Corlisse appeared in the middle of the cottage and Ramsey calmly turned to look at her, not at all surprised that she had came to see them. She had been doing that for a while now. Ransley was asleep on the bed so Corlisse spoke with hushed voice.
“Hi”, she said. “I thought I should drop by and tell you that they are still looking for you and Ransley. Nothing has changed.”
Ramsey nodded grumpily. “Are you sure they won’t find us?”
“They have no clue where to look for you.”
“Good.”
“How is he?” Corlisse asked and nodded towards Ransley. “Better?”
Ramsey nodded.
“Better”, he agreed. “Ever since he visited Lucas in the Spirit world… he won’t tell me what happened there but he is much better. He eats, he drinks water, he sees a therapist and for the past few months… he’s been really good, has better control. He’s not completely stable yet, like the change has been small but it is better than nothing.”
“I am glad”, Corlisse said.
Ransley started mumbling something in the bed and then he woke up and looked at Corlisse and Ramsey. He sat up, stretched and walked towards them.
“Hi, Corlisse”, Ransley said. “What brings you here again?”
“Just wanted to drop by”, Corlisse said and shrugged.
“Okay, are you staying long, then?” Ransley pointed at the fridge. “We talked about eating after my nap, care to join us?”
Corlisse was just about to answer the question when there was a knock on the cottage’s door. Ramsey, Corlisse and Ransley turned simultaneously to look at the cottage’s door, all three of them having surprised, worried and suspicious looks on their faces.
“Maybe it’s Ronald and Farrah”, Corlisse suggested, but even she didn’t believe in her own words.
“We both know who is behind that door”, Ramsey said with gritted teeth.
“Who is behind that door?” Ransley asked just when there was another knock on the door, this one more aggressive than the first one. “Ramsey, who else knows our location?”
“Not ours”, Ramsey said and pointed at Corlisse. “Hers.”
A powerful kick to the door made it swung open and three men stepped inside the cottage. The shortest one of them looked very tired, the one who had a very angry look on his face had red hair and beard. The third man had long blond hair, blue eyes and no eyebrows, and he looked calm and collected. They eyed around them for a moment, then focused their attention on Corlisse.
“Ah, Miss Stoykova”, said the shortest one of them, smiling a creepy smile. “You have located the fugitives.”
Ransley’s eyebrows shot up as he looked at the short man. Ramsey and Corlisse changed a look. Ramsey nodded at her and she turned her attention to the three men standing in front of them.
“Yes, Vlad. I was just about to inform you”, she said and gave the man one of her most believable smiles.
“Cut the bullshit, Miss Stoykova”, said the other man with red hair and red beard. “You have repeatedly reported that you did not have the Barlow brothers’ location, but when we started tracking you, we ended up here – in this hideous cottage where we find you and the Barlow brothers.”
“Calm down, Milos”, said the blond, tall man. “I am sure, Miss Stoykova has an explanation for this.”
“I do not care about any explanations!” Milos yelled. “She has been hiding the fugitives from us, Ilian, and you know it!”
“Ah, Milos”, said the short man, Vlad. “We know that but we just do not get so upset about it.”
“This needs to be handled deliberately”, Ilian stated, and turned his ice cold blue eyes to Ramsey and Ransley. “We are here to personally escort you two in front of the Court.”
“The Court?” Ransley spat out. “Why would I go see the Court of Warlocks when I’m not even a warlock?”
“Ah, but you used to be”, Vlad pointed out, “and you broke the peace agreement by killing your warlock-family.”
“But–“, Ransley started, but got interrupted.
“Ah, and you”, Vlad said, pointing at Ramsey. “You were given a chance to either bring your brother in front of the Court or exterminate him.”
“I–“, Ramsey started, but he too got interrupted.
“For a long time–“, Ilian started.
“273 years to be exact”, Milos muttered grumpily.
“–we have let it slide that you have not managed to do either of those things”, Ilian finished.
“Ah, frankly because we have had another things to worry about than you two.”
“Because the whole world does not revolve around the Barlow brothers”, Milos stated with gritted teeth.
The silence lasted only a split second before Ilian spread his arms, looked at Ramsey and said: “Now it seems like you have allied with Ransley, though.”
“Which means you have betrayed the Court”, Milos said, now smiling evilly. “You are both immediately to go in front of the Court to hear your judgement”, Ilian said. “I am sorry, Ramsey, but you had your chance.”
“And what if we don’t agree to go to Bulgaria?” Ramsey asked. “After all, you have no proofs that I have allied with Ransley.”
“Ah, but we do have proofs”, Vlad said, clasping his hands. “A reliable source told us that you and Miss Stoykova have helped Ransley to enter beyond the border and into the Spirit world.”
Corlisse looked shocked and so did Ramsey.
“How did you–“, Ransley started, but Milos interrupted him, shooting a cold stare at Ransley.
“So you admit it”, Milos said, “you did go to the Spirit world while knowing fully well that it is forbidden because it might open up a bridge between the other side and the living world?”
“My boyfriend needed help so I–“
“You all”, Ilian said loudly, “have violated the Code.”
Suddenly Corlisse groaned, and slapped a hand on her forehead.
“I should’ve known!” she hissed. “It was that vampire. Farrah whats-her-name... Livingstone! Farrah Livingstone! She narced on us.”
“What?” Ransley asked.
“Why?” Ramsey asked.
“I found her when she got turned”, Corlisse said. “It was too late save her so I decided to help her.” Corlisse sighed. “She appeared soon after in front of the Court, asking for a permission to turn her family so she wouldn’t have to be alone. I voted ‘no’ and it was a decisive vote.”
“And you didn’t recognize her?” Ramsey asked angrily.
“It was 600 years ago!” Corlisse defended herself.
“Well she sure recognized you!”
“Enough!” Ilian’s voice rose above every other noise. “You three have to come with us, the justice needs to happen.”
Ramsey and Corlisse shared a look and then turned their gazes back to Vlad, Ilian and Milos.
“No”, they said in unison and then green and blue fire lightened up on their hands. Ransley took a pose, ready to give a punch in the face to everyone who would come close.
“If you do not come willingly”, said Ilian, “then we have to force you.”
All three of the men lightened up their fires; Ilian and orange fire, Milos and black fire and Vlad and red fire.
Then all hell broke loose.
All the warlocks were attacking at the same time, the fires hitting walls and protective fields that were created. Ransley stood behind Ramsey and Corlisse, ready to defend himself if needed. Then Ramsey’s green fire hit Milos on the stomach and he flew back and hit the wall. Vlad and Ilian got so surprised about it that they forget to keep their eyes on Ramsey, Corlisse and Ransley.
“Grab my hands!” Ramsey yelled, and extended his hands. Ransley took a hold of Ramsey’s hand and Corlisse grabbed the other hand and then they were gone.
Vlad and Ilian stared at the spot where Ramsey and the others had been a second ago while Milos struggled to get up on his feet.
“They will not be happy to hear that we let them escape”, Milos grunted, holding his stomach.
“We will find them”, Ilian said calmly. “They can’t runaway forever.”
Ramsey, Ransley and Corlisse materialised somewhere high on the mountain, in the middle of a snowstorm. They fell on the snow and quickly got up on their feet. They looked around and tried to see something in the storm.
“Where are we?” Corlisse asked.
“Switzerland”, Ramsey said, breathing heavily. It had taken a lot of him to move all of them alone so far away.
“Seriously?” Ransley rolled his eyes. “Switzerland? You couldn’t think of any other place?”
“It was the first place I could think of”, Ramsey said grumpily and narrowed his eyes in the blizzard. “We need to find a shelter.”
“They will come after us”, Corlisse said. “We are all fugitives now. They will not give up before we are in front of the Court.”
“You’re right”, Ramsey said. “They won’t give up before we’re in front of the Court.” Ramsey wiped his hair out of his face and looked straight at Ransley and Corlisse. “We need to vote.”
“About what, exactly, brother?” Ransley asked, raising his eyebrows.
Ramsey was just about to answer but Corlisse beat him to it.
“He wants us to decide whether we want to fight or run”, she said, looking at Ramsey. “Am I right, Ramsey?”
He nodded. Ransley’s eyes jumped between them and then he smirked and said: “I have been running for centuries. I’m ready to fight.”
“You think so?” Ramsey asked. “What if you die?”
“Well I had a good run”, Ransley said and shrugged. “I know I’ll see Lucas again when I die, so I’m not scared of it.”
“I would rather fight than be a fugitive for the rest of my life”, Corlisse stated. “So. How are we going to overthrow the Court of Warlocks?”
Ramsey looked at them, furrowed his eyebrows and then said: “I have no fucking idea.”
“Hi”, she said. “I thought I should drop by and tell you that they are still looking for you and Ransley. Nothing has changed.”
Ramsey nodded grumpily. “Are you sure they won’t find us?”
“They have no clue where to look for you.”
“Good.”
“How is he?” Corlisse asked and nodded towards Ransley. “Better?”
Ramsey nodded.
“Better”, he agreed. “Ever since he visited Lucas in the Spirit world… he won’t tell me what happened there but he is much better. He eats, he drinks water, he sees a therapist and for the past few months… he’s been really good, has better control. He’s not completely stable yet, like the change has been small but it is better than nothing.”
“I am glad”, Corlisse said.
Ransley started mumbling something in the bed and then he woke up and looked at Corlisse and Ramsey. He sat up, stretched and walked towards them.
“Hi, Corlisse”, Ransley said. “What brings you here again?”
“Just wanted to drop by”, Corlisse said and shrugged.
“Okay, are you staying long, then?” Ransley pointed at the fridge. “We talked about eating after my nap, care to join us?”
Corlisse was just about to answer the question when there was a knock on the cottage’s door. Ramsey, Corlisse and Ransley turned simultaneously to look at the cottage’s door, all three of them having surprised, worried and suspicious looks on their faces.
“Maybe it’s Ronald and Farrah”, Corlisse suggested, but even she didn’t believe in her own words.
“We both know who is behind that door”, Ramsey said with gritted teeth.
“Who is behind that door?” Ransley asked just when there was another knock on the door, this one more aggressive than the first one. “Ramsey, who else knows our location?”
“Not ours”, Ramsey said and pointed at Corlisse. “Hers.”
A powerful kick to the door made it swung open and three men stepped inside the cottage. The shortest one of them looked very tired, the one who had a very angry look on his face had red hair and beard. The third man had long blond hair, blue eyes and no eyebrows, and he looked calm and collected. They eyed around them for a moment, then focused their attention on Corlisse.
“Ah, Miss Stoykova”, said the shortest one of them, smiling a creepy smile. “You have located the fugitives.”
Ransley’s eyebrows shot up as he looked at the short man. Ramsey and Corlisse changed a look. Ramsey nodded at her and she turned her attention to the three men standing in front of them.
“Yes, Vlad. I was just about to inform you”, she said and gave the man one of her most believable smiles.
“Cut the bullshit, Miss Stoykova”, said the other man with red hair and red beard. “You have repeatedly reported that you did not have the Barlow brothers’ location, but when we started tracking you, we ended up here – in this hideous cottage where we find you and the Barlow brothers.”
“Calm down, Milos”, said the blond, tall man. “I am sure, Miss Stoykova has an explanation for this.”
“I do not care about any explanations!” Milos yelled. “She has been hiding the fugitives from us, Ilian, and you know it!”
“Ah, Milos”, said the short man, Vlad. “We know that but we just do not get so upset about it.”
“This needs to be handled deliberately”, Ilian stated, and turned his ice cold blue eyes to Ramsey and Ransley. “We are here to personally escort you two in front of the Court.”
“The Court?” Ransley spat out. “Why would I go see the Court of Warlocks when I’m not even a warlock?”
“Ah, but you used to be”, Vlad pointed out, “and you broke the peace agreement by killing your warlock-family.”
“But–“, Ransley started, but got interrupted.
“Ah, and you”, Vlad said, pointing at Ramsey. “You were given a chance to either bring your brother in front of the Court or exterminate him.”
“I–“, Ramsey started, but he too got interrupted.
“For a long time–“, Ilian started.
“273 years to be exact”, Milos muttered grumpily.
“–we have let it slide that you have not managed to do either of those things”, Ilian finished.
“Ah, frankly because we have had another things to worry about than you two.”
“Because the whole world does not revolve around the Barlow brothers”, Milos stated with gritted teeth.
The silence lasted only a split second before Ilian spread his arms, looked at Ramsey and said: “Now it seems like you have allied with Ransley, though.”
“Which means you have betrayed the Court”, Milos said, now smiling evilly. “You are both immediately to go in front of the Court to hear your judgement”, Ilian said. “I am sorry, Ramsey, but you had your chance.”
“And what if we don’t agree to go to Bulgaria?” Ramsey asked. “After all, you have no proofs that I have allied with Ransley.”
“Ah, but we do have proofs”, Vlad said, clasping his hands. “A reliable source told us that you and Miss Stoykova have helped Ransley to enter beyond the border and into the Spirit world.”
Corlisse looked shocked and so did Ramsey.
“How did you–“, Ransley started, but Milos interrupted him, shooting a cold stare at Ransley.
“So you admit it”, Milos said, “you did go to the Spirit world while knowing fully well that it is forbidden because it might open up a bridge between the other side and the living world?”
“My boyfriend needed help so I–“
“You all”, Ilian said loudly, “have violated the Code.”
Suddenly Corlisse groaned, and slapped a hand on her forehead.
“I should’ve known!” she hissed. “It was that vampire. Farrah whats-her-name... Livingstone! Farrah Livingstone! She narced on us.”
“What?” Ransley asked.
“Why?” Ramsey asked.
“I found her when she got turned”, Corlisse said. “It was too late save her so I decided to help her.” Corlisse sighed. “She appeared soon after in front of the Court, asking for a permission to turn her family so she wouldn’t have to be alone. I voted ‘no’ and it was a decisive vote.”
“And you didn’t recognize her?” Ramsey asked angrily.
“It was 600 years ago!” Corlisse defended herself.
“Well she sure recognized you!”
“Enough!” Ilian’s voice rose above every other noise. “You three have to come with us, the justice needs to happen.”
Ramsey and Corlisse shared a look and then turned their gazes back to Vlad, Ilian and Milos.
“No”, they said in unison and then green and blue fire lightened up on their hands. Ransley took a pose, ready to give a punch in the face to everyone who would come close.
“If you do not come willingly”, said Ilian, “then we have to force you.”
All three of the men lightened up their fires; Ilian and orange fire, Milos and black fire and Vlad and red fire.
Then all hell broke loose.
All the warlocks were attacking at the same time, the fires hitting walls and protective fields that were created. Ransley stood behind Ramsey and Corlisse, ready to defend himself if needed. Then Ramsey’s green fire hit Milos on the stomach and he flew back and hit the wall. Vlad and Ilian got so surprised about it that they forget to keep their eyes on Ramsey, Corlisse and Ransley.
“Grab my hands!” Ramsey yelled, and extended his hands. Ransley took a hold of Ramsey’s hand and Corlisse grabbed the other hand and then they were gone.
Vlad and Ilian stared at the spot where Ramsey and the others had been a second ago while Milos struggled to get up on his feet.
“They will not be happy to hear that we let them escape”, Milos grunted, holding his stomach.
“We will find them”, Ilian said calmly. “They can’t runaway forever.”
Ramsey, Ransley and Corlisse materialised somewhere high on the mountain, in the middle of a snowstorm. They fell on the snow and quickly got up on their feet. They looked around and tried to see something in the storm.
“Where are we?” Corlisse asked.
“Switzerland”, Ramsey said, breathing heavily. It had taken a lot of him to move all of them alone so far away.
“Seriously?” Ransley rolled his eyes. “Switzerland? You couldn’t think of any other place?”
“It was the first place I could think of”, Ramsey said grumpily and narrowed his eyes in the blizzard. “We need to find a shelter.”
“They will come after us”, Corlisse said. “We are all fugitives now. They will not give up before we are in front of the Court.”
“You’re right”, Ramsey said. “They won’t give up before we’re in front of the Court.” Ramsey wiped his hair out of his face and looked straight at Ransley and Corlisse. “We need to vote.”
“About what, exactly, brother?” Ransley asked, raising his eyebrows.
Ramsey was just about to answer but Corlisse beat him to it.
“He wants us to decide whether we want to fight or run”, she said, looking at Ramsey. “Am I right, Ramsey?”
He nodded. Ransley’s eyes jumped between them and then he smirked and said: “I have been running for centuries. I’m ready to fight.”
“You think so?” Ramsey asked. “What if you die?”
“Well I had a good run”, Ransley said and shrugged. “I know I’ll see Lucas again when I die, so I’m not scared of it.”
“I would rather fight than be a fugitive for the rest of my life”, Corlisse stated. “So. How are we going to overthrow the Court of Warlocks?”
Ramsey looked at them, furrowed his eyebrows and then said: “I have no fucking idea.”
