20 | THE EVENTS

It takes an entire day to mentally digest what the Ancient showed me and start to put it into words. The past and future feels like it’s been carved into the inside of my skull - complete with a pounding headache and inability to move faster than a zombie. Mom and Hale visit briefly to talk to me and suggest I remain at Coven HQ to rest up and begin articulating everything Nikki had shown me the day before. By the next morning, it’s a new month and my head’s hurting significantly less than it had been yesterday. Unsure if it was the weird power the Ancient wielded or the sheer amount of information we reviewed that wiped me out, it seems my one-day-of-rest was not in vain.

I’m up by seven, a blood bag in hand, and taking over the office Hale lent me. I leave the door open as I begin drawing out what Nikki showed me and before I know it, the entire room is covered in an assortment of sticky notes and paper. Each wall of the office, and the floor, is an event. Names of people I’ve both met and have never heard of in my life are scribbled in my semi-readable scrawl with the sticky notes as a sort of note-to-self.

Here’s what I know so far: sometime within in the next few weeks, three major events will begin to kick off. By three weeks, the three will become the five Nikki had mentioned and dozens of people - supernatural and human alike - will die. That then snowballs into fifteen events, and so on until - by the end of two more months: the world ends. The problem is, Nikki gave me the names of those involved in the first five events and the dates in which the events will take place, but not what the events were or how that turns into the apocalypse.

Hence, the intense notes all over the room.

“Good morning, Sunshine-” Hale walks into the room as I’m staring at the wall behind my desk - covered in the closest event, both in location and date. I hear his footsteps falter as he walks in, the shuffling background of the, letting me know he’s unsure of how to react to my mass of crazy strewn everywhere.

“Morning, Hale.” I mutter absently, starting from the center of the tacked-up papers that start the paper web and spread over the entirety of the wall. “Hey, do you know what an Elemental is?” I ask him, crossing my arms over my chest in an attempt to calm my nerves. “Nikki gave me the generalities,” I continue, staring at the names of the five Elementals in Porte Greene. “They’re humanoid supernaturals who can control the elements. Apparently, they’re even older than vampires and werewolves.” I add under my breath, taking a step back as I continue to scan the webbing out papers with my notes. Hale comes up beside me, leaning with me against my desk and staying silent. “An Elemental’s going to set off the first part of the event.” I croak, staring at the notes I’d taken down for the ‘event’ in which over fifty humans are critically injured and at least five die. “In four days.” I add, starting to feel a little queasy.

“Elementals have safeguards-” Hale begins to protest.

“They won’t be enough.” I interrupt, rubbing my temples as a spike of pain shudders through my head. “Not for this one. There’s something about this one, Nikki said, that makes them different. Powerful. Deadly. Apparently, the family’s been having issues for years.” I glance at the name in the center again. Cai. Three children of the Cai family - with only one possibility for the causer of the fallout, Eyre Cai. Her birthday’s coming up in a matter of days, that day her power will be amplified and she’ll loose control. After that… Mass panic in Port Greene, so many injuries… I shiver and close my eyes.

“What did Nikki suggest we do to stop the event?” Hale asks me, bringing me back out of my little world of fear.

“Talk to them. The parents of the girl.” I murmur, opening my eyes and scanning the mini web of names and acquaintance of the girl I have written on the other papers. “The problem is,” I take a deep breath as I look at the names of the parents warily. “Elementals are like the upper class snobs. Even Nikki’s not sure they’ll listen to a Wolven- let along a hybrid.” I grumble, scanning over the sticky note with that lovely little tidbit Nikki decided to share with me.

“Alright, well…” Hale seems to understand the kind of obstacle we’re facing when it comes to the Cai’s. “We can figure that one out in a moment. Why don’t you walk me through the other events you’ve managed to map?” I know he’s trying to distract me from the issue - give me a moment to breathe. But I feel like we’re wasting valuable time just talking about this - I want to act. At the same time, there’s also nothing I can do about it just now. So, with a deep breathe, I nod to my father and move to the next wall.

“A Hunter’s going to die.” I gesture to the wall. “Nikki doesn’t have a last name for the specific Hunter, but she knows which ‘clan’ they belong to.” I gesture to the name of the clan, Dalton, and stare for a long minute. The clan of this specific Hunter is set all along the Mississippi, their territory stretching out along the avenues of the river - pretty much enforcing the fear I have for the invisible border that blocks the East and West of the country. Aptly named, the Mississippi Clan of Hunters is known for their cruelty against many supernaturals - but for some reason - the death of this particular Hunter’s supposed to be catastrophic. “Nikki has no idea where the Hunter’s supposed to die or their current locations, but she said something about a distant relative of the Clan that’s located in Illinois we can try tracking down first.”

“Vague.” Hale mutters, his voice as unhappy as I feel. I hum my agreement, Looking through the various notes I have on the information and tips Nikki gave me on Hunters. I’m not liking our odds in locating the specific Hunter - especially with the Reinier’s track record with Hunters - and everything I know about them. The terrifying stories I’ve hear as a child send tingles and shivers all down my spine. “And the next event?”

“It’s more of a solid lead.” I admit, turning us in a one-eighty to the next wall. Hale looks at the center of the web of papers I’ve tacked up, raising an eyebrow.

“Darklight?” He asks me, turning to face me. I narrow my eyes at him - both pleased and annoyed he’s aware of these supernaturals.

“You’re aware of the community?” My tone’s accusatory without my permission, the edge to my words giving away my thoughts on the matter.

“I am. I’ve spoken with their leader. He’s a good man.” Hale relays slowly, having at least the capacity to give me a sheepish smile. “Dr. Chambers is an old friend.” He adds and I shrug.

“Well, that makes things easier then, I guess.” I allow, turning my attention back to the wall. “He’s the problem I have the highest confidence we can fix.”

“What’s the issue with his community?” His question annoys me further as I catch sight of the numerous notes I’ve written. Each of the fifty notes I had taken down is more insane than the last - detailing the incredible power of each supernatural in that ‘community’ and their level of control… All of them are dangerous to humans in one way or another. Incredibly rare supernaturals of a mythological caliber.

“Aside from the face they’re insanely powerful supernaturals that shouldn’t even exist?” I ask deadpan. Hale rolls his eyes and waits for me to continue. My eyes remain fixed on the name of Dr. Chambers and the full page of information I have on what he is. The word *Kraken* should make me laugh, but right now, I’m lucky my head hasn’t exploded yet. “He’s gonna loose his shit and control over the others of his community. Nikki said something about him being the community’s Judge, Jury, and Executioner.” I tell him, scanning over the web of his people and the information that webs out and out along the walls. There’s more sticky notes on the wall than white paper. So much information on the types of creatures living in a town between Colton and Red Valley.

My eyes stick on the note detail the problem of the ‘Leviathan’ Class of supernaturals and the chaos their caliber of supernaturals have doused the world in. Including the Bubonic plague, World War I and II, and almost all the big issues humans are aware of.

“What did Nikki say about changing that?”

“She said he has to give up part of his power. It’s the only way to soothe the minds of those in the community. They need to see him as a Leader and not someone who’s holding them captive or as a dictator...” I relay what the Ancient advised for this event. I stare at the date and begin to fidget a bit. I’m not sure how anyone can convince a man as powerful as this guy seems to be to give up even a fraction of power.

“I can handle the issue with Darklight personally.” Hale offers. I look to him in surprise, but don’t fight him on it. If he want to use the relationship he has with the giant squid-man, he can go right ahead. I won’t stop him.

“You sure?” I ask, though there’s no real force behind my question. I just want reassurance that my father’s going to come back from the meeting with the supernatural alive and in one piece.

“Dr. Chambers is a kind and reasonable man, Sunishine.” Hale smirks at me, as if reading my expression through the sound of my voice. “I’ve had a long standing relationship to the man and know from experience that he’s easy enough to talk to.” Hale sounds confident, but his next words are a little less so. “However, the fraction of power he’s most likely willing to give to another will add some tension to the relationship.” He studies the names of the Doctor’s family, looking at one in particular.

I quirk an eyebrow, noting the details I’d left all over this person’s page. Akira Chambers is a shapeshifter, a powerful thing called a *draki*…a Dragon Shifter. The only one of her kind in this part of the country. An orphan. I shudder as my eyes flit over her abilities and what Nikki communicated about Dragons Shifters. Unlike Wolven, Dragon shifters have a central body of government and very specific Pack rules and bonds. Their Packs aren’t Packs, though. They’re more like bee hives. Clans.

“It will take some convincing, but I believe I can get Dr. Chambers to pass along the title and role of Enforcer to his adopted daughter.” Hale murmurs, though I don’t know if he’s even talking to me now.

“If you say so,” I reply softly, my unsure tone seems to direct Hale’s attention back to me. He smiles warmly at me and places a hand on my shoulder.

“Why don’t we gather those you trust to help us and we can discuss our next moves and how we’re going to handle all of this in the next few weeks?” Once again, I’m struck at the authority in my father voice. The self-reassurance and complete confidence he seems to have that we can actually do something to stop the apocalpse. It fills me with hope and the slightest amount of insecurity I’ve been warring with over the last few days begins to ebb. I smile back at Hale and nod.

I’m reminded once more that this time I’m not alone. The feeling of having others I can count on where the fate of the world is in the balance makes the burden of it all that much lighter. Maybe we can do this.