Finding the Fallen

Chapter 9

Gregory Tannish stood by the window gazing down at the city below him. He hadn't slept well the night before, despite the warmth of the two extremely attractive Servants that had shared his king size bed. He had been tired enough, but sleep would not come. He couldn't shut his brain off. Or perhaps he just didn't want to wake sweat-soaked in the middle of the night after having that damn dream again. In the end, it didn't matter what he wanted...the damn dream is what he got.

Tannish was tired of his brain's poor attempt at a guilt trip. By now his enemy (and Scott was his enemy) was long dead, despite the mildly disturbing fact his little puppet had not returned with proof yet. Not to worry...Tannish had great faith in her abilities. Sonya was one of his favorites, regardless of her family heritage. Unlike her coward of a brother, she had proven herself quite useful over the past year.

The dream, however, seemed indicative of some inner angst. He knew it would resurface nightly until he had the evidence he sought. Scott had left the city over a year ago, but somehow the mere mention of his name still raised tiny hairs on the back of Tannish's neck. Scott had been instrumental in Tannish's rise to power in this city, after all. In fact, Scott should have become King...and unfortunately, Tannish knew this all too well.

Scott and Tannish, along with a growing group of followers, had traveled together from New York City after the Conclave nearly 6 years earlier. They'd become friends during the Conclave and the fact they were both Air Servants only cemented that friendship even further. Despite Scott's treachery in the end, Tannish truly did miss the times they'd shared. The power they could produce together was impressive, and when it came to defeating an enemy, no one else could compare...Servant or otherwise.

Two years prior, Tannish and Scott had defeated their first (and Tannish's only) Dark Witch together. The battle was difficult, but well worth the effort in the end. The god-like feeling that resulted was something no other act could produce. Not long after that victory, they had discovered Charleston. The dying city was under the pathetic rule of a former mob boss who seemed to think he could control the city by forcing its residents to give him all their worldly possessions in exchange for his "protection from witches." Turned out he was mistaken.

Tannish and Scott took it upon themselves, along with the help of several other Servants, to free the city from the mobster's rule. After the subsequent war had been fought and won with minimal civilian casualties, they were labeled "heroes." They even stuck around long enough to meet with some of the city's most influential citizens who hoped to reestablish a democratic government.

Neither man had been very keen on staying in one place for long, but Tannish was infatuated with the inner workings of politics. As a former financial manager for a large firm in New York City, Tannish was an extremely intelligent man with an unusual knack for seeing details that others missed. But he wasn't the only intelligent man in the group. It had been Scott who had insisted they fight for the people of Charleston, and when that news came out, those same people began calling for Scott to accept a nomination for Mayor.

Scott refused, insisting the group move farther west as they had originally planned. Tannish managed to convince them to stay, however. Scott reluctantly agreed, and when Tannish was elected Mayor in his place, Scott stood by his side during the inauguration.

Tannish knew Scott's loyalty wouldn't last forever. His friend had been a nomad even before the Cleansing, so it shouldn't have been a surprise when Scott told him of his plans to move on. Tannish had tried to convince the man, insisting they were doing good work where they were, but Scott refused to see the truth. He accused Tannish of manipulating the people of Charleston for his own gain.

Before the city was freed and the new government established, there had been very few Servants living there. It didn't take long for word of a new Servant King to spread across the land, and as a result, more and more Servants migrated to the city. Most were women curious to see what all the talk was about. Tannish wooed every single one of them, convincing them in any way he could that his rule was for the greater good of the city and its inhabitants.