nancy werlock's diary s01 - episodes 8 (2 page)

“Why did you do that?” asks Steve.

“What, I was supposed to just stand there and watch that thing kill him?”

“What did you think you were gonna do as a Rank Five Demonologist? Do you even
know
any binding rituals yet?”

“No, but I figured maybe I could tag it and
you
could bind it.”

“Then what happened?” I ask.

“I didn’t get too close. It realized I was there and it…I think it looked at me. I couldn’t see its face or even if it had one. It wore a cowl. It paused and looked at me, and then waved a hand at me and my head started pounding and I collapsed. When I came out of it, he was dead.”

“You are damn lucky it didn’t kill you!”

“
Why
didn’t it kill you?” says Steve.

“Don’t sound so disappointed,” says Houston.

“No, that’s not what I meant. This thing wants to feed on the energies of magic users. Houston’s a damn all-you-can-eat buffet with his latent powers.”

“Maybe it can only consume one meal at a time?” Stewart says as he joins the conversation. The police and EMTs are leaving the scene. “Most parasitic entities have to completely digest the first meal before taking in another one.”

“Look, we need to get him to Dr. Parker to see if there is any significant damage,” I say.

* * *

“Mate, next time make sure you have your mobile with you,” says Eric. “I could have popped right to where you were.”

“Great, then she’d be yelling at both of us,” replies Houston.

We’re sitting in my office at the shop after returning from Dr. Parker. After admonishing Houston for his foolishness, Dr. Parker said he would be fine with rest and recommended some mental exercises to strengthen his reflexive wards.

Steve and Stewart did a full sweep of the house and the shop and didn’t find any physical or metaphysical evidence that Brynwolf had been around.

“So this bloke, Brynwolf? He’s a Lord Advocate and his boss can’t find him?”

“You mean the Eighth of the Nine? They don’t get involved in Council affairs unless they have to.”

“I’d think if he killed Houston’s mum and vanished in the middle of an investigation that would be a ‘have to’ moment.”

“I don’t want the Nine involved.
You
don’t want them involved, either,” I say.

“Maybe it’s time they did get involved,” says Houston. “We already have a God-knows-what running around eating magic users. And now this guy is on the run. He
has
to know where the investigation started.”

The room grows cold and I hear Vivika’s voice behind me, “Oh, he knows.”

“Mom?”

“Hello, Vivika.”

“Um, Mrs. Vaughn. Ma’am.”

“I prefer Grand Madame Vaughn, “she says.

I turn around to see Vivika fully manifested. Her form is wrapped in what looks like a short, tight-fitting wraparound dress and a flowing, hooded cloak more suited for the cover a fantasy novel than my office. Her arms are folded in front of her and she’s glaring at me with that ‘
what did you do to my only child?’
stare.

“Bloody amazing,” says Eric before turning to Houston. “Mate, your mum was a looker!”

“Vivika, this is—”

“I know who he is, Nancy. I’m in no mood for pleasantries.”

“Here we go.”

“I ask you to do
one
thing.
One.
Keep my son safe.”

“He’s fine, Vivika.”

“He could have been killed if I…if I thought you were incapable of protecting him—”

“He’s a grown man, Vivika! You want I should get a hellhound to follow him around?”

“That would be a good start.”

“Ye gods!”

The front door opens and I hear Anastasia say, “We had a half day today for a teacher in-house so—”

“Great, luv!” shouts Eric as he gets up. “Nancy wanted you to show me how to check stock on the computer.”

“Thank you,” I say in a low voice. “Keep her busy.”

“I think I can keep her entertained.”

“I will break your face,” says Houston. Eric smiles and leaves the office to go keep Anastasia in the shop. “Mom, Nancy didn’t do anything. I made a decision to go follow the imp. That was my fault.”

“Of course it was your fault. You are an immature male witch who didn’t get the proper training as a child and now you have no respect for the limits of your power. Which is why it was
Nancy’s
responsibility to keep you in line. Your Y-chromosome will get you killed otherwise.”

I burst into laughter.

“That’s not funny,” says Houston. “That wasn’t funny, Mom!”

“Do you see me laughing?”

“You know what? I’m done talking to the both of you. I’m going to the gym.” He grabs his jacket and heads for the door.

“Dr. Parker told you to get rest!” I say as I follow after him.

“I rest better lifting weights.”

“Um…hi?” says Anastasia as she watched Houston leave the shop. “What’s wrong with Houston.”

“He got out of bed too early this morning and hit his head,” I say.

“Does he have a concussion? Because he could end up with a brain aneurism from those.”

“Don’t worry about Houston, luv. He’s got a hard head,” says Eric as he points at the monitor to draw her attention back to work.

I go back into my office. Vivika is looking out the window behind my desk. “Men,” she says. “So confident in their own invincibility. So sure they are untouchable. I swear sometimes I think the only reason humanity hasn’t completely wiped itself out is because men have mothers and wives to tell them to stop acting like idiots.”

“In my professional opinion, I would consider that a valid observation.”

We both chuckle. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that, Nancy. I apologize.”

“Well, come to think of it the hellhound might not be a bad idea. Your son isn’t renowned for his danger-sense.”

“You don’t need to worry about Joshua for a while. He’s too smart. He won’t come here any time soon. He knows I’m here. He knows both your mother and grandmother are still active. And the area is crawling with Justicars already. He’s patient. He won’t risk revealing himself just yet.”

“I don’t like the sound of
just yet
.”

“The Council must have been close to actually forming a real opinion for him to go into hiding. I’m surprised they reached the precipice of a decision so quickly. It normally takes them years to take action against a Lord Advocate.”

“I don’t even recall any time in recent history where the Council
did
take action against a Lord Advocate.”

“Oh, it’s happened. They tend to keep it low-profile when they do. Can’t let the common witches know that Lord Advocates are anything other than beyond reproach. The order
must
be maintained Regardless the cost.”

“Is…there something I need to know?”

“I like you, Nancy. I do. You do your College credit. There are times when not knowing things can be deadly. But then there are others when knowing things can get you killed. And I prefer not to get you killed.”

Vivika vanishes back across the Veil.

* * *

“Sweetie, I believe this is what they refer to as ‘above your pay grade
,’” says Mom after I explain to her the day’s events.

“I am a Rank Two Demonologist,” I whine. Yes, it is most definitely whiny.

“But you aren’t a Justicar
,” she says calmly. “
And just because you passed the Rank Two trials doesn’t mean you’ve fully assumed the mantle of Rank Two Demonologist.”

“Now what does that mean?”

“Don’t get defensive with me, Nancy Clarice. It just means that you should remember how long it took you to build up your counseling practice after you got your doctorate. A piece of paper confers the title. Not the experience.”

I roll my eyes, and then feel a cold poke from across the Veil right between my shoulder blades. “You’re right. You’re right. Way out of my league, here.”

“Nanna says she’s going to severe the connection between the wisps and Houston.”

“But—”

“
We’re going to leave them out to patrol, but she’ll have them communicate with her directly. Then she can contact you and you can alert your friend Steve. It will be slower response time, but it takes the both of you out of harm’s way.”

“Mom, can you ask Nanna if she recalls any time when the Council investigated a Lord Advocate? I figure she was once Magus of the School of Demonology. She might remember something.”

“
You’re dwelling on what Grande Madame Vivika said.”
I feel her scoff slightly and there is a pause as I presume she confers with my grandmother.
“Nanna says not to let Vivika get under your skin. The woman is just being manipulative, as usual.”

“This isn’t about Vivika. I’m just curious now.”

I feel Nanna’s presence enter the room.
“You have enough to worry about. Unless you intend to start studying necromancy, young lady, don’t go digging up old skeletons. There have been a few cases over the centuries, but nothing to worry yourself over.
”

“Like what?”

The front door opens and Houston walks in. I feel Nanna fade out. “
Enough for tonight, honey
,” says Mom. “
I think you two need to have a talk about what is going on in the here and now.”
Mom follows Nanna back across the Veil.

“It’s after eight o’clock,” I say as Houston heads for the stairs.

“So dock me,” he says.

Houston—”

He stops at the landing and turns around. “I had a normal life. I went to work. I dated. Partied with my friends. Then my mother decides to take that away from me and leave me with this…gift. Now all the guys I used to hang out with I can’t because I see them in ways I was never meant to. My relationship with my aunt and uncle is only just now mending. In the past year, I’ve been exposed to gremlins and demons and a vampire and a god-knows-what soul-sucking
thing
. And I think, all things considered, I’ve handled it pretty damn well considering I ‘didn’t get proper training as a child.’”

“I’m sorry,” I say. “You are absolutely right. And I know better than anyone. You got thrown into the deep end of the pool and you’ve done an amazing job of keeping your head above water.”

He sits down on the steps. He looks around carefully as if searching for someone. “Is my mom here?”

“No,” I say. “Nanna put up a ward to let me know if she was lurking around after the last time she eavesdropped on me talking to Mom.”

He leans forward. “I realized something today. I realized…I finally admitted to myself…that I hate my mother.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Oh yes I do. I’m not her
son
. I’m her
legacy
. What she did to me? The imprinting? That was for her benefit, not mine. All those years she could have reached out to me. She didn’t. But she communicated with April! But I guess it was because April was her daughter so she didn’t have that pesky Y-chromosome.”

“Houston, you know the situation with April was complicated. Your mother was trying to help your Aunt Ruth have a child. Nobody was supposed to know Vivika was the actual mother.”

“Come on, Nancy. Look me in the eyes and tell me you really believe my mother acted selflessly? Tell me you don’t believe she knew April would be born with psionic powers because of hereditary magic, or at least she suspected there was a strong chance.”

“Your mother loves you.”

“And how can you be so sure?”

“Because you showed me your photo album,” I say. “And I saw the pictures of your mother with you when you were a baby. I know maternal love when I see it.”

“I hate her.” He stands up and goes upstairs.

The Walking Dead

September 16
^th

“Will you sponsor me as a zombie?” asks Anastasia.

“I’m sorry. What did you just ask me?” I realize that she doesn’t actually mean what I reflexively think she means. I mean, I assume she doesn’t mean what I reflexively think she means.

“A bunch of us at school are participating in a Zombie Walk to raise money for the South Jersey Food Bank. I’m going to be a cheerleader zombie!”

She shows me the pledge form. It is a five mile walk in Shamong that ends at the campgrounds at Atsion Lake. “Don’t they usually do these things in the city?” I ask.

“Cherry Hill wouldn’t provide the permits,” she says. “There were traffic problems at a few walks over the summer, not in New Jersey. There as that thing that happened up in New York with the zombie getting run over and then something happened in Boston about a zombie knocking over a cyclist. So they didn’t want to deal with the risk. But we’re walking through the woods! Like
real
zombies!”

“Well, take bug spray,” I say as I fill out the pledge form. “Rotting corpses attract beetles.”

Houston comes out of the stockroom with a box of Halloween decorations. “Somehow I thought your mom would have had more stuff for Halloween.” He says as he puts down the box on the counter.

“Mom always did just enough so that people didn’t think she hated the holiday.”

“Oh my God! How could your mom hate Halloween? It’s the best holiday besides Christmas!” says Anastasia. She shoves her pledge form at Houston. “Help me be a zombie!”

“Wait, why do you need money to be a zombie? What do zombies possibly need money for?”

“It’s for the Food Bank.”

“They serve brains at the Food Bank now?” He reads the form. “I don’t know. My boss doesn’t pay me enough to afford to pledge.”

“You can pledge even a $1 a mile that will help.”

“That’s five bucks! You consider after taxes and social security and everything else that comes out of my check, I’d have to work a whole hour to cover that.”

“Oh by the gods! Really!”

“Eric said when he got here he would pledge. And he’s a
temp
.”

“Oh,” says Houston. “I was just messing with you anyway.” He fills out the pledge form.  “I’ll go see if there is anything else in the storeroom.”