Witch {Book One} [UNEDITED]

XXIV: Parentheses

"This is getting nowhere," Helena muttered, poking her finger with the tip of one of her many knives. A bubble of black blood rose. She stuck her finger in her mouth. "I mean, c'mon. We've been in Baton Rouge for what feels like ages now and we ain't found nothing but shit, shit, and more shit." 

"I gotta agree with Kreig on this'in," Flynn said, reaching over and stealing a French fry from Simon's plate. He wasn't eating them as he still felt sick and Flynn was, as always, hungry. "We've found jack shit here and you still don't  want us to leave. We gotta get home. Bandit is still facin' those damn trials and last I heard--" he took another fry and ate it "--Thomason was in the hospital 'cause those damn Hell Hounds tried to eat 'im. We gotta get back and help 'em all out. Code APO ain't startin' for some time."

"But the seals--" Samantha started. Simon cut her off with a throaty cough. She looked at Flynn and shook her head. 

"Seals don't matter right now, sweetheart. The trials do. We can worry about the seals once we get the official message to worry about the damn seals," Flynn said. 

Helena took a drink of her strawberry milkshake, nodding in agreement with Flynn. Samantha looked desperately at Simon who shrugged, letting his head fall on the table. 

"Don't care," he said, his accent thick. "But they do have a point. We haven't even got the message to start breakin' them seals. Let's focus on the trials." 

Samantha stood up, pushing past Helena. She got stares from everyone in the diner. Embarrassed, she slid back into the torn red booth next to Helena. 

"Fine," she hissed. "Let's get back to New Orleans and focus on the trials. But the second we get the message, we are returning here and starting Code APO up." She reached into her purse and drew a thick wad of cash out. She slapped it on the table and stood up again, this time with the others. She led them outside to Helena's red Impala, sliding in the passengers seat and gazing out the window. The boys in the back had turned into their black cat forms and were curled up on the leather seats. Helena got into her seat and started driving. 

Samantha sighed, changing into a black cat like the boys. She curled up on her seat, her furry face covered by her tail, and started to cry inside. 

Death was the oldest of the Horsemen. She was created long before Famine, or Pestilence, or even War. Death was always there. She was supposed to be the leader. The one that made the decisions. The one that broke the first Seal of the Apocalypse when Code APO went into order. Instead, the others were making decisions for her. 

I guess that's fine, she thought to herself. I mean, I love Bandit. She can't cheat me forever. Even she knows that. Once she figures out how she's doing it, she will have a harder time cheating me. Maybe if I convince her to never find out . . . No. She already knows. She just won't admit it to herself. She had the dream. She watched the video. She's as good as screwed. Oh well. I'm coming for you, Bandit. Hang in there. 

Once Helena drove past the welcome sign that welcomed us to New Orleans Samantha changed back to human and started barking orders. 

"Fortuna first," she said. "We need to go there. I need to speak with someone. Then the hospital. Simon and I will make Thomason better so he and Glitch can get back to work." She pulled her phone from her pocket and started texting Lucy. 

Can you retrieve a soul from Hell? She asked. 

She took a few minutes to reply. 

Who's soul? Lucy responded. 

Jemma. We need her back. 

Got it. May take some time. Haven't been in Hell for some time. But I'll get her. You coming back?

All four of us are. We're making a few stops, first. But just get Jemma and meet at Common. It's clean, right?

As clean as it can be. 

Good. Meet there. 

Got it. And Sammy?

Yeah?

Tell Flynn I'm sorry. I was only following orders. I regret what I did. 

He knows. You did good, Lucy. You really did. 

The Horsemen got to Fortuna nearly ten minutes later and Samantha told the others to stay in the car while she did her business. 

Samantha strode into the main blue-and-white tent, a solemn look on her freckled face. 

"William!" Samantha yelled in the empty tent. It was closed for the day, yes, but the infamous Ringmaster would surely be there. "William Fucking Gavel get your stupid ass out here! We need to talk!" Nothing. "It's Death! You let me in so I know you're here!" 

That brought him out. 

William, still dressed in his outdated ringmaster outfit, strode up to Samantha. 

"Death!" He grinned. He was faking this confidence. Samantha could see right through it. 

"Shut it, Gavel. Where's your sister?" She demanded, crossing her arms. 

"I have hundreds of sisters. Be more specific," he said, no longer grinning. Samantha groaned, rolling her eyes. 

"Your oldest sister. The first-born. Where is she?" The very small amount of color in William's face was drained. 

"She's . . . Um, well, last I saw . . . She was in that old plantation house that no one ever visits. She lives there, I suppose. Look, what do you want with her?" William asked. He was no longer faking confidence; he was afraid. Terribly afraid. 

"I need to erase my friend's memory of her."

With that, Samantha strode briskly out of Fortuna and slid back into Helena's waiting Impala. She didn't need to ask Helena to start driving to the hospital, as she already was. 

The hospital was more crowded than Fortuna was. On any other day Samantha would enjoy the presence of so many dying people, but that wasn't any other day. Followed by Simon, Samantha used simple logic to find Thomason's room. 

"You look like shit," Samantha said as she pushed open the door and walked up to Thomason's bedside. Both Glitch and Thomason looked up. 

"Sammy?! Simon?! The hell are you doing back?!" Glitch exclaimed. 

"No time for explanations. Simon, work your magic. We are getting you boys out of here. Bandit is in danger and we need to help her out." Simon took Thomason's hand, healing him almost instantly. 

Within minutes Simon, Samantha, Glitch and Thomason are piled into Helena's Impala and they are speeding towards Common. 

Samantha is the first to get out, bursting through the doors. 

"We are no longer Insomnia!" She yelled, everyone looking at her. "We need to become a gang now, not a cult. Let me be the first to introduce us as the Black Lotus!"