Chapter 5: The Rider

Lacey caught a glimpse of a being with a mouth shaped like light's kira smile with bright red eyes dressed in a dark hooded flowing cloak. To Lacey's greatest surprise, it wasn't Nyx riding on the chariot. This at least gave her relief.

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" Lacey boldly asked.

She knew there must be some connection with Nyx. She needed to satisfy her curiosity.

"I've been sent to claim your soul!" the being spoke in a deep-toned voice that echoed against the concrete walls of the room.

"That's not gonna happen," Ruby sprang back to her feet. She raised the amulet of Tora and held it toward the mysterious being. "Darkness, can't overcome light!"

The amulet glitters with a shining bright light that lit the scene forcing the thick darkness that has rolled over them to disappear.

"Eiciam vos tenebras!" Ruby began to enchant in Latin with the glittering amulet still raised.

"Eiciam vos tenebras…" she continued yelling and enchanting in Latin which means, 'I expel you darkness!'

A powerful energy wave strokes the chariot and its rider with a wind-fire blast obliterating the being.

Lacey stared with her mouth wide open. She has never seen magic in action. Before their eyes, the being was obliterated in a flash of light. Perhaps it's time for her to retrieve her words against Ruby.

Jack cast a stunning gaze at Ruby. "Wow… this is cool!" he exclaimed expressing excitement.

Monica's corners of her mouth turned up and the front teeth were exposed as she thanked Ruby for saving them. She glanced at Lacey and whispered to her, "You owe her an apology."

Lacey emits a long-deep audible breath expressing relief. She walked up to Ruby and slightly lowered her head. "I'm sorry for being a dick earlier. You saved us all."

Ruby brought her mouth closer to Lacey's ear and whispered to her. "Dicks are cool… you acted like a pussy."

The spontaneous sounds of joy escaped Lacey's lips. The movement of her face and body is an instinctive expression of lively amusement from Ruby's joke.

Ruby couldn't help but also laughed out loud at her joke. It was a brief and hearty laugh.

Monica finally breaks their moment. "It's good to see you two are getting along." She flashed her most winning smile and walked out taking the twin cubs along.

"You know what we need here?" Ruby asked.

Lacey puts on a broad smile. "You're the witch, you tell me."

"We need to ward this hotel with magic to make it inhabitable for Nyx and her agents. It's clear that whoever you have been up against is consulting Nyx as the source of power."

Ruby is familiar with Lacey. She knows things about her. For the past few months, she has monitored her and found out she has been playing a vigilante by night. Perhaps the gang of robbers is not working alone but with someone powerful enough. Since the Sisters of Light stand for justice, they sent Ruby to protect Lacey when things go south.

"Do you think Nyx is now after my life?"

There was a strong desire written all over Lacey to know what she was up against. All she did was to keep her city safe. Now what she hunts seems to be hunting her with darkness.

"From what you experienced in the hallway, I believe she's stalking you and would want to make you terrified. This is the world of the living; she doesn't have much power here except to preside over the night." Ruby emits a sigh and continued in a refined voice. "This is why you should stop playing a vigilante at night. She might get to you."

"I won't let her scare me into hiding," Lacey argued.

"Please, Lacey…" Ruby threw her hand over Lacey's shoulder and continued. "Let the police do their job. You have a life to live with your younger siblings."

Lacey raised her head and shook her head slowly. "There's no life to live if I can't keep my younger siblings safe."

It was about turning into an argument between Lacey and Ruby when Lacey's phone interrupted them with a loud buzzing sound followed by a loud ringing tone. "It must be Carl," she said as she quickly walked to the cabinet next to her bed.

She peeped into the screen. She's not wrong after all. It is Detective Jones Carl. Picking up the phone she quickly accepted the call.

"Hello Carl," she smirked.

"Oh thank goodness…" Detective Jones emits a sigh of relief on hearing Lacey's voice.

Not quite long, Jack called him telling him that Lacey is awake. At first, he thought it was part of his mischievous jokes. For the benefit of the doubt, she put a call to Monica and she confirmed it.

"I'm so happy hearing your voice," he said on the other end.

For the past few days, he has often visited Lacey in her room and sat beside her bed. He would whisper in her ear and then kiss her on the forehead before leaving. He didn't like the idea of Ruby Grimmes being the one handling Lacey's case.

'She should be in the hospital, not here!' he argued with Monica the first time she mentioned to him Lacey would be taken home.

He never believed in magic and sees no reason for him to let a witch have the unconscious body of Lacey.

'Don't trust Ruby, trust me.' Monica told him.

When Ruby offered to help Lacey after introducing herself to Monica as a witch and telling her the main reason she came to New York, Monica ran a background check on her to confirm if she speaks the truth. Even though she's an old wolf with no interest in the wolf's business, Lacey and her siblings are her business and she has vowed with the sand from her master's and mistress' grave that she will keep their children safe.

'I will allow you to save Lacey. Please, don't make me regret it.' Monica told Ruby when she finally agrees to her offer.

"I'm happy to hear your voice too. Any lead on the escaped robbers?"

Lacey won't let this slide. She just can't turn a blind eye to what's happening in her city. Her desperation to find the sponsor of the gang of robbers and as well the people behind the killing of her parents and older brother in their mansion is what she will never dismiss so easily.

Detective Jones hissed silently. "You shouldn't be worried about them. Let the police do their…"

She silenced her sigh and spoke up hastily interrupting Detective Jones. "The police are too slow in doing their job."

"Please, Lacey, I don't want to see you get hurt - - not again"

"I know you care for me. But you have to prove that. Let me know when you have any vital information on them." She hung up the call and turned to face Ruby. "What do you need for the warding?"

"Just a few magical elements."

There was hesitation in Ruby's voice. She didn't like the idea Lacey is still poking around trying to catch the gang of robbers herself. It's not her job to do that but she has proven she's stiff-necked and no one will ever change her mind.

***

84TH PRECINCT.

After Lacey hung the call on Detective Jones, he angrily tossed his phone on the desk. As he was about to go through a case file set on his desk, his captain walked up to him, "In my office, now!" he ordered.

The face of his captain was showing strong annoyance. Detective Jones didn't delay but followed immediately to know what he has done this time.

When he walked through the doors of the office of the captain, his facial countenance changed on seeing the escaped robbers comfortably sitting in the captain's office with an unknown man dressed in a fancy brown suit sitting next to them.

"Shut the door behind you," the captain ordered pointing towards the door.

After Detective Jones shuts the door, he stared with disbelief as he approaches the desk. "What's going on here?" he asked with a wide-eyed surprise.

The captain furrows his brows and lashes out at Detective Jones. "What's going here is that you almost made me have your badge just as you almost made these two sue our asses for unlawful apprehension!"

"Unlawful apprehension?" Detective Jones stared with wide-eyed surprise. He glanced at the man dressed in a fancy brown suit. He made a quick guess that he must be their lawyer. "Let me guess… you're their damn lawyer and you came back to threaten the precinct with a lawsuit claiming…"

"Enough, Detective…" the captain yelled out in anger. He stared at Detective Jones with a stone face. "A self-acclaimed vigilante assaulted them in the night. Beat them up and dragged them down to the precinct. That's an assault and you…"

"Is that what they told," Detective Jones interrupted hastily. He knew Lacey goes after those who have committed an actual crime. She can't just pick up people in the street and frame them.

The captain angrily rose to his feet and stared Detective Jones dead in the eyes. "If you interrupt me one more time, I will suspend you for a month without pay. Now go out there and find that vigilante that assaulted them and bring her in. The law must take its cause."

Detective Jones was sad and subdued. These robbers want to get away with their crimes. "But sir, if a vigilante…"

"Vigilantes doesn't have jurisdiction, the NYPD does." He walked around his desk and stood before Detective Jones and continued. "Vigilantes don't tell us what to do. We are the law here. Now go find her and bring her in!"

Detective Jones' face became pale. He can't resist his captain or he's gonna have his badge. He didn't like the fact that these robbers have lied just to gain freedom because there was no cop on the scene to testify to their atrocities on the night of the robbery which claimed the life of security officers on duty. His displeasure with his captain's judgment made him banged the door when he walked out.