CHAPTER 16 | the weakest link

📎A/N. Hello dear friends, I'm a bit under the weather, so found it a little difficult to focus on this chapter. Hopefully there aren't too many glaring errors.

Have a good and safe weekend.

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An instant after Deacon called out Ananya's name and disappeared into his office, his secretary popped her head out of a room at the far end of the corridor. "Be right with you dearie's."

With that, she was gone, only to reappear a moment later. She ambled towards them, rested her hand on the small of her back and grimaced. "Rain's coming, I can feel it in my bones."

As she came closer, her wrinkles multiplied when she gave Keira a sympathetic smile. From her expression, she knew about Marcus. This was confirmed a moment later when she shook her head and sighed. "Such a tragic waste."

Not waiting for an answer, she turned to Dayna and peered over the rims of her glasses. "You must be the sister?"

Dayna nodded and beamed at Ananya. "That's me. I'm so pleased to meet you. From what Deacon's told me, you're the one really in charge around here."

The diminutive secretary laughed. "He did, did he? Well, at least he knows which side of the bread his butter is on." Ananya cocked her head and winked. "But that doesn't mean I'm working next Wednesday. Apocalypse or no apocalypse, I am going to that bingo tournament, and you can take your own damn calls," she said as she raised her voice towards the door in which Deacon had vanished through.

Keira glanced towards the stairs that lead to the ground floor and the fake blood bank. She was a little nervous the others would arrive ahead of schedule, and she wanted Dayna out of sight before then. "Did Deacon tell you what we need?" she asked.

Ananya nodded. "It's all set up. No one will know you're here." She indicated for Dayna to follow her and turned, only to stiffen and reach for her back again. "Or it could be I just need a hip replacement," she muttered.

Dayna thanked Deacon's petite elderly secretary and looked to Keira. "Don't forget, if you need anything you call."

"And you make sure you stay out of sight," said Keira as she pushed her sister in the direction Ananya had headed.

The sooner Dayna was out of sight, the more comfortable she would be. While she could understand Deacon's reluctance to leave her alone, even under the protection of his vampires, it didn't lessen the worry over the possibility of Dayna being spotted by the wrong people.

"Chillax sis, or you'll accidently set fire to something," Dayna said as she and Anaya started up the corridor.

Ananya stopped and looked up at Dayna. "She can do that?"

Dayna nodded.

"Where were you when I wanted to burn down that monstrosity the neighbours put up in their front yard," Ananya grumbled as she darted a glance at Keira. She turned back to Dayna and sighed. "Come on blondie, let's get you sorted."

"I'm not sure my sister does house calls, but I can give you a recipe for a magic Molotov cocktail that might do the trick."

Keira's brows shot up. "Dayna," she called out in a warning tone.

"What?" Dayna said over her shoulder.

Ananya tucked her arm into Dayna's. "How close do I need to be to throw it? I'm not exactly as young as I used to be."

"That's the best part, it's on a delay, so you have as much time as you want," said Dayna as she patted the older woman's arm.

"Let's get you settled, and you can tell me more."

Keira rolled her eyes and headed towards Deacon's office. Her sister knew better than to give a wiry old lady access to explosive devices.

From Deacon's expression when she entered the room, he had heard the entire conversation.

"Just how serious is she about getting rid of this thing in her neighbour's yard?"

Deacon put his pen down, leaned back in his chair and said, "On a scale of one to ten, I would put it at twenty-five. I've already had to bail her out of jail for poisoning a tree that blocked part of her driveway. She's had a feud with them for the past decade."

Keira frowned. "Perhaps I should go and make sure Dayna doesn't put any ideas into her head."

"No don't worry about it. Your sister knows what she's doing," he said, stopping her exit. "I warrant she'll give Ananya a long list of things she can do without getting caught."

"And you don't mind?"

Deacon shrugged his shoulders. "When she's not meddling in the neighbours lives, she's meddling in mine. So the more idea's Dayna gives her, the better."

Keira wandered over to the window and scanned the busy street below. The blinds that kept the majority of natural light out of the room diminished her view so she was forced to pry the slats apart to look through them. "Do you think they'll come?" she asked.

"Ryker has kept Beatrice's death under wraps, so I can't see any reason they wouldn't."

Her eyes fell on a passing police cruiser, and she wondered how far away Ryker was.

The vampire had surprised her with his out of character compassion at her grief. His unexpected tenderness had thrown her equilibrium out of alignment. So much so, she had fallen asleep on his lap.

It was probably the sedatives.

However, she couldn't explain why it had felt comforting to wake up in his arms a couple of hours later. By the time he had gently shaken her awake, he was back to Sheriff mode. While she slept, he had devised a plan for how they could alert the Order to her presence without making it look like an obvious trap.

Her vigil at the window paid off when she spotted Ryker striding across the road towards the building. Keira checked her watch.

He's cutting it close.

***

Ryker strode in and tossed his cap and glasses on Deacon's desk. "It's done."

"Do you think it will work?" Keira asked.

Ryker pushed his hands into his pockets. "I can't see why not. The only question is, how long is it going to take them to find it?"

"And you're sure that it can't be traced back to the source?" Deacon asked just as his phone beeped. He checked his message. "It's show time," he said without looking up.

Now that the moment had arrived, Keira wondered at whether she was prepared. She had walked away from the coven over two hundred years ago, vowing never to return.

In all that time, she had hidden who and what she was. And now, in the matter of less than one week the number of people who had discovered she was not only an earth witch, but a CrossRoads one at that, was growing exponentially.

Keira froze at the light knock on the door. You can do this.

She forced herself to relax as a tall, wiry man with wire-frame glasses, entered and glanced around the room nervously. "Where's Beatrice?" he asked halting just inside the door.

"Eugene, why don't you take a seat," Ryker said, indicating towards the small conference table at the other end of the room.

Eugene adjusted his glasses. "I'll stay standing if you don't mind. You didn't answer my question. Beatrice is supposed to be here, where is she?"

Rather than answer the question, Deacon stood and made his way around the desk. "Where are the others? Beatrice summoned you all."

Deacon's menacing tone only served to make Eugene shrink into himself at the imposing vampire's approach. "They aren't coming until we know it's safe," he said, his voice coming out an octave higher than normal.

Keira took a deep breath, if they continued this thrust and parry dance they had gotten stuck in, Leviathan would be out and have taken over half of the continents before they got the coven together.

"Deacon you need to sit down, can't you see you're terrifying him," she said.

Keira turned to Eugene and narrowed her eyes. "If you and the others bothered to pay attention, you'd see that Deacon and Ryker only have your best interests at heart."

The room grew quiet, and Eugene blinked owlishly at Keira's outburst.

"You're the expert they brought in," Eugene said with more bravado than she thought possible from the timid man. Gaining more courage, now that he was speaking to Keira he said with disdain, "You have no idea what's really going on here, so I suggest you just go home."

The hairs on the back of her neck bristled. His scathing attitude got on her nerves, and she had to physically hold herself back from doing to him what Ananya wanted to do to her neighbours.

Instead, she raised an eyebrow and said, "What? You mean the fact that the Order is behind the deaths? Or maybe you are referring to their bitch of a God, trying to get through the door you are supposed to be protecting?"

His sudden sneeze, frantic reach for a tissue followed by a loud trumpet when he blew into it would have been amusing had it not been for his bad timing. "Sorry, allergies," he said as he pocketed the now used item.

Eugene's eyes darted towards Ryker and Deacon, then back to her. He cleared his throat twice before he was able to say "I don't know what you're talking about."

Keira stamped her foot in exasperation. This was getting them nowhere.

"Enough is Enough," she said as she began to roll the sleeves of her shirt up her arm.

"Stand back pops, the show's about to begin," Ryker said as he pulled Deacon back a step and picked up his sunglasses.

"What show?"

Ryker headed across to the window, winked and waited.

"Give me your arm," Keira demanded as she came to stand in front of Eugene.

"Why?" asked Eugene as he took a step backward. His face had taken on a white hue as all colour drained from his face.

"For pity's sake," she said as her hand snapped out and grabbed his arm so that their wrists were holding on to the other.

The moment she had grasped Eugene's wrist, Ryker pulled the blinds open to let in the natural light. Sun streamed into the room, and she had to blink a few times to get used to the sudden glare. In a heartbeat, Deacon was across the desk and had retrieved his sunglasses.

Keira turned their clenched arms upwards to expose the underside of their forearms to the light.

From out of their veins, small trickles of ink spread and weaved. Like a vine, it grew and danced, leaving intricate patterns across their skin as it formed a delicate design across both forearms. At first, Eugene attempted to pull away. When the movement on their bodies began he stilled, his eyes riveted to the undisputable confirmation of who she was.

Keira frowned and stared intently at the gangly spectacled man.

Something's not right. His flow is stunted.

She inspected the patterns again. While hers grew and disappeared up her sleeve, Eugene's had halted halfway up his forearm. Keira had expected that from Beatrice. The light wasn't quite working in that attic... but the rest? She shuddered at the implications.

"Now you have to do that thing with the door," said Ryker once the tattoo had formed.

She glanced up. Ryker was leaning against the window with his arms folded over his chest and his eyes full of mirth.

"That wasn't for your amusement," she said with a hint of anger.

He shrugged. "I know, but you have to admit, it's damn entertaining, and their expression never gets old."

Keira looked back at Eugene. She had to admit, his fish imitation matched Bernice's to a tee. Which meant she could guess the next words out of his mouth. "Before you ask," she said, "just accept it and we can move on. I know the rest will be nearby, just get them here."

Keira pulled her arm away, and the vines retreated as quickly as they appeared.

When Eugene made no movement, she called out more sharply, "Now!"

He tore his gaze away and visibly gulped. With still no action, Keira wondered if the man had any brains.

No wonder they are in danger if he's anything to go by.

Keira was still reeling from the light flow of power when she identified herself and found it difficult to refocus.

Eugene finally pulled out his phone and typed a message. Tucking it back into his pocket he shifted nervously on the spot and mumbled, "They're on their way."

Ryker pulled down the shades and removed his glasses. "Still think you should have done that trick with the door."

To Keira's relief, they didn't need to wait long. Ananya knocked and let them in. One by one what remained of the coven filed in. As the final two stepped through the door, Keira stole a glance at Ryker. It took every effort to not smirk at his dumbfounded expression. While she had suspected Maize and her missing daughter were among the hidden, this revelation would have come as a shock to the sheriff.

Once they were in, Ananya closed the door. Her job was now to make sure no one entered the building.

A nervous hush settled over the room when the coven realised both Ryker and Deacon were present. Eugene, now surrounded by friends, recovered his ability to speak. "You still didn't answer my question. Where is Beatrice?"

A low murmur rose up in a wave as the coven looked to each other for support. Some accused Eugene of betrayal, others threatened to leave.

Ryker raised his hands, palms up to settle the escalating panic. "No one's going anywhere. I suggest you all better take a seat."

No one made a motion to move anywhere.

"Suit yourselves," Ryker said as he shrugged his shoulders. He waited a couple of beats before he continued. "Last night, Beatrice was found dead in her home."

Maize's hand shot up to cover her mouth in shock. Her daughter, Velvet, moved closer to her and reached for her mother's free hand. A similar look of fear rippled through the others as the information sank in. The women Keira recognised as Nita Metz and Shona Boulton, clutched at each other and sunk down on the nearest couch.

The men, Eugene, and the other hidden Keira had no knowledge of, were equally as affected as the women.

"How?" Maize managed to ask with a broken voice.

Ryker made his way to his friend, his face reflected his reluctance to discuss the details of such a horrific crime. Especially to a group who were targeted.

Maize pulled her daughter closer. "Don't sugar coat it," she told Ryker.

Ryker looked to the others as if to determine if her words echoed the consensus. It was clear they were waiting to hear what he had to say. "She was beaten to death. We suspect to get the additional names."

The other coven male turned to Eugene and narrowed his eyes. "How could you lead us here, knowing it's not safe. Our being here has given them the ammunition they need."

Eugene pulled an inhaler out of his pocket and took a couple of puffs. "I didn't Beatrice did, you know that as well as I do."

The man began to pace frantically. "You knew she wasn't here, why did you give us the all clear?"

Keira's head was beginning to ache at the bickering.

"Enough!" Deacon's voice boomed across the room, and everyone stopped mid argument. He leaned menacingly over the desk, his face dark and foreboding. The civilized veneer dropped, and he showed them just how dangerous an ancient vampire could be. His eyes blazed and bore into each one as he glanced around the table. "In the matter of one week, you have lost half of your coven. Instead of allowing us to protect you, you have chosen to ignore the fact that you have a responsibility to not only yourselves but mankind. This will not be allowed to continue. From this point forward, until we have dealt with the Order, marshal law prevails for you and your families."

From their tense postures that had them ramrod straight at his mention of the Order, his knowledge of what was after them was the last thing they expected.

Nita swung her head around to face her coven. "But how?" she asked.

Eugene shook his head and nodded his head in Keira's direction. "That's nothing," He paused and adjusted his glasses. "She's one of us, but she's different."

A moment later, Keira felt seven sets of eyes on her.

The man Keira didn't know the name of, crossed his arms over his chest. "We know she's a witch. We guessed that when the mayor brought her in. Not to mention that Maize told us about her finding Ann's diary."

Here it comes. Keira braced herself, knowing what was coming next.

Eugene shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant. She identified herself as CrossRoads," he paused, and bewildered eyes turned to her. "That tat went much higher than I remember, and there was a vibration my teeth felt."

Maize's brows shot up to the top of her forehead. It was as if all the air had left the room. No one uttered as much as a single word. At the sudden vacuum of sound, Keira wondered if they were even breathing.

"Don't all speak at once," said Ryker. "I can't keep up with the speed at which you are all talking."

"But... but..." said Maize still visibly shocked at the revelation. She then turned to Deacon and Ryker. "And how is it that you know about our... secret?"

"How is irrelevant," said Deacon. "What is of the utmost importance, is your safety. Your numbers were dwindling before this tragedy; we can ill afford to lose any more of you."

Maize rubbed her forehead. "I'm not even going to ask how you know that." She glanced at the others as if seeking some confirmation on how to proceed. Her shoulders sagged, and she let out a long breath. "What do you need us to do?"

Ryker made his way to stand beside Keira. From his sombre expression, he was well and truly in sheriff mode. "We need to find who's behind this before anyone gets hurt, and the only way to do it is to make them show their hand," he said.

"How are you going to do that?" asked Maize.

Keira pulled her shoulders back. It was too late to back out now. "We are going to give them a target that they won't be able to resist."

There was the slightest of hesitation before Maize asked, "What target?"

"Me."

"The Order's primary aim is to bring their god through that door any way they can." Keira addressed Eugene, Nita, and Shona. "No disrespect, but if they thought you were strong enough to make a difference you would already be dead."

Eugene gave her a lacklustre smile. "None taken. For once, I'm not bothered at my position at the bottom of the pile."

From Nita and Shona's vigorous nods, they echoed his sentiments.

Keira then turned to the remaining three. "Right now, it's you they're after. They know you exist, but not who you are, or how many—Beatrice died protecting that secret. Sheriff Ryker is going to use that to our advantage and point their attention to me."

"But won't that look too obvious?" Maize asked.

"Not if we do it right," said Ryker as he took over the conversation. "A rumour is about to circulate that the Doc here had a connection to Lisa, one that she kept well hidden. At the moment, she's the only one of the first victims in which we don't yet have a full history, so it won't appear as though evidence was planted. When that comes to light, it won't be hard for them to believe the coven approached Deacon to have Keira come to Salem under the pretext of helping the investigation."

This was the part of the plan that Keira knew balanced on Ryker's ability to trickle the information through the right channels. While he refused to speculate, there was a distinct possibility that the Order had eyes and ears within his department. With the overwhelming first responder attendance the previous evening, the odds that Marcus was killed by one of Salem's finest couldn't be ignored.

"The Order knows more about the door than we like, but less about it than they think. If they believe that removing me from the equation will make the door vulnerable to attack, they won't rest until the last of my blood has been drained," Keira said.

"So what are we supposed to do while all this is happening?" Eugene asked.

From the low murmur from the others, this same question had been playing on their minds as well.

Keira looked down at her wrist and contemplated the blunt power she had detected in Eugene and Beatrice. If she performed the same ritual with the others, what would she discover?

Since her contact with Eugene, her concern had metastasised. If this was the level of skill and energy focused on the door, how long would it be before the reserves from the past had worn away leaving them all vulnerable?

In the end, she had no choice. Keira couldn't let her mother's sacrifice be for nothing. While she had seen similar trends in others, she hadn't expected the same deterioration in a CrossRoads Coven.

"Which one of you calls the most power?" she asked.

From the way in which all eyes turned to Maize, she had her answer.

Keira held out her hand. "I need to show you something."

As if knowing what she wanted, Ryker made his way towards the window, donning his glasses on the way. Deacon, picked up on Ryker's cue and copied the action.

The moment their skin touched Keira silently invoked the incantation, and the familiar tattoo began to paint over their arms.

"I've never seen one grow that much," Maize said with awe after the vine inched up Keira's arm. "Mine has only ever reached my elbow."

Maize tipped her head and looked at Keira. "How far does it go up?"

"If I let it, it covers my entire body."

A snap of the blinds caught her attention and she could have sworn Ryker muttered, "That, I have to see."

Keira ignored him. She had bigger concerns than his untimely commentary.

"What about the others that were killed, how far up did theirs go?"

Maize bit her bottom lip and scrunched her nose as she considered the question. "Annie was about three quarters up, and the rest were mainly around elbow height. Why?"

Keira drew a deep breath. This was worse than she thought. "At a minimum, the CrossRoads mark should cover both arms," she said attempting to hold back the panic at the implications.

"What about that hum that I felt? Were the vibrations related to the mark?"

"That's the link you have with the earth. The stronger the vibration, the stronger the link you have. With you and Eugene, I can barely detect your connection."

Maize darted a glance towards the others. "Why do I feel that's a problem?"

Problem is an understatement.

"Because I have no idea how the door is being kept shut."

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📎A/N. Well that sucks!! The Order didn't need to take anyone's lives.. it sounds like it's not as secure as everyone may have first thought :-(

...And what a surprise about Maize and Annie's sister. Did any of you see that coming?

Don't forget to vote.

Till next time, take care

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