Beloved Charmer

  Pittsburgh Vampires Vol. 24

  B.A. Stretke

  Superiorland Publishing

  Copyright © 2024 B.A. Stretke

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  ISBN-13: 9781234567890

  ISBN-10: 1477123456

  Cover design by: Art Painter

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309

  Printed in the United States of America

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  About The Author

  CHAPTER ONE

  Nik looked up from his desk, surprised when Andrew rushed into his office, breathless and talking so fast that he could not understand him. He stood and raised his hand asking for calm and Andrew stopped took a deep breath and started over.

  "I'm sorry sir." He stammered between breaths and then calmed down and took a long steady breath.

  "What is it?" Nik asked, stirred by the excitement.

  "Master DuCane has a lead on a charmer, a credible lead," Andrew stated with a smile that took up his whole face.

  “What do you mean by credible?” Nik was afraid to hope since he’d been disappointed so many times during this search.

  “He has a name and an address.” Andrew told him and then added. “He’s on line one.” Andrew left the office, and Nik took a seat and after a deep breath picked up the call.

  "Hello, Louis."

  "His name is Evan McCormick, he is nineteen and resides in Toronto, Ontario." He stated. "The details are on their way to you now. He's a young man who lives with his father and brothers. I have been told that he does not know what he is, so take that into consideration when you approach him."

  "Who found him?" Nik asked, knowing that there were hundreds searching.

  “Edward the Black Knight. He has endless avenues of contacts and influence, and he decided to help.” Louis sounded unsure of his intent but thankful for the assistance.

  "Thank heaven he is still on his road to redemption and doing penance." Nik breathed a tentative sigh of relief. "Thank you, Louis, and I'll keep you informed."

  "Good luck, Nik, and if you need me, I'm here." With that, they closed the call, and Nik called Josef to give him the good news.

  Conrad Smith one of Master Hadden's personal guards stood on the balcony overlooking the main floor of the Imperial and observed the action below. The club was busy as usual, with no indication of the trouble churning just below the surface. The sooner they found a cure for the curse, the better it would be for all.

  In the meantime, it was imperative that they maintain a normal front and business-as-usual appearance for the city at large. The human population remained blissfully blind to the horrors nipping at their heels.

  He would be glad when the coven reunited. He missed his cousin Ivan and even Ivan's beloved Pete. The little Fae was a difficult handful at times, but he was a sweet little man, and he was good for Ivan. Ivan thought the mountains would be safer for his little Fae, considering the dark magics that were at work in Pittsburgh. Conrad looked forward to them coming home.

  He relaxed on the balcony and kept watch over the club. He had a couple hours before he was to join Master Hadden and the rest of the team heading for Toronto. Word was that a charmer had been found and they were going to check it out.

  They had been sent on so many wild goose chases in the past months, but his time felt different. It felt like the information was true and solid. The tip came from Coven DuCane, and they have a reputation for getting it right. Thoughts of locating a charmer and actually moving this nightmare forward into the light filled his mind. But he tried to temper his excitement, knowing that, in all actuality, success was still a long shot.

  Dinner was served and they would not be needing him again until cleanup so Evan McCormick the youngest son of the eminently powerful Sedric McCormick disappeared to his room. It was just off the back porch a small room with an attached bath he had at least an hour that he could rest.

  The family ate fast so it would be no longer than an hour even with dessert. The cleanup would be a good two hours and then he could hide in his room again for a while. Just getting away from them and the staff and the energy in that part of the house was a relief and he took every opportunity to duck out.

  “Forget it Evan you’re not leaving.” The tone was harsh and superior as usual. Manfred the house manager called to him and pointed at the floor in front of him indicating that Evan return to that very spot. Evan walked back to the room but stopped at the door and waited for an explanation. Manfred gave a fake smile clearly not pleased with his insolence but he didn’t do anything about it.

  “Sedric has guests arriving late in the evening and refreshments need to be prepared.” Manfred tossed an apron at him and turned away as if to leave and then abruptly turned back. “You have one hour and if you fail, you will sleep outside tonight.” He gave him a condescending smile and left the kitchen.

  Evan was alone. Everyone else had left, and he was expected to pull something together in an hour and also complete all the cleanup afterward on his own. It was one of Manfred's games. He was being set up for failure, and he felt no reason to play into it.

  He was going to fail no matter how hard he tried, so why bother. When Manfred was gone, he switched off the lights in the kitchen, grabbed his coat, and headed outside. He was going to end up in the shed for the night anyway, so why wait.

  The shed off the back garden was his home whenever he displeased anyone in authority mostly it was just Manfred. The guy loved making Evan’s life miserable. His attacks, as of late, were not hitting with the same effect. Try as he might, Evan was not responding as usual. This resulted in Manfred doubling down and getting harsher but still Evan found his efforts unimpressive. For some reason, Evan was beginning to not care.

  The shed was clean because Evan kept it clean it had a cot and he kept a few personal items there. He found the separation from the family and from the home to be calming and peaceful like his room. He preferred his room because the shed was rustic and chilly, but it was still better than that awful house.

  He crawled into his bed and pulled the blanket up to his chin. He wondered how angry Manfred and his father Sedric would be when they realized he’d prepared nothing for the guests and had not cleaned the kitchen. He searched his heart and realized he no longer cared what either of them thought.

  Conrad and three others remained outside while Master Hadden along with Killian and two guards entered the house. It was located within a large, gated community several miles outside of Toronto. The place had a strong feel of magic about it that put everyone on edge.

  The house was large and took up probably an acre of property. It was a pretentious building, more show than substance. A hollow and shallow impression exuded from the cold, modern structure and did not give the sense of being a home.

  The McCormick’s must be a formal or detached sort of family for there to be absolutely no emotional warmth detected. They were humans according to the report but were in possession of magics.

  Earth magics and low-level casting were present, but nothing of any real power. Conrad wondered why the Charmer wasn't registering. Someone as powerful as he professed to be must put out strong markers, but all he could read was the basics. Master Hadden had received the name of Evan McCormick, the youngest son of Sedric McCormick, as possessing the energy of a charmer. He contacted the family, spoke with the father, Sedric, sent the agreed upon payment and set up a meeting for that evening.

  Sedric assured Master Hadden that his son would be prepared and ready upon his arrival. The minute the meeting time arrived, they were on their way. They appeared outside the home within minutes with the aid of the sorcerer Batiste who, like everyone else, looked forward to an end to the curse that was slowly crippling the city.

  Conrad and three others spread out and waited keeping watch as the Master and Killian entered the home. The family seemed conducive and welcoming, but it wasn’t long before Conrad and the others were called by Master Hadden to enter and join them inside.

  The Master had a connection to all his members, but he possessed a special mental link with his soldiers and guards. The message was clear and urgent and indicated that the meeting was not going as well as they had assumed. They moved quickly inside and through the house to the large living area where everyone stood.

  Master Hadden and Killian were up front and stood before the father Sedric who had four men standing behind him. Killian's men fanned out across the room, and Conrad joined them as did the others. The McCormick's looked concerned but not afraid which meant they had something planned.

  "I have two sons, both powerful and worthy of your interest. They are capable of handling any malady that you and your coven may be experiencing." He shifted from foot to
foot, all the while keeping his eyes on everyone in the room. Master Hadden was following him closely, and Conrad could feel the power building in the room.

  "Evan has never shown ambition or abilities, and truth be told, he has been nothing but an embarrassment to this family. He is a useless drain on the atmosphere and not worth your time." He finished and tried to hold the Master's gaze but ultimately had to look away.

  “The arrangement I made is for Evan McCormick, and I have paid you a considerable amount of money for his services. If you do not want him traveling alone, I will allow a companion of your choice to travel with him, but it is Evan that I require.” The Master was firm, but Sedric started shaking his head.

  "No, no, Evan is not who you want." Sedric's tone was dismissive, and the Master's patience was running out. "My two sons, Landon and Wren, are highly trained and capable of assisting you. They deserve the recognition whereas Evan has accomplished nothing in life and at nineteen barely managed to graduate high school."

  Conrad was not fully understanding the issue. Why was the father so adamantly trying to dissuade them from hiring Evan seemed strange especially after making the agreement and accepting payment. Master Hadden was not amused and was beginning to push his presence onto the man and his influence was filling the room.

  "Bring me Evan McCormick." He demanded, and finally, the father seemed to be getting the message.

  Sedric quickly turned to the four men standing with him and started shouting. “Show them out!”

  Master Hadden responded with, “Find him and take him.”

  It was a known possibility from the beginning, so when Master Hadden called the order, everyone reacted immediately, moving methodically through the home while subduing and restraining the occupants. Master Hadden was not going to leave that house without the Charmer, and he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to secure that end.

  Sedric tried to backtrack as soon as he recognized that he was failing and his muscle was no match for Master Hadden. "Wait!" He yelled but to no avail, his control of the situation was over, and Master Hadden was collecting what he came for.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Evan heard the commotion taking place inside the main house, but that was not unusual. His father had a way of infuriating people that often resulted in violence. Evan rolled over and put his back to the door of the small shed. It wasn't his business; nothing about his father was his business, which was made clear to him on a daily basis. Evan was part of the help and not part of the family. He had no power and no promise, not like Landon and Wren, who were making Sedric proud.

  Even sat up and slipped on his shoes when he heard the chaos moving into the backyard. He stood and stepped back putting the cot between him and the door. Someone was approaching they weren’t rushing the shed or acting aggressively, so Evan wasn’t sure what was going on.

  The knock really surprised him, and he instinctively, without thinking, said. "Come in." The man that opened the door and stepped inside scared the absolute shit out of him. His heart stopped, and he was suddenly afraid to breathe as his eyes blew wide in anticipation of some serious pain. He was tall and large in a toned, muscle-for-hire sort of way. His face was dead serious and dark as the night that surrounded them.

  The man sized him up and then spoke in a tone that was as terrifying as his presence. “Are you Evan McCormick?” Evan took a deep breath and tried to shake out the fear that was consuming him before responding.

  “Who’s asking?” Evan asked with just a mere hitch in his voice.

  “Killian Frey.” The man responded without hesitation.

  Evan was going to deny who he was, but with a name like Killian Frey, he probably didn't like playing games. "Yes." Evan told him and just left it at that and waited.

  "Come with me." He said, turning back toward the door.

  “I prefer to stay here, thank you.” Evan stepped back and came up against the wall of the shed. He had nowhere to run; this shed did not have a backdoor. The man turned back to regard him, and without a shred of anger, just complete sincerity, he responded.

  “You can walk out of here or I will carry you out the choice is yours, but understand that you are leaving here with me.” Straight and to the point.

  “I’ll walk. Being carried wouldn’t be a good look for me.” Evan answered and stepped around the cot and toward Killian.

  "I agree; now follow me." Killian stepped out, and Evan followed him down the stone path and onto the back patio. There were several men there that Evan was not familiar with, but he was familiar with the four men kneeling on the bricks with their hands bound behind their backs. Sedric, Manfred, Landon, and Wren were at the mercy of these seriously large and unhappy vampires.

  He noticed they were bound with iron bracelets rendering their magics useless. They were similar to the bracelet that Sedric forced Evan to wear although Evan only wore one on his left wrist and it was made of amber and steel. The amber was enchanted, and the steel made the bracelet impossible to remove.

  Evan didn’t have magics or skill he simply had an effect on people and things. These effects infuriated Sedric and the family so he was bound with the amber to control him and to mute his effects. They stayed away from him for the most part because they claimed that he made them uncomfortable even with the amber inhibitor. He wished Manfred would stay away as well but that was too much to ask for apparently.

  He continued to follow Killian up onto the patio, where he stopped to speak with one of the vampires. The vampire was his superior which was made evident by Killian's conduct and by the shear presence of the man.

  This vampire was not as tall and broad as the others, but the power pouring off of him was incomprehensible. If Sedric had tried to bullshit this guy, it's no wonder that it all went south for him. Sedric saw himself as all-powerful, but these vampires showed him he wasn't all that. Evan stared at the four of them, and it filled him with a sick but justified satisfaction.

  Evan took a step toward his father looking down at the man who had treated him as nothing but a tedious burden for the whole of his life and all he saw now was weakness. The angry, impatient and sometimes violent man was now helpless and on his knees. Evan was truly surprised at how much joy that image brought him. He then glanced at Manfred and actually laughed.

  "What's the matter, Manfred? Why don't you use your powerful magic to get yourself free? Oh, iron bracelets, well, too bad for you then, hey. Now you know how it feels." Evan cocked his arm back and punched the bastard right in the face bloodying his nose. "Doesn't feel good, does it, you piece of shit." Manfred spit on the ground and fixed Evan with an evil glare.

  "Stop it, Evan." His father shouted.

  "You never told Manfred to stop it when he was beating the piss out of me." Evan cried out and punched Manfred again, then turned to stare at Sedric. He was daring him to say something, anything, but Sedric remained silent.

  “Take him inside.” The powerful vampire told the one named Killian.

  “Come with me kid.” He said and Evan followed. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he hoped when everything was over that he would be free of his father and free of these vampires.

  “What do you want with us?” Evan asked.

  “Our business is with you.” That caught and held his attention. “Master Hadden paid your father handsomely to have you come to Pittsburgh and help us with our problem.” That meant absolutely nothing to Evan and the confusion shown clearly on his face.

  “How am I supposed to help you? I have no skills all I do is make things worse according to them.” He gestured to the men kneeling on the patio.

  “I don’t know the situation with your family but by the looks of things, it’s not good. So, I doubt that they’ve shared much with you.” He was speaking the truth and Evan just kept nodding and tried to understand what was happening.

  "The Master will explain what is asked of you, and you will be compensated for your services apart from what has already been paid to your father. When you're finished, we will assist you in relocating if you do not wish to return home." Evan still didn't have a clue as to what the services entailed, but he liked the idea of finally getting away from his father.