CHAPTER ONE

N ik 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.