Dangerous Games - Chapter Fifteen

Hey everybody, I hope you enjoy chapter 15, please tell me what you think in the comments down below.

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Ashford’s accusation hung in the air, no one spoke, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

‘Ashford, Ashford, why do I recognize that name?’ Ethan thinks to himself.

“We didn’t kill anybody.” Joe states, breaking the silence.

“And we didn’t steal a necklace.” Ethan adds.

Which was technically true since it was Silverblood’s wife, Laura, that killed Clermont and gave Ethan the necklace afterword.

Ashford studies them both before speaking, “Hmm, neither of you seems to be lying, but it doesn’t change the fact that one of you has the necklace, and I would like it back.”

“What makes you so sure we have it?” Joe asks.

Ashford waves his finger and tsks, “Now that would be telling.”

“Even if we had this necklace, why would we give it to you, you just said someone named Clermont owned it?” Ethan questions.

The fake smile on Ashford’s face falters for the briefest of moments, Ethan could see he was losing his patience. Ethan then suddenly remembers where he recognized the Ashford’s name, it was in the papers Silverblood’s beta, Charles, had handed to him the day after. He was one of the men who owned the necklace before Clermont, but why would he want it back now?

“That necklace and I have history, so I would have it back, NOW.” Ashford demands.

Ethan and Joe say nothing.

Ashford clicks his tongue, “I was hoping we could do this painlessly, but I guess not.”

With that Ashford slowly reaches into his jacket with two finger and calmly takes out a black glove. Confused Ethan and Joe watch as Ashford puts on the glove and starts brushing it down his jacket as if trying to remove dust. Still using his ability; Ethan watches as magic begins circulating around the gloved hand, warning him something was coming.

“Joe!” Ethan shouts in warning, as Ashford outstretches his gloved hand toward them, and two streams of electricity shoot out from it.

Thank to Ethan’s warning Joe was able to avoid Ashford’s electric attack, Ethan having seen it coming was able to doge as well. Joe kicks the chair he had been sitting on at Ashford while Ethan picks up and throws his. Ashford stop Joe’s chair with his foot and easily leans back to avoid Ethan’s chair, only to realize the chairs were nothing more than a distraction meant to give them time to get close.

Ethan and Joe had both seen how powerful witches could be and had both simultaneously concluded that there was no way to beat Ashford straight on. So, using the chairs as a distraction they both closed in, to attack. But despite catching him off guard, Ashford still managed to deflect and dodge their blows. Regardless Ethan and Joe continued their assault, refusing to give Ashford a moment to recover. As they continued to wear him down Ethan and Joe began to land some blows, but by taking some of the hits Ashford began being able counterattack as well.

Growing tired, Ashford is able to deliver a blow to Joe’s jaw that knocks him back, Ethan uses Ashford’s body as leverage to jump up and deliver a blow to the side of Ashford’s head with his knee, disorienting him. Ethan looks back at Joe, they both new it was only a matter of time before Ashford gains the upper hand. Ethan uses his eyes to guide Joe’s gaze to the spot behind Ashford, Joe nods in understanding and then launches himself at Ashford just as he’s recovering.

With his second-hand free Ashford is easily able to overpower Ethan and knock him back, he sees Joe coming toward him and raises his gloved hand at him. But just as he’s casting his magic; Ethan who had recovered faster than he expected grabs his arm and pulls. The stream of electricity meant for Joe misses and burns a line across the wall as Ethan continues pulling his arm. Joe uses this opportunity to duck behind Ashford and puts him in chokehold, by wrapping his arm around Ashford’s neck and squeezing as hard as he can.

“E-E-ENOUGH!” Ashford shouts.

Ethan watches as a surge of magic rushes through Ashford, with his body now filled with magic Ashford grabs Ethan, who had been still pulling back his arm, and swings him across the room slamming him into the one-sided glass. cracking it. He then reaches back and manages to get a hold of Joe flip him off his back, throwing him on top of the interrogation table.

Having had the wind knocked out of them Ethan and Joe struggle to get up, Joe rolls off the table and on to his knees while Ethan manages to stand. But just like how they didn’t give Ashford and chance to recover, he wasn’t going to give them a chance either. Lifting his gloved hand; Ashford shoots two streams of electricity at Ethan and Joe causing them both to yell out in pain as the electricity burns through their bodies. Ethan falls to his knees besides Joe, both trying to catch their breath as Ashford looks down at them. His appearance haggard and his own breath heavy, Ashford looks at the two of them in disbelief.

Tasting blood in his mouth Ashford spits it out and narrows his eyes at Ethan and Joe, “You two are the first to make me bleed in a long time. I must say you really caught me unawares, a mistake I will not make again and that you will suffer for.”

Ashford then once again brushes his gloved hand against his jacket and then raises his hand and begins electrocuting Ethan and Joe again. Ethan and Joe let out guttural yells as they wreath in pain from electricity surging through them. Ashford then stops, not from mercy but from uncertainty, something about Ethan and Joe’s screams felt off.

Shrugging the feeling of uncertainty aside, Ashford smiles, “For being human you both are quite the fighters, but no more games, where is the necklace?”

To Ashford confusion Ethan and Joe begin to laugh.

Ethan looks up at Ashford with a strained smile, “Sorry, but we’re not fighters we’re thieves and we only fight when there’s something to steal.”

Confused but what Ethan was saying Ashford looks over at Joe as he sits up and holds up something in his hand. It was the piece of paper that Ashford had put up on the wall to soundproof the room, that’s what Ethan had guided Joe to see earlier. Joe had grabbed it when he got behind Ashford, the chokehold was just to keep him distracted as he took it off the wall. Ashford’s eyes widen in realization as door behind him burst open and Port Iron police officers flood in with their weapons ready. Ethan and Joe, who were already on the floor, get on their knees and put their hands behind their heads. Ashford, who had instinctively moved back as the police came in, looks over at Ethan and Joe from across the table and sees smiles on their faces.

“Get on the floor!”

“Get on the floor now!”

The police shout at Ashford.

After a brief moment Ashford begins to clap his hands and laugh, causing the room to go silent.

“Bravo, well played, you two just keep subverting my expectations.” Ashford says with a smile ignoring the police officers. “But you’re forgetting one thing, I’m an apostate and I couldn’t give a damn about council law.”

Using his gloved hand Ashford snaps his fingers and produces a small flame causing all the police officers in the room to focus on him. Recalling how Sera did something similar the night at the warehouse; Ethan instantly realizes what Ashford intends to do.

“Joe, table!!”

Ethan and Joe rush toward the table and are barely able to lift it in time to cover themselves as Ashford detonates a fireball at point blank range. The force of the resulting explosion pushes Ethan, Joe, and the table through the already cracked one-sided glass knocking him unconscious.

As Ethan slowly comes to, he begins to coughs from all the smoke and dust the explosion had kicked up. Though his ears were ringing he could hear the muffled cries of an alarm and people screaming and yelling. Looking around; he sees Joe still unconscious next to him, the table they had used to shield themselves from the explosion was on top of them. It was noticeably warped from the explosion and had probably saved their lives.

Ethan pushes the table off them and checks Joe, they were both banged up with minor cuts and bruises but thankfully nothing serious.

“Joe, Joe!”

He doesn’t respond; Ethan’s body aches in protest as he gets up and looks through the broken glass panel to see if Ashford was still in the other room. The room was scorched and battered, the door and the accompanying wall were completely gone. There were bodies on the floor, but none of them looked like Ashford, he was long gone. Joe coughs and groans as he starts coming to, Ethan goes to check on him when the door to the room opens and a swat officer comes in.

“Are you Ethan?” The swat officer asks.

“Y…yeah?” Ethan hesitantly responds.

“Hurry, we need to get you two out of here quick.”

The swat officer quickly goes over to Joe and helps to get him standing, while Ethan stands there in confusion. The swat officer puts Joe’s arm around his neck and hoist him up as if he were nothing.

The officer looks over at Ethan and yells, “C’mon!”

The officer’s stern tone shakes Ethan out of his stupor.

“Right.” Ethan replies, as he rushes over to Joe’s side and helps the officer walk him out.

Outside in the hall was chaos, people were rushing back and forth screaming and yelling trying to help the injured officers on the ground, while also trying to figure out what the hell happened. As the swat officer rushes him and Joe down the hall away from the chaos, Ethan can’t help but glance back at the bodies on the ground. Some of them were burnt and blackened and he couldn’t tell if they were alive or dead, either way his stomach churned at the sight. Focusing his attention back to Joe and the swat officer, they quickly make their way outside. Outside the street was packed as squad cars, ambulances, and fire trucks rush in. Rescue workers raced passed them into the building to help the people inside. The sidewalks were crowded with people trying to get a look at what had happened.

The swat officer leads them down the street and into a waiting van that didn’t seem to have any plates. Not giving them a chance to reconsider the swat officer opens the sliding door and urges them inside. Once inside the swat officer wishes them good luck before closing the door and giving it two quick knocks; Ethan feels the van turn on and start moving.

“Where are we going?” Joe groans.

“Hell, if I know.” Ethan admits.

“Any clue as to why that asshole wants the necklace?” Joe asks.

“None, we need to get the necklace to Diane, once she studies it, she’ll hopefully be able to tell us why.” Ethan answers.

“Right, well then any idea where their taking us?”

Ethan just sighs in reply.

“Great.” Joe curses.

After about forty-five minutes Ethan and Joe feel the van slow down and then stop, the sliding door is opened, and they’re let out. Climbing out Ethan and Joe find themselves in a parking garage, one they both recognized, they were back at the witch’s council building. A dark-haired man in a pristine black suit then approaches them and insist that they follow him. He leads them through the building and onto the elevator, where he presses the button for the top floor. When the door opens, they exit onto the floor Ethan had snuck into just a couple of nights ago. To their surprise Ethan and Joe are lead pass Sera’s office and into a room further down. Coming to a set of double doors, Joe is instructed to wait in a chair while Ethan is told to enter.

Not given much of a choice Ethan enters the room; inside the room was enormous and there were five people where siting in a row behind a long desk. The woman in the middle looked older than the rest, at her sides were two women while two men were on each end. Ethan could tell right away that these people were the council, everything about them exuded authority.

“Well?” The elderly looking woman in the middle asked in a haughty tone.

“Well, what?” Ethan replied.

“Don’t be coy boy.” A man who looked to be in his forties spoke up, he was seated on the right end of the desk. “What is your connection to Wicked Sera?” He demands.

‘Wicked Sera?’ Ethan wonders to himself.

“We know she entrusted you with the drive taken from the radical apostles, the question is why? Why would a Wicked, the most untrusting one at that, trust you, a human, with something so important.” The elderly woman stated, sticking her nose up at Ethan.

‘Entrusted? Is that how she spun it to these people?’ Ethan thought with chagrin, before refocusing back on the matter at hand.

Ethan was unsure of what to say, or how much he should divulge; it was clear from Sera’s interaction with the council’s agents at the warehouse and the separate camera in her office, that she and the council weren’t on the best of terms.

The man at the right end of the desk was about to speak again when the woman in the middle signals him to stop.

“How about we start with something a little less difficult, what happened at the police station?” The elderly woman asks in a condescending and demanding tone.

Ethan didn’t appreciate the council’s attitude, he was hurt, agitated, and hungry, so, despite knowing his current situation and against his better judgement, Ethan decided to be less than cooperative.

“Gas leak?” Ethan answers with a shrug.

The elderly woman’s eyes narrow, “You know full well it was not gas leak, our people inside the precinct sensed magic before the explosion. So, I ask again, what happened?”

Ethan again shrugs in response.

The man on the right end stood in anger and Ethan sensed danger, he braced himself for a coming attack, but they’re interrupted by a loud commotion outside. Suddenly the doors behind Ethan crash open with a force that knocks them off their hinges and Sera rushes in. She places herself between Ethan and the council and lets out a menacing hiss. Though he couldn’t see her face, Ethan knew Sera was staring down the council with blackened eyes.

“This one is mine and mine alone.” Sera threatens. She then turns to Ethan, “Are you okay?” She asks in a worried tone.

“Yeah, this was from the apostle and the explosion, not your friends here.” Ethan states, motioning to himself and then the council.

“I’m going to find and kill that son of a bitch.” Sera says in a low tone through clenched teeth.

“Wicked Sera we are in the middle of an interrogation!” The elderly lady scolds.

“No, you’re not, he’s leaving with me.” Sera replies.

The woman to the elderly woman’s right speaks for the first time, “Have care half-breed, you answer to the council, not the other way around.” She spits.

“Is that so?” Sera replies darkly.

Sera makes a quick pulling motion with her hand, and as if attached by a string, the woman who called Sera a half-breed head suddenly slams face first onto the desk, to everyone’s shock and bewilderment.

“How dare you!” The woman screeches as blood pours from her broken nose.

She stands to attack, her irises glowing with fury.

“Isla, stop!” The elderly woman shouts.

But it was too late, time seemed to slow as Isla jumps over the desk and high into the air, as she’s coming down, she swings her hand down in a chopping motion toward Sera. Now despite not having his ability active and his limited knowledge of witches and the council, Ethan could tell that Isla’s attack was something to be avoided whether you be a human, vampire, or witch. But Sera didn’t even attempt to move as Isla’s attack came crashing toward her, instead she calmly raises her hand and blocks the attack, catching Isla’s wrist. The force of contact between them sends out a small shockwave around the room.

‘Holy shit.’ Ethan thinks to himself.

Isla looks at Sera in disbelief, “H-how can this be, you were not this strong.”

Ethan notices the same look of disbelief on the other council members, this was obviously news to them as well. Sera pushes Isla back with enough force to send her flying back through the air, but Isla is able to steady herself mid-flight and flips back into her seat behind the desk.

“Care to try again?” Sera mocks.

“Both of you stop now!” The elderly woman yells.

Isla, still enraged, turns to the elderly women, “Anya, why do you protect this half-”

“I said ENOUGH!”

A sudden pressure fills the room, causing Ethan to slightly tremble, Isla scowls and looks away.

“That goes for you too Wicked Sera.” Anya scolds. “I know not where this newfound power of yours came from, but even you cannot fight all five of us at once.”

“Can’t I?” Sera taunts.

The air in the room grows tense.

“Okay, everyone needs to calm down and take a deep breathe.” Ethan states as he steps out from behind Sera, attempting to defuse the situation.

Things were getting out of hand; Ethan determined the best option was to just tell the council what happened at the precinct and get the hell out of there as quick as possible. Besides he felt more comfortable talking now that Sera was here.

For a few moments no one spoke, then finally Isla lets out a sigh, she grabs a glass and fills it with water from the pitcher on the desk. She makes a few quick finger movements, which causes the water to rise from the glass and form a makeshift mirror. Then with the help of the man next to her she proceeds clean the blood from in and around her nose and mouth.

Ethan breathes a sigh of relief as the tension in the room dissipates.

“How did you learn about Ethan; I never gave any details of who he was?” Sera questions.

“We don’t just sit here on our asses all day.” The man on the right snaps.

“Jules, calm down.” Anya scolds. “Let’s just say we have our sources.”

As Sera and the council spoke; Ethan looks back to where the double doors use to be to check for Joe and notices that he was gone. Ethan speculates that Joe probably used Sera’s rampage to slip out unnoticed.

“Thanks a lot Joe.” Ethan mumbles to himself, annoyed that Joe had just left him here alone.

“Mr. Frost, will you please now tell us what happened at the precinct?” Anya asks.

“Sure.” Ethan answers.

Ethan proceeds to tell them what happened but glazes over the beginning to avoid telling them about the necklace, only stating that the apostle was looking for something and thought he had it.

“Were you able to learn anything about the apostle beside what he looks like?” Jules asks.

“He said his name was Ashford.”

The room goes deathly still and quiet.

“Yooou know him.” Ethan states.

“Ashford is one of the most wanted apostles by the council, he has been linked to multiple radical groups, and is highly dangerous.” Isla states.

“How dangerous is he?” Ethan asks.

“Ethan, he’s the apostle who’s responsible for your mother’s illness.” Sera states in a low voice.

Ethan felt as if someone had just poured ice water over his head, his whole being seemed to be in shock.

“I’m sorry Ethan, but don’t worry, I’m going to catch him and kill him myself.” Sera states matter-of-factly, killing intent oozing out her.

Ethan realizes her wanting to kill Ashford wasn’t just about him or his mother, there was something more to it, there was an anger and hatred in her eyes that scared him.

Ethan calls out to her, “Sera?”

Sera closes her eyes and takes a second to compose herself before answering, “Ashford, he’s, my father.”