Page 65 of Resurrection
“Mom was horrified. Had to go to the family to help put her back.” Page sucked in a stuttering breath. “I asked them to show me. To help me.”
“They refused?” Seiran guessed.
“Burned her. Was the only thing they could do to keep her from rising. But she was there,hurting, aware…” He sounded heartbroken, and Seiran could only imagine the horror of watching that.
“Page, I’m so sorry.”
“I’ve done the best I can to learn on my own. Keep it from happening again. I’m sorry,” Page whispered. “I taught myself as best I could. Learning to release them so they wouldn’t end up like Mattie.”
Burned to ash to release the soul. Seiran could only imagine how terrifying it was to learn that on his own.
“I’m not evil, even if they say I am.”
“I know you’re not, honey. Let me help.” Seiran said. “Please let me help.” He headed for his car, Gabe hot on his heels and Sam close by.
“I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me,” Page whispered again and hung up.
“Fuck!” Seiran screamed into the air outside the warehouse. Gabe didn’t hesitate to follow him as he raced toward the car even though the sun was still high, but Sam did.
“No,” he told Sam.
“He murdered vampires,” Sam said as he paused under an overhang.
Releasing the souls from their body was a bit like murder, but not how Sam meant it. “Not because he wanted to.”
“You don’t know that. It’s not like you’re the best judge of character.” Sam waved his hands at Gabe.
“Leave me out of this,” Gabe said. He looked at Seiran. “Do you know where he is? Can you find him?”
“Can you drive?” Seiran asked. He tapped his phone and sent an emergency alert out to his family. Anyone in his circle really. That meant Jamie and Kelly, the kids, the witch houses, and even his mother. Level red. It meant nothing shy of the apocalypse. He’d apologize later if he overreacted, but keeping them safe was key. If the day went the way he was suspecting it would go, everyone was going to be after him soon. And them, because they were a way to get to him.
“Do you remember how? I know your license needs to be renewed and all that, but can you drive if I cast a spell to find him?”
Gabe nodded. “I can.”
“Max isn’t going to let this go,” Sam said.
“And Page isn’t the root of the problem. He’s just a pawn on the board,” Seiran snarled at him. Like he’d allowed himself to be. Like they all had. Seiran burned with rage over all of this. The family, the Dominion, and his own failure to recognize a young witch needing help. What did that say for him as a father? What was he missing in his own kids? “I’m not going to let him die because it’s convenient for everyone else.”
“Ronnie…” Sam growled back even as Seiran made his way to the car, leaving Sam under the overhang. “We won’t be far behind.”
“Hopefully far enough. Tell Max there is more to this. Keep an eye on the golem.”
“The Dominion will kill him before Max will have the chance, and this is a vampire issue,” Sam yelled. “The witches knew. This has been going on for months. There’s no way to hide this. We won’t let this get wrapped up with political red tape.”
“I didn’t know.”
“There’s a lot you never seem to know. How much are they keeping from you? How much are they using you? When will you finally say enough is enough?”
Seiran paused, his heart pounding, and tears fell hot on his cheeks, though they were angry tears rather than sad ones. He hated that sometimes he couldn’t rein in the emotions. “I think right now, to be honest.”
Sam’s gaze met his. “Ronnie, don’t get yourself killed. This could spark another vampire war.”
“So be it,” Seiran said, “stay safe.” He rushed into the parking garage, toward his car. He was tired of being a pawn himself. For the Dominion, the vampires, everyone. He was getting too old, which he equated to being tired of everyone’s bullshit.
“You have a way to find him?” Gabe asked again as he took the keys from Seiran and opened the door to the driver’s side.
“A spell yes, inspired by one of the kid’s video games actually.”