The Banshee's Desire

Chapter 9



Gabe sat in Merlyn's Bar, sulking as he sipped on a beer.

What did his father know about anything?

Nothing. Because you've told him nothing, a little voice whispered in his head. He doesn't know how badly you want to protect him from the Brotherhood or your suspicions of Gwydion. You haven't trusted Toby enough to share that with him.

"Because my father wouldn't let me do what needs to be done," Gabe muttered out loud and sipped from his beer. "He'd be too worried about the consequence."

"Talking to yourself?"

He jumped and knocked the beer over. Angela stood in the doorway of the bar, her hair dancing in the breeze coming through the door. She gave him a tentative smile and nodded at his beer.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"No big deal," he grumbled, getting up to grab a rag. As he wiped up the counter, he saw her look around the empty bar. "You looking for Jacqueline?"

"No. I'm just…well, actually, I was looking for you." Angela sat down at the bar stool he'd just vacated. "I need to talk to you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You're determined to avoid me, I guess."

"I'm not trying to avoid you."

Angela tapped her fingers impatiently on the bar.

"Look, Angela, if this is about the Fortensky thing, you thanked me already. It's over. Just let that night go," Gabe scrubbed at the bar furiously, angered every time the image of her hurt face flashed in his mind, and the anguish he saw in her eyes that night.

She placed a hand on top of his.

"I can't let it go. And I need you to know that I'm grateful. I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you," she whispered.

He stared at her, amazed when her eyes filled with shiny tears. One dropped to her cheek and Gabe reached out to wipe it away. The action seemed to release the floodgates and Angela started crying in earnest.

Not knowing what to do, Gabe walked around the bar and held her.

Her body felt warm and soft, and though the situation was tense, he couldn't help but enjoy the sensation of her in his arms. It lit a fire in him, arousing him, making him want to do much more than just to offer comfort. Unable to help himself, Gabe ran a hand through her hair.

"I’m sorry," she sobbed. "I just…I just hurt so bad."

"Where are you hurting?" He pulled away, ready to work some healing magic. "I can help you."

"No. It's not physical. It's emotional," she said with a brittle laugh. "I can't stop being sad. I can't stop jumping at every noise."

Gabe stared at her, unsure what to do, knowing that what his instincts wanted weren't the right thing.

Screw doing the right thing, he decided.

"Angela, look at me." He tilted her head up so he could see her eyes. He caressed the bandage hiding her scar. "You will get better. You're a beautiful woman and there is someone out there who will make all your worries and fears go away."

Then he pressed his lips to hers, amazed at how soft they were, stunned by the sensation of desire that swept through him. And then something even more amazing happened.

Angela kissed him back.

"Wow," she whispered as they broke apart. "Wow. You kiss good, puppy dog."

"Um…what am I?" he asked, his eyes still half closed. "A dog?"

"Some men are," she said. "But not you."

Gabe opened his eyes wider and started to say something, but just as he did, a tingle ran up his spine, one that had nothing to do with sex or desire.

Wizards.

He sensed at least three of them nearby.

His first thoughts were of his father.

"You okay?" Angela asked.

"Yeah. I just need to…" He trailed off unable to think of an excuse to leave that wouldn't hurt her feelings.

"You need to think about what happened?" she prompted. "Right? I mean, we just had ourselves an amazing liplock, but I'm not ready to…well…you know…"

He grinned.

"Don't worry. When you're ready for me to take you to bed, it won't be happening in this bar," he said.

"Deal." Her grin slowly faded as she stood up. "But it might be awhile."

"No worries," he said. "I can wait."

But as she left, he couldn't help but marvel at the protective feeling that sprung up in him towards Angela. Gabe almost called out to her, to find some way to keep her around a little longer. He'd never really felt that way.

Was this how his father and Jacqueline felt? Was this why Toby was always quick to protect her? To believe her?

The tingle ran down his spine again and then was gone. That meant the other wizards had left the area.

He reached out with his mind, channeling his powers to check on Toby. When he'd last left him, the man had looked like he'd been hit by a truck. Gabe doubted that he was in any shape to fight off the Brotherhood.

He couldn't sense his father anywhere.

"Shit," he muttered.

That could only mean that the Brotherhood had him, and though Gabe had tried for weeks to find a way to locate the council, he'd been unsuccessful.

Alright. It was time to put some of his daydreams of revenge into action.

Time to give the Spark family a wakeup call.



****





Finn Spark was pissed.

He'd intended to slip back into his hotel room and gather his things before returning to Atlanta. Unfortunately, the cops were swarming the hotel when he'd shown up.

Someone had alerted them about two people arguing loudly and when they'd investigated the disturbance, they'd found a dead body--and Finn's ID lying on the dresser.

Could this day get any worse?

Probably.

Now he would have to go back to his father and explain how he'd managed to f*ck up the whole operation. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Jonathan Spark was going to be extremely unhappy to hear he'd failed in getting Jacqueline and that now his name was linked in a murder investigation.

Still, maybe there was a way to spin the whole event in his favor.

But how?

As soon as he'd seen the cops, Finn had gone the other direction. A simple inquiry to one of the hotel guests told him what was going on. He had to get out of town, but with his rental car probably about to be seized, he didn't have a mode of transportation.

Magic was always an option, but he'd never been really good at traveling spells. It had been through blind luck that he'd been able to transport himself accurately to Toby's house. A longer trip was out of the question.

So what then?

A used car dealership across the street from the hotel caught his eye.

Without thinking twice, he strode over to it, scanning the lot for possible vehicles.

"Can I help you?" The salesman hurried out to meet him the second Finn stepped on the property. "That one over there looks like it has your name on it."

Finn laughed when he saw the man pointed at a beat up Dodge Caravan.

"No, that won't do," Finn said. "I need fast wheels, a slick ride that can get me out of this town."

"In a hurry, huh?' The salesman gave him a speculative look. "Got a black Trans Am that might do the trick."

"Does it run well?"

"It'll get you where you need to be."

They spent a few minutes in conversation until Finn was sure the car met his needs. Using a persuasion spell, Finn convinced the salesman that the trash he picked up off the ground was really cash and enough to pay for the car in full.

A few minutes later, Finn Spark was on his way home.

He smiled into the rearview mirror, a little of his old confidence returning.

The incident with Jacqueline and the hotel maid had just been a setback. Even if Toby contacted Finn's father, it's not like Jonathan would believe him. After all, Toby was the man who'd ruined his daughter and had conceived a freak wizard for a son.

And what was so special about Gabe anyway? He looked normal enough. Where were all the crazy powers he was supposed to have?

Dormant probably. Or maybe Derek had sucked the power out of him.

All Finn knew for sure was that he hadn't been impressed with his nephew.

Finn jumped at the sound of a cell phone ringing in the car.

He knew it wasn't his phone since he'd left the hotel on the run and hadn't bothered to grab it when Jacqueline chased after him. Yet is seemed to be coming from his pants pocket. He could even feel the vibration of it through the fabric.

Finn reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cell phone. The digital screen read Caller Unknown. Baffled, he answered the call.

"Hello?"

"About f*cking time you picked up the phone, Uncle." Gabe's voice came across the line smoothly, almost as if he were in the car with Finn. "We need to talk. You hauled ass out of town before we could get to know each other better."

"I've got problems, thanks to your father's banshee girlfriend," Finn said, grimly. "How did you slip this phone in my pocket without me seeing?"

"I didn't. It's called magic and I know how to use it better than you do." Gabe laughed softly. "And as for my father's girlfriend, she's locked up in the one thing that can control her kind--the Box of Souls."

Finn sucked in his breath.

"Thought that would get you attention," Gabe said. "You know what that is then?"

"Yeah," Finn said. "How did you manage to get her in there?"

"Toby did it. I just convinced him that it was necessary."

"So why are you talking to me?"

"Because I'm willing to give you the box."

"What do you want in return?"

"The opportunity to be a part of the Spark legacy."

Surprised, Finn mulled the request over. He doubted his father would ever go for such any plan that brought Gabe into the family. Still, Jonathan Spark wasn't above a bit of trickery. If they could just get the box…

"Alright. I'll talk to him. I'll come back for the box."

"Don't bother. I'll bring it to you when grandpa agrees to my terms."

"Give me a day and I'll see what I can do."

"No. That's too long. Arrange a meeting for tonight."

"Can you get to Atlanta that fast?"

"Aren't you holding a cell phone that I created out of thin air?" Gabe laughed. "I can do anything, uncle. I'm not some wizard who is only good at one type of spell. Tonight. Make the meeting happen."

Finn jerked in surprise as the phone he'd been holding suddenly dissolved into dust.

But he didn't let the surprise distract him.

Nope. He had a new plan and he headed towards Atlanta with a smile on his face.



****





It was so quiet in the darkness.

Almost peaceful.

Almost.

The loneliness, the heartbreak, the unwanted opportunity to review her deeds--it was enough to make you crave release or even death. So far it had only been a few hours, but she couldn't imagine being stuck there for an eternity.

It hurt the most when she thought of Toby.

But she remembered the look on his face when he'd opened the box.

She'd seen his eyes, and though it infuriated and saddened her by turns, there was no doubt Toby had not wanted to put her in darkness. The man loved her.

And that reminded her…he'd been in the Box of Souls before. She'd accidentally put him there when she'd first learned about her powers. So how had he gotten out?

If there was one thing she'd learned about the world of wizards, it was that they were crafty, but each family was limited to their particular talents when it came to spell casting. If the box had been strong enough to hold Efa, it was unlikely that any wizard could get out on his own.

Gabe. The little rat.

He'd been in the box, too, setting a trap. Since he was more powerful than most, the rules of getting out of the darkness probably didn't apply to him.

She planned to have a little chat with Gabe when she saw him again.

If she saw him again.

As she plotted and planned and time ticked away, Jacqueline sensed a change in the darkness. It appeared to lighten a bit. Energy crackled in the air and it felt as she were being stretched and pulled up.

What was going on?

And then, with a pop, she was out of the box.

Her eyes blinked in the light as she tried to get her bearings.

It was an office of some kind. Very plush. Luxurious. TV screens covered one area of the wall, flashing ticker headlines from all over the world.

Two men stood nearby in front of a big picture window. Jacqueline recognized one as Finn Spark and anger flared in her. The man next to Finn had features so similar that she knew he had to be a relative.

"Hello, Jacqueline." Gabe stepped forward, but she was struck by the meekness in his movement, the heaviness in his shoulders. "I'm sure you're feeling much calmer now. A few hours in isolation can work wonders, especially in the Box of Souls."

"What do you want?" she asked, glancing around the room. "Where is Toby?"

"Well, you see that's the problem." Gabe shifted his gaze away, uneasy. "Toby has been taken."

"Taken? What do you mean? Who has him?"

"The Brotherhood. I don't know if he is still alive."

The worry and fear in Gabe's voice disturbed Jacqueline.

"Why is Finn here?" she asked, glancing at the other man. She could still see the shadow of the murdered girls around him. "He's a killer."

The older man stepped forward.

"I am Jonathan Spark, Finn's father. I'm here to help you."

"I doubt that, Daddy Dearest. From what I've seen of your family, you're all a bunch of liars." Jacqueline moved closer to him, pleased when he took an involuntary step back. Knowing that he feared her made her bolder. "You don't like Toby and would like to see him dead. I know all about the past relationship between the Spark and Williams families. I bet you called the Brotherhood to take him. You and Gabe probably have been working on this the whole time. You just needed to get me out of the way."

"You're right. I don't like the man. Never have. He violated my daughter, ruined her." Jonathan didn't bother to hide his bitterness. "Contrary to what you might think, I did not ask the Brotherhood to take him."

"Why would you help me? I know the rules to this kind of shit. You can't get something for nothing."

"You're right. I don’t want much. Just a bit of your blood."

"Blood? Why?"

"I want to study your DNA, find out what makes you tick. In exchange, I'm willing to walk you right to the front door of the Brotherhood. You won't be able to find them without me. The enchantments they use are too great to be located by just anyone."

"And if the Brotherhood is destroyed?"

"I'll be long gone, my dear." Jonathan smiled. "Do what you wish."

"How easily you turn on your fellow wizards. How do I know I can trust you?"

"Jacqueline," Gabe intervened, his face solemn. "This is Toby we're talking about. The more time we debate, the closer to death he could be."

"Oh please! You're the Great and Powerful Oz, right Gabe?" Jacqueline narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "Why haven't you taken care of this yourself?"

"Because I don't know where the Brotherhood is located," Gabe admitted. "And I figured I might need back up in case things go wrong."

"What is this? Some buddy-cop movie? I'm not your friend, Gabe. Don't forget that." Jacqueline took a breath, trying to calm herself. "Right now, I want to find Toby."

She turned to Jonathan.

"You want my blood? You got it." She held out her arm, unsurprised when he magically produced a syringe. "Be quick about it."

Did she imagine the glow of triumph in old man Spark's eyes?

"Thank you, Ms. Huston," Jonathan said when he was finished. "You've been most helpful."

"Take me to Toby."

With a wave of his hand, Jonathan illuminated one of the TV screens on the walls of the office. Toby's battered and bruised face filled it. Blood dripped from a deep gash on the side of his head, and as Jacqueline watched, the skin on his exposed chest ripped away as if someone were pulling it up.

"There he is," Jonathan said.

"Oh, god," she whispered. "Stop, please. You said you would take me to him."

"You are so trusting." Jonathan laughed cruelly. "It's sweet."

A voice spoke on the screen and Jacqueline guessed it immediately.

Gwydion.

"Where is your little half banshee whore?" Gwydion asked. When Toby didn't answer, another deep laceration occurred on his chest. Blood sputtered from it and a hint of white bone could be seen. His moan of agony made Jacqueline sway with anger. "I'll keep ripping away at the truth until I find it."

"Why did you let them take him?" Jacqueline's anger started to rise as she spoke to Gabe.

"Because he is an inept creature," Jonathan said, his eyes full of distaste and loathing as he met Gabe's gaze. "Not worthy of the Spark blood. There is no place for you here despite whatever deal you think you've made with Finn. I made plans with the Brotherhood to take Toby Williams the same day I sent my son to your town."

"What?" Finn turned to his father, surprised. "I thought you trusted me?"

"I'd like to trust you, but considering your nasty habits, I figured something might go wrong. In many ways, you are little better than Derek," Jonathan said, with a cruel grin. "Did you really think I don't know about the women and the sex games you like to play?"

"But you never--"

"I never said anything because it amused me not to." Jonathan shook his head and focused on Gabe again. "I've got my thumb on several members of the Brotherhood. They are loyal to me and have been on standby until today. They've been keeping tabs on you, Finn. As soon as they realized there was trouble, I ordered them to take Toby straight to Gwydion. I hope he kills him slowly."

Jacqueline barely heard his words. The anger at Jonathan's words, his callousness about Toby's life burned her.

"You know, Gabe," Jonathan sneered at his grandson's name as if it were a perverse word. "I'm surprised at how easy it was to get you to bring the half banshee to us. I had figured on her coming to us on her own to beg for the life of her lover. But Toby couldn't have been gone more than ten minutes before you were calling up Finn and trying to make a deal with the Box of Souls. You really are an uncreative creature aren't you? Must come from the Williams side of your gene pool."

Even as Jacqueline tried to calm down, tried to keep up with the conversation, she could hear and see Gwydion torturing Toby, demanding to know where she was.

He wouldn't break. He would protect her at all costs.

And Jonathan Spark wanted him dead.

She let the anger transform her, enjoying the shock on Jonathan's face and the raw terror on Finn's as her banshee features came into place.

Their life forces flickered like candles, and she focused on them, oblivious to almost everything else, even Gabe's voice.

"Sounds like you've been hard at work, grandfather, making plans for my father. But I've been making plans, too. My intention in making this deal to bring you the Box of Souls was to get close to you--the man who wanted me dead, who broke my mother's heart with his cold demands. Giving you Jacqueline was just a way to meet you, to be in the same room when you died." Gabe glanced at Jacqueline. When he looked back at the Sparks, a cold smile was on his face. "To tell you the truth, I hadn't expected you to play into my hands so easily--but you know just the right things to piss off a half banshee, don't you? In fact, I'll leave the killing to her. I like to watch her in action. It was nice to finally meet you. See you in hell."

He moved out of Jacqueline's way.

Toby's cries of pain echoed in her head as Jacqueline stood before them.

The sound of the Spark men screaming in agony was music to her ears.