Late Wednesday/Early Thursday Morning, New York City
It was no secret that Savannah had nightmares sometimes. Maybe more than sometimes. However, this time, the dream felt a lot more real than she was used to. She moved restlessly on the bed next to Johnny as she dreamed. She was murmuring in her sleep, but someone would have to be awake and paying attention to know what she was saying.
As they entered the room, the man who had arranged for their kidnapping turned and smiled, and they found themselves looking into an exact replica of Savannah's big blue eyes. Savannah looked at Paige and her heart dropped at the expression on her face and she knew then that Kristof Nast was indeed Savannah's father.
"Savannah," he said. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this."
"Tell this guy to let me go!" She wriggled, trying to get free. "Put me down. Now!"
Nast waved for Friesen to release Savannah. "My apologies, princess." He chuckled and glanced at Sandford. "Still any doubt she's mine?"
"I'm not yours," Savannah said, pulling her shirt into place. "Not yours. Not hers." She jabbed a finger at Leah. "Not anyone's. Now take me home or there's going to be trouble."
"Savannah," Paige said. "This is-"
"I'm your father," Nast said.
He smiled and reached for Savannah. She jumped back, arms flying up to ward him off. She looked from Paige to Nast, then back to Paige. "That's not funny," she said.
"It's the truth," Paige admitted reluctantly. "I wanted us to have undeniable proof before I told you."
Nast nodded. "First, let me say that your mother was a remarkable woman and I loved her very much. It just… it didn't work out for us. After you were born, she asked me to stay away, so I did, but I always planned to be part of your life someday. With your mother's death, that's happened earlier than I expected."
"How come she never mentioned you to me?"
"I have no idea, Savannah."
"Get on with your case, then, so I can go home."
Kristof launched into an explanation of how Cabals worked and how they held absolute power in the sorcerer communities. Savannah wasn't dumb enough to be too impressed, but at thirteen it was quite a shock to find out that you were the lost princess to some big family.
"May I ask a question?" Paige said, drawing their attention to her.
"I don't think-"
"It's a reasonable question," she said. "I'm not challenging or disagreeing with anything. I just want to clarify a point. As I understand it, sorcerers typically have only sons, meaning Savannah would be the only girl-or woman-in the family. How would that impact her position?"
"It wouldn't." Nast paused, then said, "Let me expand on that. I want to be completely forthcoming with you, Savannah. Within our Cabal, the Nast family's power is absolute. If we say you are to be accepted, you will be. Now, as regards matters of succession, there would likely be some dispute over whether you could inherit leadership. However, that point is moot. I have two very capable sons, and the oldest has already been named as my heir."
"So what do I get?" she asked.
"Everything else." He shifted forward, leaning toward her. "I'm a very wealthy, very powerful man, Savannah. One who can give you everything you've ever wanted. I'm sure Paige has done her best, but she can't offer you the advantages I can. More than money, Savannah. I'm talking about opportunity. Access to the best tutors, the best spellbooks, the best materials."
"Sure. In return for my immortal soul. I'm not a dumb little kid, sorcerer. I know why you grabbed me. Because of the ceremony."
Savannah shifted in her sleep, unconsciously rolling away from the warmth of Johnny's body as she kept dreaming.
The dream changed and now she was back in that forest clearing with those two witches that were employed by her father. She found herself standing over a boy that was only a few years older than she was.
"He's sleeping," She said. "Weird. He must live around here, huh? Guess we should
find someplace else-"
"He's supposed to be here," Greta said.
Savannah stared at the young man. He wore a faded denim jacket and jeans. He had light brown hair tied at the nape of his neck and the kind of soft, pretty face that markets so well to teenage girls.
"Who is he?" Savannah asked.
"Prince Charming," Greta said. "You've heard of Sleeping Beauty? Well, this is the girlpower version."
Savannah gave a half-laugh, turning away as her cheeks went scarlet. "No, really, who is he? A sorcerer?"
"He's nobody. Just a human boy." Greta grabbed a small bag from the side of the clearing. "Now, as I've said, we skip all the ritual preliminaries, so you can just go right ahead and kneel beside him."
"What? Why?"
Her gut went cold as Paige looked at the two Cabal witches. "What's going on here?"
"The protection ritual, as we said. Savannah, kneel beside the young man and put your hand on his chest."
Savannah hesitated, then started to kneel.
"No," Paige said. "Get up, Savannah." She turned to Greta and Olivia. "We aren't doing anything until you tell us exactly what this ritual entails."
Greta turned her back on Paige, ignoring her.
"Hey-!" Paige said.
Paige was cut off after the first word, frozen in a binding spell. Savannah started scrambling to her feet, but Anton put his hands on her shoulders and pressed her down.
"Hey! Don't-! Paige!" Savannah swung her gaze up to Olivia, who stood behind Paige and was undoubtedly casting the binding spell. "Let her go! Now!"
"Paige is a Coven witch," Greta said. "She doesn't understand."
She pulled a thin-bladed knife from her bag and knelt on the other side of the boy.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Savannah asked.
"A top-level protection spell requires an exchange. A life protected for a life lost. You should know this, Savannah. Your mother did."
"No! My mother never-she wouldn't-" Savannah looked at the boy, then wrenched her gaze away and struggled against Anton's grip. "You can't do this! I forbid it."
"You forbid it?" Greta's lips twisted. "Did you hear that, Mother? She's giving orders already. Well, 'princess,' it's your father who gives orders around here, and he told us to do whatever was necessary to keep his little girl safe. Anton, put her highness's hand on the boy's chest. Over the heart, please."
Anton forced Savannah's hand to the boy's left breast. Greta moved the blade to the boy's throat.
"No!" Savannah said. "You can't do this! You can't! He didn't-he didn't do anything."
"He's a nobody, Savannah," Olivia said from behind Paige. "A runaway. The only meaning his life has is in protecting yours."
"Don't bother, Mother," Greta said. "It's obvious Eve coddled the girl. What do you think dark magic is, Savannah?"
"It's not this. I know it isn't. My mother never did this."
"Of course she did. She just never let you see it." Greta pressed the blade against the boy's throat.
"No!" Savannah struggled harder, forcing Anton to put all of his weight into holding her down.
"He's a pretty boy, isn't he?" Greta said. She put her left hand behind the boy's head and lifted it. "Would you like to give him a kiss, Savannah? A last kiss? No? All right then."
She slashed the knife over the boy's neck so fast that it seemed not to have left a mark. Then his throat split open. Anton shoved Savannah's head forward. Blood jetted into her face and she started to scream...
Savannah jerked herself from the bed with a harsh cry. It took her a few moments to realize that she was in her and Johnny's bed and the dream was just that. A dream. A dream of things that had happened a long time ago. She wasn't back there in that place. She wasn't being an unwilling accomplice in the murder of a young boy just to do a protection spell.
Savannah could feel the tears on her cheeks as she quietly got out of the bed, leaving Johnny asleep. She was suddenly cold and she quickly got dressed before going out into the living room and then into the kitchen. She wasn't much of a drinker, but Johnny always had alcohol in the house so she spent a few moments staring at labels before she grabbed one of the brown liquids and poured a lot of it into a glass. (That is not how you drink bourbon, Savannah.)
She took the glass of liquor and settled onto the couch. She couldn't go back to bed right now, and she didn't want to chance waking Johnny up. She was holding the glass and finally took a long drink...
...that she ended up sputtering and choking on. "Jesus Fuck." That was a good reaction to the burning sensation in her throat and stomach from the alcohol.
Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. Better emotions through meditation or something like that. However, all that she could see behind her eyes was the image of the last time she had seen her father alive.
"You have to stop, sweetheart," Kristof said. "You can't do this. It isn't possible."
Savannah kept chanting.
"I know you're angry. I don't know what happened-"
Savannah stopped in mid-incantation and howled, "You killed her!"
"I didn't kill anyone, princess. If you mean that boy-"
"I mean Paige! You killed her. You told them to kill her."
"I never-"
"I saw her body! Leah showed me! I saw them carry her to the van. You promised she'd be safe and you killed her!"
Paige stepped into the furnace room and walked around the mammoth wood-burning furnace to see her on the other side, kneeling, facing the far wall.
"I'm right here, Savannah," Paige said. "Nobody killed me."
"Oh, thank God," Nast said. "See, sweetheart? Paige is fine."
"You killed her! You killed her!"
"No, sweetheart, I-"
"You killed her!" Savannah screamed. "You killed her! You promised! You promised and you lied!"
Tears streamed down Savannah's face. Nast stepped forward, arms wide to embrace her. Paige lunged forward to grab him, but missed.
"Don't-!" I shouted.
Savannah's hands flew up and Nast shot backward. His head slammed against the concrete wall. His eyes widened, then closed as his body slumped to the ground, head falling forward. Paige ran to him and felt for a pulse, but there was none. Blood trickled from the crushed back of his head, wending down his neck and over her fingers.
"Oh, God. Oh, God." Paige gulped air, forcing calm into her voice. "It's okay, Savannah. It'll be okay. You didn't mean it. I know that."
Savannah could feel the tears sliding down her cheeks. She had only known her father for a short time and there were so many things that she wished she could say to him now.
If you dream them, they will come.
She didn't know where the thought came from, but Savannah finished the glass of alcohol and then headed towards the bedroom. She had been thinking of visiting Fandom, but she had decided that she needed to see her brother right away.
[[OOC: Warnings for deaths and emo/angst. For the boyfriend if he so desires. Otherwise is establishy. Yes, it got long. Been too busy to break into separate posts this week like I had planned on. :D]]
As they entered the room, the man who had arranged for their kidnapping turned and smiled, and they found themselves looking into an exact replica of Savannah's big blue eyes. Savannah looked at Paige and her heart dropped at the expression on her face and she knew then that Kristof Nast was indeed Savannah's father.
"Savannah," he said. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this."
"Tell this guy to let me go!" She wriggled, trying to get free. "Put me down. Now!"
Nast waved for Friesen to release Savannah. "My apologies, princess." He chuckled and glanced at Sandford. "Still any doubt she's mine?"
"I'm not yours," Savannah said, pulling her shirt into place. "Not yours. Not hers." She jabbed a finger at Leah. "Not anyone's. Now take me home or there's going to be trouble."
"Savannah," Paige said. "This is-"
"I'm your father," Nast said.
He smiled and reached for Savannah. She jumped back, arms flying up to ward him off. She looked from Paige to Nast, then back to Paige. "That's not funny," she said.
"It's the truth," Paige admitted reluctantly. "I wanted us to have undeniable proof before I told you."
Nast nodded. "First, let me say that your mother was a remarkable woman and I loved her very much. It just… it didn't work out for us. After you were born, she asked me to stay away, so I did, but I always planned to be part of your life someday. With your mother's death, that's happened earlier than I expected."
"How come she never mentioned you to me?"
"I have no idea, Savannah."
"Get on with your case, then, so I can go home."
Kristof launched into an explanation of how Cabals worked and how they held absolute power in the sorcerer communities. Savannah wasn't dumb enough to be too impressed, but at thirteen it was quite a shock to find out that you were the lost princess to some big family.
"May I ask a question?" Paige said, drawing their attention to her.
"I don't think-"
"It's a reasonable question," she said. "I'm not challenging or disagreeing with anything. I just want to clarify a point. As I understand it, sorcerers typically have only sons, meaning Savannah would be the only girl-or woman-in the family. How would that impact her position?"
"It wouldn't." Nast paused, then said, "Let me expand on that. I want to be completely forthcoming with you, Savannah. Within our Cabal, the Nast family's power is absolute. If we say you are to be accepted, you will be. Now, as regards matters of succession, there would likely be some dispute over whether you could inherit leadership. However, that point is moot. I have two very capable sons, and the oldest has already been named as my heir."
"So what do I get?" she asked.
"Everything else." He shifted forward, leaning toward her. "I'm a very wealthy, very powerful man, Savannah. One who can give you everything you've ever wanted. I'm sure Paige has done her best, but she can't offer you the advantages I can. More than money, Savannah. I'm talking about opportunity. Access to the best tutors, the best spellbooks, the best materials."
"Sure. In return for my immortal soul. I'm not a dumb little kid, sorcerer. I know why you grabbed me. Because of the ceremony."
Savannah shifted in her sleep, unconsciously rolling away from the warmth of Johnny's body as she kept dreaming.
The dream changed and now she was back in that forest clearing with those two witches that were employed by her father. She found herself standing over a boy that was only a few years older than she was.
"He's sleeping," She said. "Weird. He must live around here, huh? Guess we should
find someplace else-"
"He's supposed to be here," Greta said.
Savannah stared at the young man. He wore a faded denim jacket and jeans. He had light brown hair tied at the nape of his neck and the kind of soft, pretty face that markets so well to teenage girls.
"Who is he?" Savannah asked.
"Prince Charming," Greta said. "You've heard of Sleeping Beauty? Well, this is the girlpower version."
Savannah gave a half-laugh, turning away as her cheeks went scarlet. "No, really, who is he? A sorcerer?"
"He's nobody. Just a human boy." Greta grabbed a small bag from the side of the clearing. "Now, as I've said, we skip all the ritual preliminaries, so you can just go right ahead and kneel beside him."
"What? Why?"
Her gut went cold as Paige looked at the two Cabal witches. "What's going on here?"
"The protection ritual, as we said. Savannah, kneel beside the young man and put your hand on his chest."
Savannah hesitated, then started to kneel.
"No," Paige said. "Get up, Savannah." She turned to Greta and Olivia. "We aren't doing anything until you tell us exactly what this ritual entails."
Greta turned her back on Paige, ignoring her.
"Hey-!" Paige said.
Paige was cut off after the first word, frozen in a binding spell. Savannah started scrambling to her feet, but Anton put his hands on her shoulders and pressed her down.
"Hey! Don't-! Paige!" Savannah swung her gaze up to Olivia, who stood behind Paige and was undoubtedly casting the binding spell. "Let her go! Now!"
"Paige is a Coven witch," Greta said. "She doesn't understand."
She pulled a thin-bladed knife from her bag and knelt on the other side of the boy.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Savannah asked.
"A top-level protection spell requires an exchange. A life protected for a life lost. You should know this, Savannah. Your mother did."
"No! My mother never-she wouldn't-" Savannah looked at the boy, then wrenched her gaze away and struggled against Anton's grip. "You can't do this! I forbid it."
"You forbid it?" Greta's lips twisted. "Did you hear that, Mother? She's giving orders already. Well, 'princess,' it's your father who gives orders around here, and he told us to do whatever was necessary to keep his little girl safe. Anton, put her highness's hand on the boy's chest. Over the heart, please."
Anton forced Savannah's hand to the boy's left breast. Greta moved the blade to the boy's throat.
"No!" Savannah said. "You can't do this! You can't! He didn't-he didn't do anything."
"He's a nobody, Savannah," Olivia said from behind Paige. "A runaway. The only meaning his life has is in protecting yours."
"Don't bother, Mother," Greta said. "It's obvious Eve coddled the girl. What do you think dark magic is, Savannah?"
"It's not this. I know it isn't. My mother never did this."
"Of course she did. She just never let you see it." Greta pressed the blade against the boy's throat.
"No!" Savannah struggled harder, forcing Anton to put all of his weight into holding her down.
"He's a pretty boy, isn't he?" Greta said. She put her left hand behind the boy's head and lifted it. "Would you like to give him a kiss, Savannah? A last kiss? No? All right then."
She slashed the knife over the boy's neck so fast that it seemed not to have left a mark. Then his throat split open. Anton shoved Savannah's head forward. Blood jetted into her face and she started to scream...
Savannah jerked herself from the bed with a harsh cry. It took her a few moments to realize that she was in her and Johnny's bed and the dream was just that. A dream. A dream of things that had happened a long time ago. She wasn't back there in that place. She wasn't being an unwilling accomplice in the murder of a young boy just to do a protection spell.
Savannah could feel the tears on her cheeks as she quietly got out of the bed, leaving Johnny asleep. She was suddenly cold and she quickly got dressed before going out into the living room and then into the kitchen. She wasn't much of a drinker, but Johnny always had alcohol in the house so she spent a few moments staring at labels before she grabbed one of the brown liquids and poured a lot of it into a glass. (That is not how you drink bourbon, Savannah.)
She took the glass of liquor and settled onto the couch. She couldn't go back to bed right now, and she didn't want to chance waking Johnny up. She was holding the glass and finally took a long drink...
...that she ended up sputtering and choking on. "Jesus Fuck." That was a good reaction to the burning sensation in her throat and stomach from the alcohol.
Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. Better emotions through meditation or something like that. However, all that she could see behind her eyes was the image of the last time she had seen her father alive.
"You have to stop, sweetheart," Kristof said. "You can't do this. It isn't possible."
Savannah kept chanting.
"I know you're angry. I don't know what happened-"
Savannah stopped in mid-incantation and howled, "You killed her!"
"I didn't kill anyone, princess. If you mean that boy-"
"I mean Paige! You killed her. You told them to kill her."
"I never-"
"I saw her body! Leah showed me! I saw them carry her to the van. You promised she'd be safe and you killed her!"
Paige stepped into the furnace room and walked around the mammoth wood-burning furnace to see her on the other side, kneeling, facing the far wall.
"I'm right here, Savannah," Paige said. "Nobody killed me."
"Oh, thank God," Nast said. "See, sweetheart? Paige is fine."
"You killed her! You killed her!"
"No, sweetheart, I-"
"You killed her!" Savannah screamed. "You killed her! You promised! You promised and you lied!"
Tears streamed down Savannah's face. Nast stepped forward, arms wide to embrace her. Paige lunged forward to grab him, but missed.
"Don't-!" I shouted.
Savannah's hands flew up and Nast shot backward. His head slammed against the concrete wall. His eyes widened, then closed as his body slumped to the ground, head falling forward. Paige ran to him and felt for a pulse, but there was none. Blood trickled from the crushed back of his head, wending down his neck and over her fingers.
"Oh, God. Oh, God." Paige gulped air, forcing calm into her voice. "It's okay, Savannah. It'll be okay. You didn't mean it. I know that."
Savannah could feel the tears sliding down her cheeks. She had only known her father for a short time and there were so many things that she wished she could say to him now.
If you dream them, they will come.
She didn't know where the thought came from, but Savannah finished the glass of alcohol and then headed towards the bedroom. She had been thinking of visiting Fandom, but she had decided that she needed to see her brother right away.
[[OOC: Warnings for deaths and emo/angst. For the boyfriend if he so desires. Otherwise is establishy. Yes, it got long. Been too busy to break into separate posts this week like I had planned on. :D]]