Chapter Twenty-One #2
She passed them the tablet, and Honor compared it to the list of suicides they’d found around Genesis, as this person had tried to find her.
They matched up.
“It’s going to be him,” Honor stated. “He worked in the same cities as victims. He would have been able to kill her partner, and probably all the rest.”
Julian went there.
“We need proof…”
Lucian shut that down.
“He was an ME in Utah, and he’s playing reporter here outside our homes. I don’t need proof. That’s plenty for me.”
Yeah, that was the truth.
“Okay, you have a point.”
Raven went there.
“I know Avalon said not to scry, but we could use that to find him. The crystal told us he was here. I could use magick and protect Booth while he goes in and looks.”
Honor didn’t like that.
Not.
At.
All.
“Okay, hold up. I don’t know if I want my husband playing games with evil that’s possessed a psychic. I kinda like him as is, not possessed.”
He laughed.
“I mean, I’m right here, and I am pretty safe while inked up with protection symbols and charms. He’s on the cusp of taking more life and becoming stronger than Avalon, so we don’t have a lot of time. Her pulling some souls out of his pit is the ONLY thing that’s keeping us ahead of him.”
Raven agreed.
That was the truth.
“One more, and he’s going to be stronger.”
Avalon, who had been quiet, spoke up.
“It’s worth the risk. I will need to trap him in the static, and if he’s stronger than me, I can’t do it,” she admitted, knowing that Lucian’s fate was going to be the cost.
She could see it coming.
He would be the price to lock this entity away—because he would do it willingly.
It’s dangerous to you. Are you sure you want to do this? If not, Lucian…
He was staring at her.
I have to save everyone here. I know the cost. Just finish him off in my name.
That told Avalon everything she needed to know. Not only did Lucian already know what was coming, he was willing to offer himself up for the people he loved.
All.
Of.
Them.
This was EXACTLY what she didn’t want to happen.
I will try to save you.
Lucian understood the cost.
Just make sure my wife is safe, and my children know about me. I’ll take my chances. Tell Ridge I loved him, too.
She nodded slightly.
“I think we can pull it off. Scry, and we should catch him off guard.”
That worked for the two witches.
“I have a name. That will make it much quicker,” Booth admitted. “Just keep me safe.”
Raven was up to bat.
Immediately, he began making a circle, lighting candles, and getting ready for what was coming.
Outside that initial circle, he made another. This time, out of salt. Then, he put EVERYONE in it. Outside the building, the weather was turning…fast.
“Don’t break the circle,” he stated. “It will have to get past two circles to get to Booth when he’s the most vulnerable. That gives us time. Booth, get in, get the location, and get out.”
Oh, that was the plan.
Avalon stood, and she moved across the distance to the man. With Nate by her side, she could see him.
“I can help keep you safe. He’ll be focused on me, not you,” she offered.
That worked for Booth.
The more protection, the better.
When he glanced over at his wife, Honor looked legitimately scared by all of this. So, he headed her way and took her face in his hands.
“Hey, Baby, I’m going to be okay. I promise that nothing is keeping me from you.”
She leaned into him and rested her forehead against his. Then, she made him promise her one thing.
“Tell me you’ll come back to me.”
He kissed her, and the whole time, she didn’t care that the whole place was watching.
Losing Booth…
That terrified her.
When he slowly broke the kiss, she had tears in her eyes.
“I love you, my wicked witch. Come back to me. I can’t be me without you.”
Oh, he would.
When he went to move away, she grabbed his arm and stopped him. Then, she pulled her backup rosary off of her neck, and placed in his hand.
“I know we don’t believe the same thing, but whatever is running this shitshow will keep you safe for me. I believe that.”
He smiled.
Yeah, he believed that too.
As he got into place, Julian was having flashbacks of Beckett losing his gift.
He hoped and prayed that didn’t happen to Booth.
“Be careful, Bro. We’ve got you.”
The man toed off his shoes, sat down, and Avalon stood behind him, her hands on his shoulders.
“And here we go,” Booth said, as Raven cast the circle, calling the watchtowers to protect them.
In that moment, they all felt the power. Only, it wasn’t distinctly Raven’s.
It was more.
Booth could feel the energy coming off of Avalon as she was holding onto his body.
He began.
“Show me Will Sinclair,” he said, as he used his wife’s rosary to do the scrying this time. He wrapped it around his wrist, and as it dangled above the gold-framed mirror, it swayed.
And Booth focused.
Everything flashed around him.
He opened his eyes as he was scrying, and his third eye saw him in his mind’s eye, and he was plotting something.
Something horrible.
There was a burning in his arm, and where the rosary touched his skin, it began burning him.
The crucifix swung wildly.
At that same second, he felt the darkness rushing toward him, once it sensed he was there with Oracle.
“OUT! OUT! OUT!” he shouted, and the energy reversed, and it felt like a vacuum sucking him out.
When he opened his eyes, they were all watching him and Avalon. The whole time, she was still braced against his back, keeping him safe.
“Well?” Julian asked.
He grinned.
“He’s at the Vanderbilt house. He’s staying there. The second I popped in, he felt something there. He came at me, but I got out.”
Oh, thank God.
His wife knelt beside him.
“Did he know it was us?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“Nope. Avalon gave me some juice, and that shit was powerful! Thanks,” he said. “I think he just felt energy. I was in and out way too fast. The only reason I knew it’s that house is that cupola on the roof in gold.”
At her name, laughter filled the room, rolling over all of them in a warm wave of amusement.
“My pleasure,” she stated.
Tori wasn’t shocked he was there.
“Of course, he’s hiding there. He’s family. He has been moving around, REALLY wealthy, and had that luxury. He likely doesn’t have to work.”
Yeah, probably.
Booth warned them.
“He’s plotting. I saw one other thing.”
Julian was curious.
“What?”
He told him.
“Bodhi. I saw Bodhi.”
Oh, and there was no doubt why he’d seen him.
“He is likely planning on moving back here. We only have two MEs. One works closely with us. Of course, he’d try to take out Bodhi. He’s likely been watching him for a while, and knows that he and his father were going through some rough moments.”
That might register as depression for this demon, and they all knew it.
Julian pulled out his phone.
He was taking NO chances.
Dialing, he heard the man’s sleepy voice on the other end. It was clear that he’d been out cold, recovering from his marathon work session.
“Julian, this had better be damn good. I told Bishop and Honor I was off duty, and this is my personal phone. I worked thirty-six straight,” he admitted.
Julian didn’t care.
They weren’t losing Bodhi, and risking this person would kill him before they got to him.
“We need you to look on your person, in your clothing, and on anything you had with you the last thirty-six hours.”
He paused.
“Why?”
Julian told him, and the whole time, Bodhi said nothing.
Until he did.
“Give me a second,” he stated. “I’m not fucking around and dying today,” he stated, surprising all of them.
Bodhi was a man of science.
Only, he was also a new father and husband.
Screw.
That.
“Something followed my wife, Haily, Bishop, and Bex back from Utah. See if anything looks out of place, or if someone left something in your possessions.”
It didn’t take him long.
They knew he found something by the tone in his voice.
“Son of a bitch,” they all heard over the phone as Bodhi muttered that.
“What?” Honor asked.
He told them.
“Someone put a pentacle in my medical kit,” he stated. “Why is there one in there?”
More importantly, Bishop had another question.
“When did you leave it alone?”
The man considered it. There was only one time that kit wasn’t on his person or in his office at work.
“I ran into the store on my way home from work after seeing you guys. I left it in the back seat of my car.”
And there it was.
“Destroy it,” Raven said. “I need you to put it in salt and then light it on fire.”
Well, he would do that.
Going to the kitchen, he walked past his wife and the kids, and went right to the sink. He dropped it in the sink, covered it in salt, and lit it on fire with a match.
The thing went up in a flash.
“Shit. It burned fast.”
That told Raven all he needed to know.
“The spell that I put on your home to protect you will hold. You don’t have any guns, right?” he asked.
Oh, hell, no.
“Absolutely not. I hate them.”
Well, that was working in their favor, but Raven wasn’t taking any chances, just in case.
“Put your wife on the phone.”
Bodhi didn’t argue, but instead, did just that.
“Yes, Raven?” she asked, shaken by all of this.
The man’s soothing voice helped calm her down. The last thing any of them wanted to do while she was on maternity leave was upset her, but they had to be thorough.
There was no room for error.
“Don’t be afraid. This is just overkill, but if Bodhi starts acting weird, KNOCK HIM OUT.”
Oh, that said it all.
“Okay. I can do that,” she said.
Again, he reassured her.
“It’s just being overly precautious. Still, if he goes for anything sharp, or is acting crazy, take him down. You were a cop. You can handle him.”
She could, and if it meant saving him, and their son and daughter, she would.
“Got it.”
Raven wanted her to be calm.
“Do you have that candle I gave you for your wedding? The one I said would help keep calm balanced?”
She did.
“Yes.”
Well, that would help.
“Burn it.”
Bodhi was already putting it on the kitchen island and striking a match against the pack.
“I wish Jake was here,” she said.
Oh, well, they all wished their dead were. That was for damn sure.
“Call if something is off. Okay, Hails?”