Lost

Zacky stumbled into the kitchen still half asleep, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips.
“Good morning Zack…”
“Ughhhhhh…”
Matt smirked and elbowed Jimmy as Johnny steered Zacky towards the kettle. Dani was sitting in Matt’s lap and noted the new bruises as Zacky made a large coffee and grabbed another mug from the shelf. Breakfast tended to be a haphazard affair with plenty of comings and goings, Stefanie and Raven appeared as the kettle boiled and sat down to toast, a swell of conversation going around the table until Matt realised who was missing and grinned at Zacky.
“Where’s Claire?”
Zacky smirked and picked up the second mug and pointed over his head.
“She’s not speaking to me. Probably because I fell asleep between the sluts last night and didn’t make it to bed. Hopefully a cup of tea and penitence will get me back in favour.”
“Did someone take my name in vain?”
Syn patted Zacky’s ass as he made his way back out of the kitchen before sitting down next to Matt and grabbing a slice of toast. He had left Lilith still sleeping and now wanted to see what plans Jimmy had for the day ahead. The boss man was being gently teased by Raven about his hair and new beard, he also knew that his friends were already fit to burst.
“It’s avant garde!”
“James, you look like a hippy crossed with Charles Manson.”
Syn looked at Johnny and dissolved, his head falling onto the table as he roared with laughter and Dani threatened to shave them all bald like Matt. Stefanie was all for getting the clippers and then stopped, frowning at the look on Zacky’s face as he re-entered the room.
“She’s not here.”
“Claire? I thought she missed the spell call at four because she was with you and Lilith.”
Dani listened in her head and called out mentally to her sister but there was nothing. Jimmy frowned, remembering Lilith’s strange vision. He decided not to say it, not wanting to stress Zacky out until they knew something but his neck pricked and apprehension was written on his friends faces. Of all of them Claire was usually the most reliable.
“She could be at the shop.”
Zacky nodded at Johnny’s words and tried to breathe, he knew he worried about Claire far too much at times and would feel a little foolish if she was just opening up early. The fact that he couldn’t hear her bothered him and Syn saw it, leaving the kitchen to go and rouse Lilith.
“I guess so. Weird not hearing her.”
Matt nodded, his attention drawn back to the map in front of him as he moved the pepper pot into a flanking position. Jimmy sat back down and a discussion regarding tactics began using most of the items on the table until Lilith came into the kitchen, Syn close behind.
“What’s up? Syn said Claire has gone walkabout.”
Zacky glared at her and Lilith smirked, piling her hair on top of her head with the help of some pins and Dani’s magic as she tried to reach her sister in her head. Raven saw the frown and knew that Lilith couldn’t reach her either. She glanced up, meeting the angel’s eye before looking back at Zacky.
“I don’t like it. This isn’t how she normally tunes us out when she wants some peace.”
“I know, she always leaves a channel open.”
Zacky grabbed his coat from the chair and lit the cigarette, Syn following suit as Jimmy weighed up what this could mean. It had been quiet since they had averted disaster the last time, the shadow demon thing really just a diversion rather than a threat. He wondered if they had got sloppy and looked over at Matt.
“I’ll go with Syn and Zack, check the shop. You and Johnny take Stefanie and do a sweep across town.”
They all stood up, Lilith knew what was coming next and made her way to Raven and Dani, Jimmy smiling fondly at the three women. They had become very close and now he could see the change in Lilith, the quiet worry rather than anger. He crossed the room and kissed her forehead, looking at his Raven before lifting Lilith’s chin.
“Don’t panic. You up for a locator spell?”
Lilith grinned and nodded.
“We can give it a go, she probably went shopping.”
Both knew they were being hopeful and felt the same fear as the reapers left and the witches and angel went upstairs to the top of the house. Ever since they had lived there was mortals over 125 years before it had been their place, the attic rooms given over to the craft that Claire and her sister had been born into. During the seventy years Lilith had been lost to them Dani and Claire had stopped using it but now it hummed again with power and soon the salt circle and candles were in place. Lilith poured the sand in the middle and joined hands with Dani and Raven.
“Blessed be the circle of light….”
The room shook a little as the witches opened the circle, Lilith had kept things fairly light but both she and Dani were now in no doubt that Claire was being hidden from them by something mystical. The sand swirled, the tiny locator lights were not tracking as they normally did. Instead they were like a mini tornado moving rapidly around the sand before blinking out. Raven stared at the sand and felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck.
“Are we in trouble here?”
Lilith swept through the sand and added more, looking up at her friends.
“She’s being hidden from us. That takes power.”
Dani nodded, leaning back from the circle to reach down for a book on the bottom shelf. It was old and faded, a book of immense learning and some darkness. Lilith shivered, even now she didn’t want to think of the feeling of unparalled dark power that had run through her before. It was tame now and didn’t need to be reawakened.
“Let’s try the beefed up version.”
Dani opened the book, the three joining hands again as the incantations began. It was a different power than the witches together, Raven had all the power of the old gods and it made for an interesting ride as the room shook and the lights came back on the sand, brighter and faster now than before. Lilith concentrated, her mind calling out to her sister.
“C’mon Claire, where are you?”
A low whine was building in the room as the spell tried to work its way to finding their lost one. It felt different, all three realising they were being seriously blocked and Dani called out to Matt mentally warning him that this wasn’t Claire going shopping at all. His answer was lost in the roaring wind as they tried to remain seated and holding hands, the contents of the attic now whirling in a tornado of its own before finally the wind died.
“Nothing.”
Lilith sat back and thought hard. The vision had showed her a witch being made public. What good would that do whoever had Claire? It wasn’t like they could force her into doing anything they wanted. Yet blocking them this well meant considerable mystical force. Dani answered her in her head, it wasn’t good at all.
Raven stood, a little nervous about what she was going to ask but knowing it was the quickest way to get some answers. She crossed to the table at the back of room and picked up Lilith’s Book of Hours.
“We could do it the really dangerous way.”
Both the other women stared at her and then grinned. Dangerous was fun and hell, there was a serious amount of black magic contained in the battered leather book. Lilith took it and the Book flipped open by itself, her grin getting mischevious.
“We promised the boys not to do this, avoid the dark shit Jimmy said.”
“Jimbo ain’t here and its an emergency.”
“Yeah, I won’t let him yell.”
Raven smirked, she could handle her man when it was needed and now it was needed. Claire was as powerful as Lilith and the warning about burning witches made it all the more important that they find her. None of the women could let themselves think about the peril Claire could be in.
Lilith carefully placed her hands on the Book, she knew the black magic wanted to be let loose and allowed it to flow, her eyes glowing red as Dani and Raven joined hands. The incantations were Latin and Sumerian, the sparks a blinding mix of orange and blue. The house was shaking harder, a little plaster loosening as the magic spread forth.
“Bring my sister to my sight, show her to me!”
There was a whirl of black smoke and Lilith felt something cold go up her back. Dani grabbed her hand, the feeling was horrible and even Raven was shaken as a hazy shape seemed to form in the smoke. It glared and a loud maniacal laugh shook the room, picking up the three women and hurling them into separate corners. Lilith was dazed, staring up at the smoke as it seemed to leer at her and a voice boomed.
“SHE IS MINE NOW.”

Notes