CHAPTER 13 | witch's brew

📎A/N. She's baaack.

Twice in one day! We need to stop meeting like this or people will talk! If you missed the notification of the previous chapter you'll probably need to read 12 first.

Hope you enjoy the chapter. It's another long one, so get your seat-belts on, and be prepared for a bumpy ride.

Don't forget to vote :)

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"Firemen," said Dayna with an excited squeal. "I love firemen! What time are we leaving?"

Keira rolled her eyes. Of course, that's the first thing her sister would come out with when the opportunity to be surrounded by men arose. However, she wasn't so eager to agree to Ryker's suggestion they all have a night out.

"Are you sure it's safe," she asked as she closed the Grimoire.

While there was a wealth of information contained within the pages, they hadn't found anything that might help them track down the members of the Order.

"The place will be full of Police, Fire, and Paramedics. Apart from here, it's probably the safest place to be," said Ryker.

Dayna crumpled her nose and glared at Keira. "Don't be such a party pooper. You're going, and that's final." She turned to Ryker. "So how many firemen did you say will be there?"

Despite her reservations, Keira found herself agreeing to go. It took Ryker a little longer to convince Deacon who had argued he had too much to do.

"Fiddlesticks," said Dayna, as she pouted at the vampire from her place on the couch. "All work and no play is not allowed while I'm here. Besides, if the local Hosers don't measure up, at least I know there'll be one man in the place."

Ryker and Marcus snorted in unison.

Ryker crossed his arms over his chest. "What am I? Chopped liver?"

Marcus nodded in agreement. "Remember which 'man' got you out of that shoe shop in one piece."

Dayna raised her hands in the air to stop their objections. "Boys, boys don't fight. There's more than enough of me to go around."

Kiera's sister twisted a strand of hair around her fingers, her expression absent as she grew silent. Her eyes cleared, and she jumped up from the chair. "What's the dress standard? I just hope I've brought something that pops."

Dayna headed towards the door. "Are you coming?" she asked Keira over her shoulder.

Confused, Keira asked, "What for?"

Her sister looked at her as if she'd grown an extra head. "To get changed of course."

Keira glanced down at her dark suit. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"We're having a night on the town, not the library." Dayna wrinkled her nose in distaste as she glared at Keira's clothes. "Now get your A into G and let's go."

Keira sighed and reluctantly trailed behind her sister. As she hadn't expected to be in Salem long, she really hadn't packed anything casual, and her gym gear might be a little too casual.

A short while late, Keira was standing over her suitcase, staring at the contents, when Dayna sashayed through the door with a bundle of clothes.

"Try these on," she said as she tossed them onto the bed.

Keira picked up the jeans and arched an eyebrow.

Dayna placed her hands on her hips and tapped a foot in agitation. "I'll have you know they're Stella McCartney, and I paid good money to have them ripped like that."

Keira turned the jeans to the back and was startled to discover the location of the holes at the back.

"Just put them on, or I'll disintegrate all your clothes, and we'll then see how fussy you are about what you wear," Dayna commanded.

"Fine," said Keira as she shucked off her dark trousers and pulled on the jeans.

She was thankful they were the same size in clothing. It made sharing clothes in their younger years very convenient. That was until Dayna embraced the 1920's with gusto and their tastes deviated somewhat after that.

Keira's eyes widened after she inspected the tops Dayna had thrown onto the bed.

"There's no way I'm wearing any of those," she said. "I'd like to leave something up to the imagination."

Dayna made a disapproving sound from the back of her throat. "You should flaunt your assets—and I don't mean that over developed brain of yours."

She made her way over to Keira and reached behind her head. A moment later Keira felt a pull on her hair and Dayna waved the pin, that had been holding it in place, in front of her nose.

"Fine. I'll get you a top your Victorian sensibilities will approve of, only if you leave your hair down."

Before Keira could answer, Dayna rushed out of the room. "Be right back," her sister called over her shoulder.

She then heard a squeal of excitement followed by, "And I have the perfect CFM shoes for you to wear."

Keira glanced over at the patent leather pumps she had left by the bed. "I don't know why I can't at least wear my own shoes," she grumbled to an empty room.

***

The drive into Salem was at Ryker's standard pace. Fast. The Cherokee was big enough that they could easily all fit and, after piling in, Keira had somehow managed to get stuck in the back seat between Marcus and Dayna.

Marcus fidgeted the entire way. After spending all day cooped up in the house, he was more than eager to get a night out. His main concern was the variety of craft beers. On top of this, he pumped Ryker for information on the single police, fire and paramedic women that would be there.

"I'll get Alan to introduce you around," Ryker said after being asked yet again on the female population. "He seems to know his way around the ladies and with your other obsession around craft beer, I suspect it will be the start of a great bromance."

***

The Witch's Brew was bursting at the seams. By the time they had arrived things were already in full swing.

As soon as they walked through the door Dayna surveyed the room and her face split into a wide grin. "Mother Earth, it's raining men," she declared.

Dayna turned back to Deacon and tucked her arm under his. At the sudden contact, he stiffened. Keira was positive not many people made themselves that familiar with the formidable vampire without his permission.

"Don't wander too far," she instructed Deacon. "I may need saving." Dayna took another survey of the crowded room. "So, what are we drinking?"

Keira could tell Ryker was straining under the stress of holding back a smirk as he watched Dayna pull a man twice her size to the bar. Like Moses, the sea of people parted to allow them through. She had to wonder what sort of reputation the Mayor had to warrant that level of avoidance.

About to ask Ryker to shed some light on her curiosity she turned and noticed he was beckoning to someone across the room. A short while later a tall, familiar face pushed through a small throng of people. Keira cast her mind back to the crime scene at Haverhill.

Adam? No, Alan. Deputy Alan Trudeau.

"Hey boss, we were wondering when you'd get here."

"I thought I'd invite Dr. Wynter and Mr. North along to show them that while we may not be a big city like L.A, we have our own brand of entertainment." Ryker nodded towards her TA. "It might be an idea for you to introduce Marcus around. He'll be here for a few more days and should get to know a few on the team."

Alan pushed his hands into his pockets and gave Marcus the once over. "So, what's your poison Bookboy?"

Marcus, not the least bit intimidated by the larger man, crossed his arms and asked, "Do you have any decent craft beer?"

Alan's expression changed in an instant, and his eyes lit up. "Man, have you come to the right place. Follow me."

Marcus stole a glance at Keira and raised both eyebrows.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Don't look at me. You don't need my permission. But if you end up in the same state you did last fall, you're fired. I will only be thrown up on once."

Marcus grinned at her teasing threat. "You won't fire me, you love me too much."

He bolted and caught up with Alan, a moment later, they disappeared into the crowd.

Keira suddenly felt an arm draped over her shoulder. "Looks like you're left with me Doc. The kids have flown the coop."

Keira hadn't been prepared for the familiar way in which Ryker touched her. Too startled to put some distance between them, she remained still.

"My guess is that you're a white wine kinda gal," he said as he raised two fingers and nodded at the bartender.

She nodded. "A Chardonnay will be fine if they have it."

Ryker spotted an opening at the bar and pushed her towards it. Just as they reached it, the bartender placed two tall glasses in front of them.

"You must be thirsty," Keira said as she eyed up the lagers.

He gave her a subtle wink and slid one of the glasses in front of her. "This one's yours."

Keira's brows furrowed. "But I didn't order a beer."

"I know," Ryker said as he picked his up and took a few gulps. "Your sister thought it would be a good idea if you tried something new. I figured a beer would be a good place to start."

Keira's eyes darted around the room for Dayna. Figures she'd rope in others to torment her.

The place was wall to wall with people. Somewhere in the milling crowd, was her conniving sister. A very dead one if she got her hands on her.

Without warning, she was jostled by a small group eager to get refills. Before she could be trampled under the rush, Ryker pulled her out of the way, and she found herself once again, pressed against him.

"Relax," he said bringing his head down closer so that she could hear him over the din. "It's been a shitty week, and she's only got your best interest at heart."

Keira stared at the zip of Ryker's leather jacket only to realise as she had fallen into him, she had clutched onto his white t-shirt. She released her grip and attempted to straighten the stretched fabric. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make a mess of your shirt."

Ryker placed his hand over hers and manoeuvred her so that he was nearest the crowd.

"It's only a shirt," he said as he released her and reached for their beers. "Now, I'm here to educate you on our local vintages."

Keira eyed the tall glass. It had been years since she'd tried beer, and only then it had been to fit in with the locals as she was passing through a small town in rural Australia.

She squared her shoulders and reached for the brew.

Ryker burst into laughter and shook his head. "Anyone would think you're headed to the gallows. You really do need to get a life, don't you?"

Her eyes flashed, and she raised her chin in defiance. "I'll have you know I lead a very full existence. I've travelled practically everywhere. I have a fulfilling career, a great apartment, season tickets for the ballet and I—"

Ryker's laughter erupted once again. For the life of her, she couldn't work out what had set him off this time.

Once he had gotten himself under control, he cocked his head and gave her a penetrating gaze. Not used to that level of scrutiny, she averted her eyes. Something told her he was astute enough to see to her very soul.

Needing something to do, Keira took a sip of the cold drink. The taste was oddly sweet, nothing like the bitter palate from her memory. She tried it again and allowed the flavour to settle on her tongue before she swallowed.

Strawberries. It tastes like strawberries.

Before she knew how, she had emptied half the glass. When she looked up, Ryker was grinning from ear-to-ear, sporting a very self-satisfied expression.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Don't start. I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. I was thirsty, that's all."

"I wasn't going to say a thing," he said as his hand reached for a lock of her hair. Ryker rubbed the strands through his fingers. "You know; I've wanted to do that all day."

Keira's body quivered, and she was both hot and cold at the same moment. While, technically, he was doing nothing wrong, it felt—intimate. She watched his face as he concentrated on her locks. There was no doubt the vampire was easy on the eye. She'd have to be blind not to recognise just how sensual and attractive he was. And, from the brief feel of his chest, she was sure that quality extended throughout his body.

"Apart from that hoity-toity you surround yourself with, do you ever get off your broomstick and allow yourself to have fun?" he asked.

While Ryker still played with her hair, she knew, without a doubt, he was studying her reactions. She briefly closed her eyes and forced herself to remain calm and unaffected by his closeness.

On the outside, she was the epitome of strength, and every bit as cool, calm and collected as she ever was; the inside was a different matter. Her arms and legs felt like jello, and her pulse raced out of control.

It's the beer, Keira decided. I'm just not used to the barley.

With that, she gulped down the rest of her drink to give her the strength to have a conversation with someone that she should not be having such improper and erotic thoughts about.

"Well?" Ryker prompted.

"Firstly, I don't have a broomstick," she said as she slammed the glass onto the bar with a little more force than intended.

His eyes crinkled at her outburst. The man was clearly enjoying her discomfort.

"And secondly, I have fun."

"Are you sure about that?"

Keira crossed her arms over her chest and nodded.

"And exactly who is it that you have fun with?" he asked in a low earthy tone that rippled through her.

"I—" she faltered on the lie that was on the tip of her tongue.

Damn it! How the hell did this conversation get so out of control?

"So it's just you and your broomstick then?"

Keira rubbed her forehead, sure that her head was going to explode.

"I think I need another drink," she mumbled.

Ryker leaned over the bar and ordered another round. While they were waiting, Keira noticed Marcus on the other end of the bar, deep in conversation with a woman. In a way, Keira felt sorry for the poor girl. Marcus had always had a way with women. To be fair, when he wanted to, he had always gotten on with most people no matter their walk of life or background. Among his many talents, the one that marked him as Gifted was his Empathic ability. He could read a situation and know the right thing to say at the right time.

Once their drinks arrived, Ryker grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back into the crowd. "The game is about to start," he shouted over his shoulder.

Not sure how they did it without spilling a drop, Ryker managed to navigate them across the jam-packed room and maneuvered them into a prime position to watch the game.

The Sheriff's Department won the toss, and a cheer went up from the crowd. Keira couldn't get over the level of competitiveness between the two departments as they hurled friendly abuse at each other. As it was Fire against Police, the Paramedics team were refereeing that evening.

After watching the first of Ryker's team sink the first four balls, and then miss the next, she was curious on the rule of the game. Hearing she wasn't familiar with the intricacies of the game, Ryker made it his personal mission to turn her into an expert in a single evening. For some reason, however, he felt it needed to be done while he snaked an arm around her waist.

Every now and then, one of Ryker's Officers would stop as they passed and introduce themselves. After the first four, she couldn't keep track of their names, but it struck her just how close Ryker was to his men. They clearly respected and looked up to him, even the gruff and rude dumpy one.

The teams were evenly matched, which only further exacerbated the rivalry. To her surprise, she found she enjoyed the evening and ended up as vocal as the remainder of the Sheriff's Department supporters. In fact, when she thought about it, it had been a long time since she had had so much fun. However, there was no way she would admit that fact to Ryker. She'd never live it down.

Every now and then she'd spot Dayna, the social butterfly that she was, as she floated by. Her sister would wink and blow her a kiss as she disappeared back into the crowd. As it had been a while since she had seen Marcus, Keira began to scan the crowd.

She was distracted from her search when Ryker lowered his head to her ear and said low enough so that only she could hear, "You know you should smile more often, it takes at least three-hundred years off you. Too much more and you will be impossible to resist."

Keira turned to face him. The teasing tone he had adopted most of the evening was gone. In its place was a timbre she couldn't quite place.

The moment she met his intense gaze, her smile froze and her breath caught in her throat and stopped. Ryker's eyes bore right through her as they intensified and became hypnotic, sapping the strength out of her. The raw desire that burned and set her body on fire was all consuming and weakened her resolve to be unaffected by him.

Keira was saved from doing anything rash, when a tall, leggy blonde sidled up to Ryker, oblivious to what she was walking into.

"Hey babe, Deacon mentioned you needed a top up."

Ryker's lids snapped shut. When he opened them again, they had returned to normal. All evidence of the desire that had been there a moment before was gone; shut off as fast as it had ignited.

The woman reached up and curled a hand behind his neck as she tiptoed and planted a sensual kiss at his collarbone. Had Keira not seen it herself, she wouldn't have believed it.

Jealousy, green and vile, ripped through her as the woman tugged him the way she had come.

"Come on babe, what are you waiting for?" she asked. "I'm back on shift in twenty."

Ryker glanced at Keira and then back at the blonde.

"Will you be alright by yourself for a few minutes?" he asked.

Keira wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. How did he go from—whatever that was that they shared—to racing off with a woman who clearly had been around the block more than once, for a quickie in the parking lot?

Numb, she shrugged and forced her voice to remain even. "I'll be fine."

Unable to watch their path, Keira blindly turned back to the game and pretended to follow with the rest of the audience. She was relieved that her defences were back in place when Dayna materialised by her side with Deacon following not far behind.

"Having fun?" Keira managed to ask. She was relieved when her voice came out normal and reflected none of the tumultuous emotions flaring through her.

Dayna bobbed her head and wiggled in time to the music that blared over the sound system. "Everyone is so nice, especially the Firemen." She giggled. "They want to take me out on their big truck for a ride during the week."

Keira groaned. "You are not going to go through the entire Salem Fire Department are you?"

Dayna hit her in the shoulder. "No silly, not all of them."

Keira glanced at Deacon who stood nearby. Nothing in his expression indicated he had heard their conversation. However, she knew he listened to every word.

"I hope she didn't make too much of a spectacle of herself," she asked.

"It was entertaining, if nothing," was his only reply before he turned back to watch the game.

Keira fidgeted with one of her rings and began to wish she hadn't agreed to come.

Deacon glanced around and asked, "Where's Ryker?"

Her eyes darted to the pool table, and she pretended to be focused on the game. "Um... he ducked out for a few minutes. He said he'd be right back."

"Deidre found him, did she? I was worried she wouldn't, and he'd go another night without."

Keira's brows shot to her hairline. She would never understand vampires. Deacon sounded like he was overjoyed Ryker was tripping the light fantastic with a cheap skank.

"Have you seen Marcus around?" she asked, moving the subject well away from Ryker's libido and back into safe territory.

***

The game had just ended when Keira noticed Ryker push his way through the crowd. Even from this distance, she could see he was agitated.

She couldn't help the bad, little witch in her smirk. Performance anxiety.

When he stopped and spoke to two men who quickly grabbed their jackets and headed out the door, she realised her pity party had to stop; something had happened. From the sombre and determined expression as he stormed towards them Keira instinctually knew it was serious enough that he had his game face on. At this moment he was all business.

As he got closer, Deacon stiffened. "What happened?" he asked.

Ryker raked a frustrated hand through his hair and shook his head in disbelief. "I just got a call from the Duty Sargent. He sent out a car to investigate a complaint." The muscles in his face tightened, and he looked at Keira. "They found Beatrice Sommer's body. It looks like she was severely beaten before she died."

Fear ripped through Keira as the words sunk in. "Didn't you have a car outside her house?"

"We had one posted outside of Cecelia's. That's where Beatrice was supposed to be. Somehow, she got by him and went back to her place; to feed those damn cats I bet."

"What about the others?" asked Dayna, who had come over as soon as she noticed Keira's distress.

"They are all safe. I've instructed my men to stay in the house with them. I'm not risking another loss through their own stupidity," said Ryker.

Keira mind went into overdrive. Why would the Order risk killing a witch that was under surveillance? What was so important that they would chance getting caught?

Ryker's phone went off, and he answered before the second ring. After barking out a few orders and letting the unfortunate soul at the other end of his tirade know, in no uncertain terms, if animal control didn't round up the cat's at the scene before he got there, and it turned out they had contaminated his scene, there would be hell to pay.

"I need to get out to the crime scene," he announced. "I'll drop you home first."

Ryker scanned the room. While the bar wasn't as full as it once was, it was still crowded enough that it took a while to find who you were after. "Where's Marcus?"

"I'm not sure," Keira said as she stretched her neck to look over at the bar area in case he was loitering in one of the dark corners with the girl she'd seen him with. "I haven't seen him in a while."

"If you ask me, he's found a warm bed for the night and is doing much better than any of us," Dayna said as she reached into the small bag and fished out her phone. "How about we phone him? It might be easier than sending out a search party, and a lot less embarrassing if we walk in on something."

After what seemed forever, Dayna pulled the phone away from her ear, twitched her lips and stared at the screen. "How rude. He didn't pick up. I am going to have words with that scruffy boy."

Ryker spotted Alan a short distance away. "Alan," he called out to his Deputy. "Have you seen Marcus."

Alan shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry boss, he hooked up with one of the Paramedics, and I haven't seen him since."

"Shit," Ryker growled. "This is all I need."

He turned to Keira and said, "We can't wait any longer. I'll have Alan round him up and drop him home."

Keira's eyes wandered over the room again. Where the hell is he?

Something wasn't right. Marcus was many things, but irresponsible wasn't one of them. "He wouldn't leave without telling me. Dayna, can you try him again."

Just as Dayna put the phone against her ear, they noticed a commotion from behind the bar. Two of the kitchen staff were clearly distressed and in the middle of a frantic discussion with the bartender. They were close enough to see their shocked expressions but not close enough to hear their conversation. Keira could see a small group of others through the doorway to the kitchen. One of the cooks was holding a woman who was crying into his shoulder, while the rest threw furtive glances at each other.

Keira couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman. From the protective way in which the others rallied around her, she guessed that she had been attacked.

The bartender broke away from the two men and scanned the room. When he laid eyes on Ryker, he mouthed a few words and jerked his head towards the back.

From beside her, Keira felt Ryker's body stiffen. She glanced at him to realise he was staring intently at the bartender. "You understood what he said?"

Ryker nodded, and his eyes narrowed as he continued to listen to whatever he was being told. A moment later he spun around, and his gaze darted to the small groups around them. "Barret, Trudeau, Mitos, Wilenski." Ryker's voice boomed over the noise. In an instant the four men were in front of him. Curious, a few of their compatriots followed behind.

"We have a 187 in the alley behind the building. Secure the scene and make sure no one goes near it."

Not having to be told twice, the four raced out the door.

Ryker turned to Deacon. "Keep them here. Do not let them out of your sight. You spot one broomstick you have my permission to burn it."

Before he raced after his men, Ryker's gaze anchored on her. "You know that broomstick remark was aimed at you, don't you?"

She glared at him. "I'm not stupid. There are too many Naturals in the room, why would I try any magic?" she said in a low voice.

Ryker lowered his head so that they were almost cheek to cheek. "You find Marcus the old fashioned way. If I hear you risked exposure to locate him, I will tan that cute derriere of yours."

The warmth from his close proximity vanished as he straightened and raced out the door. Keira knew without a doubt he was deadly serious.

How the hell did he know I was considering it?

Resigned they would need to scour the building, she turned back to Dayna and let out a sigh. "Look under every table. He's probably passed out on the floor somewhere."

Dayna nodded and took a step forward before turning back to Deacon. "What's a 187?"

"Homicide."

Keira faltered and nearly tripped over herself when she heard the answer. Terror consumed her, and she forgot to breathe. As the moments flashed by, a burning sensation grew until her lungs couldn't take the oxygen deprivation any longer. She hauled in a breath and let it go. The tightness in her chest remained as her lungs filled again.

This is what a heart attack must feel like.

Not stopping to think about her actions, she spun on her heel and sprinted across the room as fast as the stilettoes would allow. Exiting the building she skidded to a halt.

Which way?

Choosing the left, Keira took off like the devil was behind her. With each step closer to the small crowd that had gathered down the badly lit alleyway, her mind screamed out in pain.

As she rounded the corner to the back of the building, she spotted Ryker standing by the dumpster. He turned with a surprised look on his face and yelled out to the officers nearest her. "Stop her! Don't let her come any closer."

Alan stepped in her path and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You can't go in there," he said through gritted teeth as he struggled to hold her back.

Keira by now had worked herself into a frenzy and fought to break free. Using everything she had, Keira brought her heel down on Alan's foot. Not expecting the attack, Alan's grip faltered enough for her to escape and she deftly evaded the second officer who tried to catch her.

As she reached the dumpster, she ran straight into Ryker who had blocked her path. He snaked an arm around her waist and attempted to turn her away from the body which had been discarded on the far side of the garbage bin.

"You don't want to see this," he said as he pulled her face toward his shoulder.

Keira pushed again his chest and squirmed in his arms. "Let me go," she cried out. "It's not him. It can't be."

Ryker relaxed his grip, and she pivoted before he could change his mind. Her brain closed down the moment she lay eyes on the broken body of her teaching assistant and friend. His head was twisted and lay in an unnatural position. Marcus's eyes, still open, stared back at her lifelessly. One, a vibrant shade of purple and orange, where his contact lenses had dislodged, was a telling sign of his special ability. The other, deep brown where a contact lens covered his natural iris pigmentation.

The initial shock that suspended her emotions gave way to a tsunami of grief and denial as a heart-wrenching, "No," ripped from her lips.

Keira's legs buckled and she began to shiver uncontrollably. "No, he can't be dead. You've made a mistake. It has to be a mistake."

This was not happening. Someone was playing a cruel joke on her. Any moment now, Marcus would sit up and scare the living daylights out of her. She'd get pissed at him for frightening her and, as usual, she'd get over it a short time late.

Get up!

Ryker caught her before she could no longer hold her own weight. He turned Keira away from the dumpster and pulled her back into the safety of his arm. "He's gone," he whispered into her hair.

The gentle way in which Ryker broke the news to her, was her undoing. He had confirmed what she already knew but couldn't accept. Unable to hold back the dam any longer, the numbness gave way, and she was consumed with pain as the tears erupted and her body convulsed with anguish and loss.

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📎A/N. OMFG!!! I did not see that coming! What about you? Did anyone predict that would happen??

Poor Marcus! Who got to you and why?

And things had been going so well until then... It even looks like there might be some SERIOUS chemistry between Keira and Ryker...

... And who was that skank? and what do you think Ryker and her were up to?

I wonder just how well Dayna got on with those Firemen ;-)

Don't forget to vote, and any and all feedback appreciated.

Till next weekend, take care.

❤ ℳ