Realistic or Modern The Witching Hours [Closed]

[awkwardradish]

The rest of the drive was silent. Filled with dread at what was to come. What had already happened, right under their noses.

Emmett blamed himself. He should have prepared for this. Anticipated this. He should have had people in Salem.

He arrived at the Quartz and hopped out, allowing the valet to take care of the vehicle as he sauntered into the Quartz.

Edward would no doubt be in a bad mood, but he’d give him a pass.

“I’ll go find Jasleen.” He offered. He had no prior knowledge that her and Asher had left.

~***~

Margaret chuckled. “Oh, I’ll give you an excuse for being grumpy. Marcus does that to people.”

“Margaret, please!” Jasleen protested again.

Then she sighed. “Ash-“ she stopped herself before added the ‘er’. “You remember me telling you about Margaret? The old lady who helped me leave?”

“Old lady?!” Margaret huffed. “You are only as old as you feel, young lady, and if you don’t start taking care of yourself, you’ll be dead before I will. I mean, I can see your bones through your skin!”

Jasleen grimaced. “Not the point. This is Margaret.” She motioned to the lady.

Margaret smiled at Asher, a warm sort of smile. Like she had know him years. “So nice to meet you. So- Ash, are you two dating?”

“Oh my god, don’t answer that, you’ll only encourage her.” Jasleen’s face once again turned red.

“Okay, then answer this.” Margaret turned to Jasleen. “Why are you here? You’re supposed to be out there living your life, dear.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Pia stepped out of the car as soon as they arrived, the valet already heading to the driver's side. She barely acknowledged what Emmett said at first, walking in, head still empty except for the panic.

She took note that he'd spoken only at the elevator.

“Ah.” Yes, they'd need her. “Bring her to my room. I need to get Edwin.” He was likely in his own room on the 39th floor, so she'd be heading up, pressing the button for the 38th floor, as well, so Emmett could get off and fetch Jasleen.

Hopefully, Edwin would be in a better state than she was in, though the was also unlikely.

Her phone continued to ping with messages from Trystan, unchecked.

She didn't want his drama.

~***~

Asher nodded. He did recall, but he only warmed slightly, letting his posture relax a bit, but not much more than that. She was still involved with the cult, after all.

“The…coven is doing something very dangerous that's going to impact people I care for,” Asher answered, vague and evasive, “we're looking into it,” Jasleen and he never had to come, but of course, they both volunteered.

They would figure out what was going on.

“Right now we're just here to get some food,” he wouldn't mention Oliver. He didn't want an innocent cat to end up a target. Margaret might be safe, but evidently this area wasn't.

And they might harm Margaret for information.

 

[awkwardradish]

Emmett nodded. He could take orders. When the elevator dinged at the 38th floor, he got off and headed towards the room numbers he remember.

A knock on Jasleen’s went unanswered, so he moved to Asher’s.

No such luck there, either.

“Fuck.” He muttered again. It didn’t escape him that he’d been stupid enough not to get any of their numbers.

Defeatedly, he headed back to Pia’s room and knocked on the door in the hopes she could call Asher.

~***~

Margaret nodded knowingly. “Ah, I see.” She looked over Jasleen again, an odd, fond look in her eyes. “You should have stayed gone, sweetie.”

Unlike Marcus, there was no malice in those words. She wanted her to stay gone to live a better life.

“I can’t talk much here.” She motioned to above the door, where there were some symbols and relics painted.

No doubt what Jasleen had seen when she stopped Asher.

“Why don’t you guys stop by sometime soon? Tomorrow? 6pm?” Margaret’s eyes held something unspoken- something she couldn’t say, but would like to. In private.

Jasleen frowned wearily, then glanced to Asher, before muttering a noncommittal response.

She took his arm and tugged him into the gas station, except she muttered an incantation under her breath as they went, keeping her contact with his arm as she did.

whatever she’d done, she’d nullified whatever was on the door.

 

[Lucyfer]

Edwin was not well. Pale by nature, he seemed far more so when he answered the door. He motioned her in but she stayed out, “Not allowed,” she reminded with a weary sigh.

“Right,” he clearly was forgetting. “I've sent it hunters. They have descriptions.” There were no pictures. No paintings.

“Do you still own anything of his?”

“No,” he sounded disgusted by the idea. “Why?”

“Okay,” Pia sighed, “then we'll have to use blood. Jasleen is a witch, she may be able to track him through our blood.”

His blood.

Edwin nodded grimly and followed her out to her quarters, where Emmett was standing, alone. “Where's Jasleen?” Pia asked, moving by to open the door for them regardless.

~***~

Asher followed the motion. He may not know what the symbols did, but he understood there was danger in them. He cursed mentally but said nothing of it aloud.

They likely should visit Margaret, but they needed to be sure it was safe, and let the others know so they'd be alert. He gave a silent nod, and walked in with Jasleen. He was tempted to say they could go somewhere else…but they might have the same problems at the next place they looked.

He exhaled deeply once he was within. “Let's…find the food quickly,” even if it seemed his appetite was gone. It would come back, and he still would be in the mood for escargot, or whatever the Quartz had to offer.

They could talk about Margaret when they got back.

 

[awkwardradish]

Emmett was bright enough to know that now was not the time for jokes.

His own face was grim as he observed Edwin and Pia. Their reactions to their sire’s disappearance did not do much to reassure him.

“Neither one of them are in their room.” He said, referencing Asher as well.

He assumed they’d be together, at least.

“I figured you could call them. I can’t imagine why they’d go out, though.”

~***~

Jasleen wanted to profusely apologize for all the trouble so far. It was clear how bothered she was by both interactions in the way she avoided looking at Asher.

She allowed her hand to drop from his arm.

Thankfully, they had plenty of cans of cat food, so Jasleen stocked up, as well as grabbing a dry bag.

Then, she followed Asher over to the human food section.

When they reached the checkout, the girl was giving Jasleen an awful look, but she didn’t say anything.

Finally, they were able to make it back out to the street.

 

[Lucyfer]

Pia nodded. She at least had Asher’s number, so as she let them both into her room, she took her phone out and dialed Asher’s number. It didn’t take him long to answer.

“Where are you?” Pia inquired.

Edwin leaned forward to try and hear what Asher was saying, but the damned technology and volume kept it so he couldn’t.

Pia kept her voice calm as she said, “We’ve discovered some new information, and I need to see Jasleen. Will you be back soon?”

As he answered, she nodded to herself, “3902.”

Then, she clicked the phone off, “You didn’t tell him?” Edwin asked, “Corydon is out there, and you didn’t—”

“Corydon knows neither of them, and is unlikely to be prowling so close to the Quartz, unless you really are that blind.” Edwin seethed, but didn’t bite back at that comment, “there’s no need to worry them unnecessarily,” she sighed, slumping into the leather couch and covering her face. She wanted to scream.

She wanted to throw something at Edwin. He was supposed to be keeping watch.

“I don’t know how this is possible,” Edwin muttered, taking a seat in the leather chair, “no one knew.”

“Magic.”

“That requires ingredients! Something—”

“People have access to your blood,” she murmured, not removing her hands, “someone betrayed you.”

It was true. His blood was in the ink he used. His blood was in some of the bottles. Still, those didn’t get handed out to any but vampires. And his ink to no one. His frown deepened at the realization that someone likely had betrayed him by taking his blood. “It doesn’t make sense. Anyone with that access has to sign a contract.”

“And when was the last time you mentioned Corydon in any contract?”

“…well over a century ago.”

~***~

Shopping was no longer the fun endeavor of looking through food, and buying it up as treats. They went in, they found the cat food, and then found food for themselves, before checking out. Even the cashier seemed upset with them, but they were able to buy their food and leave on his card.

Almost as soon as they had put the gas station a street behind them, Asher’s phone rang. He juggled his groceries a bit, but managed to pull it out before it hung up. “Hey, Pia?” He wasn’t surprised to hear from her.

He wasn’t surprised by her question, either. He presumed she came up to check on them after finishing with Edwin. “Uh—walking, sorry, I didn’t catch the street. Why? Is something wrong?”

She continued calmly, so he continued that assumption – Edwin must have had the new information. “Yes, we’re on our way back now. We can head up. What was your room number?”

He mouthed the room number to himself as she said it, “All right, we’ll see you soon.” She hung up, and he tucked his phone away, “I guess Pia has some more information about things,” he sounded hopeful, rather than worried. “She wants to talk to you when we get back.”

 

[awkwardradish]

Emmett sighed to himself. “Listen, as charming as this whole sibling-bickering-bit is, now is not the time.” He said suddenly, though his tone was nothing but casual.

He was just as pissed off as anybody. This had gone completely undetected under all of their noses.

“I know we all hate each other, but for now, we’re on the same team. Let’s act like it. Edwa-“ He stopped himself from calling Edwin the offensively nickname he’d dubbed.

“Edwin, do you have any idea who it could have been that betrayed you? If we find the traitor, maybe they can lead us to the person who took Corydon.”

If Jasleen couldn’t track him. And for that, he didn’t have much faith.

~***~

Jasleen perked up a bit when she heard Asher’s phone ring. She kept her ears open, seeming paranoid.

That fact was only solidified by the way she kept glancing behind them.

She frowned deeply when Asher filled her in. “Me?”

Pia had been content to leave her out of this so far. That could only mean that the information they got was big.

Or, they decided they didn’t want her to be around.

Either way, panic caused her heartbeat to pick up.

“Alright…”

 

[Lucyfer]

Edwin didn't bother to humor the sibling bickering with a comment, just as Pia didn't. On that front, they were united in that they'd bicker however damn much they liked.

But there were pertinent questions to distract from it. “Top three would be Pavarti, Sarai, or Nikolai,” he said, “but quite honestly, any vampire who works here has opportunity. Sarai and Nikolai don't work here, though.”

“I doubt it's Nikolai,” Pia chimed. She didn't know Pavarti, but she knew Sarai. She hadn't been in Salem, but she was an old enough vampire to become part of Salem’s Five.

“He's the least of the top three, but he is still power hungry.”

~***~

Asher nodded in confirmation, but offered a smile as she seemed even more rattled. “It's good that we already have some information,” he wanted to be encouraging about this. “We'll be out of here sooner. And we can tell them about what happened here.”

And get their thoughts on sitting up a safe meeting, if they had any. At least make them aware of it so they'd be prepared to help if it went south. Asher wasn't sure Pia or Emmett would want to drop in on that conversation.

And he doubted Jasleen wanted Emmett there.

Maybe Pia.

First was feeding Oliver, though.

They returned to the hotel, and Asher sent the elevator back to their floor first, so they could see to it that Oliver was fed before Jasleen had to head anywhere else. Certainly, they could wait that long. After all, nothing seemed off in the hotel when they arrived, so he assumed there really was nothing that wrong that had been found out.

 

[awkwardradish]

Emmett didn’t know these people. He wished he had more files on Edwin’s employees.

Fuck, he was underprepared and he didn’t like it.

“Okay- so… I’m assuming they all have contracts with you, then?” He looked to Edwin. “Is there some sort of loophole where they can’t lie to you?”

Probably not. That would be too easy.

At this point, he was grasping at straws.

“There’s nothing preventing magic from being performed in here, right?”

~***~

Jasleen wasn’t exactly convinced. Nothing in her life went that well.

She was silent, thoughtful, as they made their way back to her room.

Oliver was grateful to be fed, and Jasleen was anxious to get this over with.

She was again silent as they moved up to Pia’s room, and she allowed Asher to knock on the door as she spiraled within her own mind.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Pavarti cannot lie to me,” Edwin answered, “most of my employees sign contracts that prevent lying. Omission, and being clever, is another story,” Edwin had learned quickly to ask questions that took opinions out of the answer. Otherwise, there was far more room for error. Asking someone if they betrayed him for different answers than asking if they took a particular action. “Sarai and Nikolai signed different contracts. They can lie, but not if the Five call for a formal interrogation.”

Getting the Five to agree to that was another story entirely.

“But no, there's nothing preventing magic,” for better and worse. He knew the dangers. He also knew he didn't trust anyone to spell this location. He had his own degrees of protection.

“We'll have to talk to Pavarti first, then,” she was the easy target of she couldn't lie to him. Edwin nodded his agreement before a knock took their attention. Pia rose and went to the door, finding Asher and Jasleen present. She gestured them in.

Asher frowned at the sight of Edwin, but wouldn't ask. “What information was found?” That, he asked, as Pia shut the door.

“The body of Corydon was found and removed from it's coffin.” Pia answered, “we wanted to know if you,” she looked at Jasleen, “were capable of performing a tracking spell. His blood runs in my veins – we don't have anything else besides the stake that held him.” Still in her hands. She couldn't seem to let it go.

Asher openly gaped at what seemed to be the worst case scenario – and how calm Pia was acting.

 

[awkwardradish]

Emmett had a feeling Pavarti would be easy to crack. After all, she looked practically terrified of Edwin’s shenanigans when they’d first arrived.

But he’d be around this world long enough that her type was just as easy for the other side to break as well.

Jasleen took in Pia’s words as she stared at her. That wasn’t at all what she had expected to come out of her mouth. She was somewhat relieved that it wasn’t something worse- that she hadn’t done something wrong, but they she realized that this was very much the worst case scenario.

Finally, she nodded. She wasn’t entirely sure that she would be able to complete the spell successfully, but what other choice did they have?

“I need a map and some chalk.”

Emmett didn’t have much faith in a bound witch, but he turned to Edwin nonetheless. “Surely you’ve got that here.”

 

[Lucyfer]

“Unfortunately,” Edwin conceded, having such things for Trystan more than anything else. Not that Trystan had visited in a while. He got up and left the room to head back to his own, returning with the items not long after.

Asher didn't sit in that time between, though. “Are you okay?” He asked Pia.

She forced a smile, “Yes,” she wasn't, but it was nothing he could fix. In a way, she always knew she was delaying this, but the alternatives were worse. She never found a cure to the demon contract.

She didn't want it back in place.

Edwin laid the map on the glass-topped coffee table, along with the chalk, and stepped back to let Jasleen approach and do what needed to be done with a silent nod to her.

 

[awkwardradish]

Jasleen looked nervous. In a different way than Pia did.

Could she do this?

What would they do if she couldn’t?

She was silent, thoughtful as she waited for Edwin to return. When he did so, she nodded a little.

Emmett studied her, then Pia. Tensions were tight.

“Can we move the table?” Jasleen looked between Emmett and Asher.

Emmett started to retort that it wasn’t his hotel, but he realized she wasn’t asking for permission. She was asking for help.

“Yeah.” He nodded to Asher, beckoning him over to help move the table out of Jasleen’s way.

 

[Lucyfer]

Moving a table was easy work, and so Asher went to help as the two vampires stayed off to the side. With a nod to Emmett, he lifted up his side to move it as Jasleen needed, listening in for her instructions and setting it down when it was properly located.

He stepped back from it and looked to her, “Do you need us to help with anything else?” He didn't really know what all would be involved beyond this, but they had to figure it out.

Ideally, before dawn, although a glance at a clock let him know they might be pushing their luck. It was after 5 am – they didn't have too much longer before Pia and Edwin were stuck here.

 

[awkwardradish]

Jasleen shook her head, but when she glanced up at Asher, there was a grateful look on her face.

She knew she couldn’t waste time, so she took the chalk and began to draw a large circle on the carpet.

She didn’t bother apologizing for the mess.

After she’d completed the circle, she went on to draw a few different relics around the inside of the circle as well.

After ten minutes, she was done. “Map?”

Emmett took the map from the coffee table and handed it to her wordlessly. It was interesting to see her so focused. He rarely watched witches work.

Jasleen set the map in the middle of the circle, then drew two more ancient looking relics on either side before she stood and admired her work for a moment.

She was searching for any mistakes.

“Okay. Blood.” She looked to Edwin and Pia, then her eyes flickered to the stake. “Put that in the circle also. Right here,” she motioned to another spot. “It might help.”

Couldn’t hurt to try, at least.

 

[Lucyfer]

Asher watched in fascination as Jasleen began to prepare the spell, with the mundane chalk creating designs. No one stopped her, of course. Even if it was a mess, chalk was easy enough to clean up.

When it was all done, Pia was the one to step forward. She cut her palm with the stake, and set the stake in place, before letting her blood fall into the circle.

It was always dangerous to share such a potent ingredient, but Pia didn't flinch, not with much worse on the horizon.

Once done, she stepped away from the setup, and clasped her hands together to help still the bleeding.

She didn't want to open another damn bottle just for this.

 

[awkwardradish]

Jasleen allowed her to place her blood into the circle, then she stepped forward again.

She uttered a string of ancient incantations, a mixture of some long dead languages, but nothing happened.

Jasleen stared at the circle for a moment, willing whatever magic she had within her to work.

Still, nothing.

Emmett felt sorry for her. She was clearly trying after all. “You know, performance issues-“

“Shut the fuck up.” She leveled her icy glare at Emmett, who held his hands up in surrender.

“Just give me a minute. I may need to use my hands.” She stooped onto her knees at the circle.

Emmett decided he wouldn’t point out the obvious innuendo.

Jasleen reached out her hands, the palms making contact with the chalk. Once again, she uttered that same incantation, and this time, they could feel the power in the air.

The chalk began to heat. It wasn’t fire, per se, but it was hot enough that it glowed, and Pia’s blood with it.

Jasleen clenched her jaw. It was taking all her strength to keep the magic flowing, but she tried not to let her struggle show. Another incantation, and Pia’s blood was covering the map, until it began to take shape on the roads, leading them to Corydon.

A trickle of blood fell from Jasleen’s nose. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the exertion.

Then more blood came. Not only from her nose, but the mark on her arm. Enough that it seeped through her sleeve and trickled down to her wrist.

The smell of singed skin filled the room as Jasleen let out a small whimper of pain.

“You’re done.” Emmett noted aloud. “You’re going to kill yourself.”

Jasleen seemed to be adrift. Trapped in her own pain, her hands unmoving from the glowing chalk on the ground as the blood circled a smaller area of the city.

“She’s done.” Emmett insisted again.

 

[Lucyfer]

It didn't work.

Pia thought that, at first, when the blood remained still on the map. Jasleen pressed on, and quite literally, pressed her hands to the map.

The magic began to work then, the blood spreading over the map. She let out a breath and watched, before her senses were overcome by the scent of Jasleen's blood.

She was definitely done.

“Asher,” Pia said, though he hesitated at the implied order.

“Is it okay to–”

“She's dead if you don't,” better to disrupt the magic. If that killed her, at least they'd tried. Asher moved, and went to where Jasleen was bent over the map.

“Sorry,” he murmured before reaching to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her up and away from the map. No one wanted her to die for this, and it looked like the map has done some good.

Not that Asher knew the location.

 

[awkwardradish]

It seemed Jasleen had no real sense of what was going on around her. She seemed not to hear them, or even recognize their presence.

Maybe she didn’t even realize she was dying.

Her body sagged against Asher as he pulled her away, and she looked around hazily, as if she didn’t exactly know what had happened.

Emmett took the opportunity to peer over at the map. It was better than nothing, at least. “We have a general area. He won’t be able to leave with sunrise.” He pointed out.

But then again, neither would Pia or Edwin.

Jasleen blinked a couple times, staring at Asher like she couldn’t quite place him, until recognition finally set into her face and she reached up to wipe some of the blood from her nose. “Did it work?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Asher didn't let go of Jasleen immediately, but held her, her back to his chest, as she regrouped. “It worked,” somewhat. It was an area, not precise, but it was something they could look into. “Thank you, Jasleen. This helps. We can use this,” he sounded hopeful, even as he felt the mood deteriorating around him.

Edwin and Pia certainly seemed interested in it, although he sensed there was more.

Edwin and Pia exchanged a look at the mention of sunrise. Pia looked away, so Edwin spoke, “That may not be accurate,” he looked to Emmett, “Corydon has been shunted into a demonic contract. Pia never became a daywalker, but it's not outside of the realm of possibility that Corydon could be protected from sunlight.”

Guilt burned on Pia's face, even if Edwin was surprisingly not accusatorial. “Even if he can't – shuffling into a protected car is usually feasible. Or the car could just go into a garage….” She had experience enough. She didn't prefer it, though.

Either way – he wasn't stuck.

“Oh. Perfect.” Asher wasn't thrilled, “anything else we should know?”

“His natural talent is command. He speaks, people listen,” Edwin said, deadpan. It was a terrifying ability. It could be resisted, but that was no easy feat, and usually involved those jumps in logic, or word loopholes.

Stop could just be to stop for a second.

“And he's now empowered by a demon, so, who knows,” he huffed, before he laughed, nerves fraying, “we're dead!”

Asher shook his head in denial, “You dealt with him before.”

“Yes. Before he had the demon.” Edwin confirmed, as Pia examined the map, then picked up the stake and headed towards the door.

 

[awkwardradish]

Jasleen still looked a little woozy, which was evident in the fact that she was allowing Asher to hold her in such a way. “Let me try again.” Even now, she was slurring her words. “We can find him.”

Emmett scoffed incredulously, then positioned himself in front of Pia, blocking the exit.

“You really will be dead if you walk out of here without any semblance of a plan.” He told Pia. “Sit down, let’s figure it out.”

He could sense her panic, and Edwin’s. Hell, he was beginning to feel panicked himself.

But panic would only get them killed.

“First, we need to figure out who the traitor is. We need to build a team. If Corydon’s walking around, able to command people with just his voice, then we better have a damn good one.”

He should call Terrance.

“We’re gonna need witches. Somebody besides Jasleen. Probably multiple.”

“Margaret.” Jasleen mumbled. Her mouth felt full of cotton, and her eyes drooped a little. “She wanted us to come to her house- I think she’s hiding something.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Pia very obviously considered forcing her way through Emmett. Her own power could bend and break others, but she kept it within; he had a point. She was even considering death as a far more favorable option. If she could perish with Corydon, it’d be worth it. The demon would have nowhere to go. The others…they could handle Frederick. Corydon was her sin.

But she had always been more logical than emotional. Her power stemmed from the knowledge that emotions were power, and she hated falling victim to them. So the words drew her back. The need for a plan.

As agitated as she was, she stepped back with a huff and went back to the couch, forcing herself to sit down, drumming her fingers on the stake.

Asher kept hold of Jasleen, as she mentioned a witch – Margaret – who wanted to see her. “We met Margaret by chance when we were out – she’s the one who helped Jasleen leave Salem,” he added, for Edwin’s sake, “I think she knows more. She might know something that can help us – at least with Frederick. We don’t…he’s not confirmed alive, right?”

“Right.” Pia said, “but if Corydon is—”

“—we don’t have much time. I understand.”

Edwin stopped pacing, “We’ll start with Pavarti. She’ll have left for the night,” unfortunately, she didn’t live in the hotel, “but she’s on shift tomorrow. If she’s our traitor, we deal with it. If not, we can check Sarai and Nikolai.”

“That doesn’t put Corydon down.”

“No,” Edwin agreed, “but I’m not facing him. I leave that to you,” he hissed, but that anger was evidently more fear than anything. “I’ll find who brought him back, and deal with them. That should enlighten us as to what the coven promised, and what their next moves may be,” he glanced to Emmett, to confirm if he was on the same wavelength with what the traitor could reveal.

“Is it all right if we visit Margaret?” Asher asked, “Do you think anything may…?”

Pia shook her head – not denial. “There’s always people who want to destroy the system. I think Margaret would be a help. But you ought to be careful not to get her in trouble.”

“It may be too late for that,” Asher sighed, “Margaret wasn’t the only one to see us….” And Marcus knew Margaret had stayed behind to talk to them. She could already be in danger.

 

[awkwardradish]

Emmett nodded at Edwin. That plan of action would give him time to call in some reinforcements from the Astor Institute. Only the best.

He didn’t want to bring anybody here just to die.

He was lost in his own spiraling of thoughts as Asher and Pia corresponded.

Jasleen was, admittedly, coming to, but it was a slow process. It took her a long time to process the conversation between Pia and Asher.

“Wait-“ Emmett said, his reaction delayed as well. “You were seen? By somebody else?”

“Marcus. He wants to know where his son is.” Jasleen closed her eyes for a moment, trying to conjure whatever strength she could to stand on her own, but her body seemed unwilling to cooperate, and she winced when she moved her arm.

Her sleeve was covered in blood.

“Who’s he son?” Emmett asked.

Jasleen lifted her sleeve to reveal her binding, which looked fresh again. The skin was singed in spots, with blood leaking from the wound.

“Nicholas.”

“Oh. Sucks for him.” Emmett didn’t seem remorseful. “And sucks for you- Jesus, that looks… you should bandage that.”

He scrunched his nose. It did look painful.

“Why don’t you…” He looked at Asher, then motioned to Jasleen, “take care of that. I’ll going to make a few calls. We’ll take the day to rest, gather our allies and plan to head out after Corydon at night. Does that work for everybody?”

He looked around the room expectantly.

 

[Lucyfer]

It did indeed suck for Nicholas – though Asher felt a twinge of regret. He didn’t like Nicholas, or Marcus, but he still…wasn’t happy to know the father would be mourning. Wasn’t happy it had to end in death. His attention shifted down to the wound. He knew Jasleen was hurt, but he’d been focused on keeping her up that he hadn’t taken in how badly.

“Yeah. I’m sure there’s bandages…?” he looked to Edwin.

Edwin sighed, “Just call the front desk,” he said, adding, “That will work for all of us. We’ll have to try tracking Corydon again tomorrow night.”

Asher hesitated, but added, “We plan to head out to meet Margaret at 6pm.” That might interfere with the hunt. Odds were they’d be out longer.

“It’s okay,” Pia said, “we’ll go the location you found. Edwin has people who can search in the day. We’ll figure out where he went.” She hoped. She didn’t have a plan for what to do with him. She didn’t exactly have a coven at her back to recreate the spell that held him.

She might have to kill him.

She might have to deal with Ishara again.

Edwin gave a terse nod. He’d definitely be sending people to scout out that area.

Asher was glad to hear their part wouldn’t get interrupted. “Come on, Jasleen. Let’s head back down and get you cleaned up,” he said, starting to let her go, but carefully. If she slipped, or swayed, his arms would be back around her in a heartbeat.

 

[awkwardradish]

Far too proud to admit the intense toll the spell had taken on her, Jasleen attempted a step towards the door without Asher’s help.

She swayed. More than swayed, actually. If Asher’s arms hadn’t come back around her, she probably would have face planted.

She let out a frustrated huff, but seemed more frustrated with her own lack of ability than Asher’s help.

“I’m really okay. I just need to lay down.”

Emmett watched Asher usher Jasleen out of the room, then sighed. “Alright, so, Jasleen isn’t exactly the secret weapon we thought she might be.” He said aloud. “I can call some of the covens that the institute has allied ourselves with, but they’ve made it pretty clear that they don’t want to start wars with other covens.”

He ran a hand over his face. “I’m going to call in some more seasoned hunters from the Institute, also.”