong. It's how we settle most arguments. Hamish got another pong in a cap, Randall and I are terrible at beer pong.
Hamish said" Ha. Drink up, loser."
Lilith said" And don't spill half of it this time." Randall picked up the cup,
He said" What have we become? We're the Knights of Saint Christopher. We're supposed to be champions of all that is good and just. Defenders of the innocent. And look at us. We're letting a game of beer pong decide if Jack Morton lives or dies?"
" Fine. Best out of three?"
" Deal." We started setting the cups up again,
I said" Randall, try to actually aim this time?"
" You're worse than me."
" You taught me."
" Touché."

I woke up to Randall groaning, I groaned and sat up, Randall grabbed my hands and pulled me up.
I said" Cups says kill Jack, doesn't it?" Randall hummed, I sighed then we walked out of the house.