Witch’s Promise (Shadowguards #3.5)

14. Sean

Chapter 14

Sean

T he moment felt suspended in time, fragile and precious. For a brief, selfish instant, Sean wished it could last forever. Here, with Gabe in his arms, the weight of the past didn't seem quite so crushing. The guilt that had been his constant companion for years receded, if only for a heartbeat.

But of course, reality had a way of intruding on even the most perfect moments. The sharp ping of Gabe's phone cut through the night air like a knife, shattering the illusion of peace they'd managed to create.

Gabe pulled back, his eyes red-rimmed but clearer now. "That'll be my team," he said, his voice rough with spent emotion. "They're here."

Sean nodded, trying to ignore the pang of loss as Gabe stepped away. His team. Another reminder of how much had changed, of how little Sean truly knew about Gabe's life now. What kind of job required a "team" to show up in the middle of the night after a magical attack? It was just one more mystery in the ever-growing list of things Sean didn't understand about the man he'd once known better than himself.

"I should go meet them," Gabe continued, running a hand through his hair in a gesture so achingly familiar it made Sean's chest ache. “Would you mind waiting here? I'll be right back."

"Sure," Sean managed, forcing a smile he didn't quite feel. "I'll be here."

Gabe nodded, relief evident in the slight relaxation of his shoulders. He turned to go, then paused, looking back at Sean with an expression that was impossible to decipher. "Sean, I... thank you. For being here."

Before Sean could formulate a response, Gabe was gone, striding towards the house with purpose in every step. Sean watched him go, a whirlwind of emotions churning in his gut. Gratitude, that Gabe still trusted him enough to let him in, even a little. Fear, that he'd inevitably fuck it up again. And underneath it all, a gnawing sense of guilt that threatened to consume him whole.

Because the truth was, Sean didn't deserve Gabe's gratitude. He didn't deserve to be here, to be trusted, to be anything more than a painful memory of past mistakes. Not after everything he'd done. Not with the secrets he was still keeping.

Shaking off the spiral of self-recrimination, Sean turned his attention to the devastated backyard. If he couldn't make things right - and really, how could he ever hope to do that? - he could at least try to be useful. Maybe if he looked around, he could find some clue about who had attacked them and why.

A glint caught his eye, and Sean crouched down, pushing aside fallen streamers to reveal a small glass bottle. His breath caught in his throat as recognition dawned. "Fuck," he muttered, carefully extracting the bottle from the dirt. It was a magic nullifier, a potent cocktail designed to temporarily strip a witch of their powers.

Sean's stomach churned as the implications hit him. This wasn't some random attack. It was targeted, precise, and bore all the hallmarks of his father's organization. The level of planning, the specific magical weapons used - it all reeked of his father’s particular brand of calculated cruelty.

Carefully, Sean slipped the bottle into his pocket. He'd have to find a way to dispose of it later, somewhere far from here. The last thing Gabe and his family needed was for anyone to start asking uncomfortable questions about how Sean recognized such a specialized magical weapon.

As he straightened up, the full weight of the situation settled onto Sean's shoulders. Gabe still had no idea about his past, about the family legacy of violence and manipulation he'd walked away from. And now, it seemed that very legacy had come back to haunt them both.

"Goddamn it, Dad," Sean muttered, running a hand through his hair. "What the fuck are you playing at?"

He'd tried so hard to leave that life behind, to become someone Gabe could be proud of. But the past had a way of catching up, didn't it? No matter how far or how fast you ran, some sins couldn't be outrun.

Sean's mind raced, trying to piece together his father's possible motives. What could his father want with the Reed family? Was this about power, territory, or something more personal? And how the hell was Sean supposed to help without revealing the very connections that would likely destroy any chance of reconciliation with Gabe?

As Sean made his way back towards the house, his resolve hardened. He'd find a way to help, to protect Gabe and his family from the storm that was coming. Even if it meant confronting the very demons he'd been running from for years.

The bottle in his pocket felt like it weighed a ton, a physical reminder of the secrets he was still keeping. But for now, it was a necessary evil. Sean would find a way to use his knowledge, his training, to help Gabe navigate the dangerous waters ahead - without compromising himself or putting them in more danger.

Giana sat on the couch, her fingers combing through an unconscious Gino's hair. The worry etched on her face made Sean's chest tighten with a familiar cocktail of guilt and regret. Another person he'd failed to protect, another reminder of how fucking useless he really was when it mattered.

Shaking off the self-recrimination, Sean made his way towards the master bedroom. He could hear voices drifting through the partially open door, Gabe's familiar tones mixed with others he didn't recognize. As he approached, the conversation became clearer, snippets of medical jargon and magical theory that made Sean's head spin.

He hesitated at the threshold, suddenly feeling like an intruder. Who was he to barge in on this scene? He wasn't family, wasn't part of Gabe's new life. He was just a ghost from the past, haunting the edges of a world he no longer belonged in.

But before Sean could retreat, Gabe looked up and spotted him. A smile flickered across his ex's face, warm and genuine in a way that made Sean's heart clench painfully. "Sean, hey. Come on in. I want you to meet the team."

Sean nodded, forcing his feet to move. As he entered the room, he became acutely aware of the assessing gazes fixed on him. Three men stood around Damian’s prone form, each radiating an aura of power that made the hairs on the back of Sean's neck stand up.

"Everyone, this is Sean," Gabe said. "He's been a huge help tonight. Sean, this is Marcus, Lucas, and Finn. We work together."

Sean's eyes flicked from face to face, committing names and features to memory out of habit. Marcus, tall and lithe, with an energy that crackled just beneath the surface of his skin. Lucas, shorter but no less imposing, his gaze sharp and calculating as he sized Sean up. And Finn, bent over Damian's body, his hands glowing with a white light that pulsed in time with some unheard rhythm.

"Nice to meet you," Sean managed, his voice steadier than he felt.

He couldn't help but notice the way Gabe stood close to Lucas, their shoulders nearly touching. A familiar, ugly feeling reared its head in Sean's gut - jealousy, mixed with a hefty dose of self-loathing. He had no right to feel possessive, not after everything he'd done.

Gabe must have sensed Sean's discomfort, because he quickly launched into an explanation. "Finn's a high-level white magic user," he said, gesturing to the man working over Damian. "He's trying to counteract the dark magic in my dad's body."

Sean nodded, trying not to let on how out of his depth he felt. The magical energy in the room was palpable, a thrumming undercurrent that made his skin prickle. It was a stark reminder of how different his world was from Gabe's, how much had changed in the years they'd been apart.

Finn looked up, his face drawn with concentration. "I'm going to need some space to work," he said, his voice tight. "This is delicate stuff. Gabe, you and the others should wait outside. This could take a while."

Gabe hesitated, concern etched into every line of his face. "Are you sure? I could help, maybe-"

"No," Finn cut him off firmly. "Your energy's all over the place right now, man. You'd do more harm than good. Trust me on this, okay?"

For a moment, Sean thought Gabe might argue. But then his shoulders slumped, a flicker of relief passing across his face. "Yeah, okay. You're right. We'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."

As they filed out of the room, Sean couldn't help but steal glances at Gabe. He looked exhausted, the weight of leadership sitting heavy on his shoulders. Sean's fingers itched with the urge to reach out, to offer some kind of comfort. But he held back, all too aware of the gulf that stretched between them.

Emily met them in the hallway, her face pale but determined. "I'll put on some tea," she said, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. "We could all use something warm, I think."

Sean followed the group into the kitchen, his senses on high alert. The room had undergone a transformation since he'd last seen it, the chaos of the attack wiped away as if it had never happened. Giana must have been busy while they were dealing with Damian. The familiar scent of lemon cleaner mingled with the comforting aroma of brewing tea, creating a surreal contrast to the tension thrumming through the air.

Marcus, the one with short dark hair and an energy that seemed barely contained beneath his skin, was the first to break the uneasy silence. "Alright, Gabe, what the hell happened here? Start from the beginning."

Gabe sighed, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "It all started with Jessy Wisteria. She showed up at our door a few days ago, scared out of her mind. Said something was after her, but she didn't know what."

Sean's eyebrows shot up. This was news to him. He'd barely noticed the Wisteria girl at the party, too focused on Gabe to pay much attention to anyone else. Guilt gnawed at him - if he'd been more observant, less self-absorbed, maybe he could have prevented this whole mess.

"We took her in," Gabe continued, his voice tight with frustration. "Tried to figure out what was going on. But before we could get any real answers, the attack happened. They took her, and nearly killed my dad in the process."

Lucas, the one who'd been standing so close to Gabe earlier, leaned forward. "Do you need us to stick around, help with the investigation? We could-"

"No," Gabe cut him off, shaking his head. "We can't pull the whole team away from Manhattan. The city needs you guys."

Sean couldn't help but notice the way Gabe's eyes sought out Lucas, as if looking for comfort or reassurance. The familiar sting of jealousy twisted in his gut, but he pushed it aside. He had no right to those feelings, not anymore.

Instead, Sean focused on the words that had caught his attention. "Hold up," he said, confusion coloring his tone. "Manhattan? How the hell did you guys get here so fast?"

Marcus grinned, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "I run fast."

The casual way he said it, like it was the most normal thing in the world, made Sean's head spin. There was clearly more to Gabe's team than met the eye. The magical energy radiating off them was palpable, each one giving off a distinct signature that Sean's limited magical senses could barely comprehend.

Lucas prodded Gabe gently. "Come on, man. You know we want to help. Just say the word."

Gabe hesitated, indecision written across his face. Without thinking, Sean reached out, giving Gabe's hand a brief, reassuring squeeze. The contact sent a jolt through him, a bittersweet reminder of what they'd once been to each other.

"I guess as long as Alex is okay with it, I wouldn't mind the help," Gabe said finally. "We need all hands on deck to figure out who did this and why."

Marcus nodded, pulling out a sleek device that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. He placed it in the center of the table, his fingers dancing across its surface with practiced ease.

Before he could activate whatever it was, Emily bustled back into the kitchen, a tray of steaming mugs balanced precariously in her hands. "Here we are," she said, her voice strained with false cheer. "Something warm for everyone."

As she distributed the tea, Sean couldn't help but notice the tremor in her hands, the tightness around her eyes. Gabe’s mother had always been a pillar of strength, unflappable in the face of magical mishaps and teenage drama alike. Seeing her so shaken drove home the severity of the situation in a way nothing else had.

Once Emily had retreated, giving them privacy to continue their discussion, Marcus tapped the device. A hologram sprang to life above the table, displaying the images of two people - a man with a face that seemed carved from granite, all hard angles and piercing eyes, and a woman whose graceful features belied the sharp intelligence in her gaze.

"Alex, Lily," Gabe addressed the holograms, his voice taking on a more formal tone. "Thanks for getting back to us so quickly. We've got a situation here."

The man - Alex, Sean presumed - nodded curtly. "We gathered as much from Marcus's initial report. What's the full story?"

As Gabe launched into a detailed account of the night's events, Sean found himself studying the holographic faces. There was something about Alex that set him on edge, a hint of barely restrained power that reminded Sean uncomfortably of his father. Lily, on the other hand, had a calculating look that made him want to check his pockets, certain she could see right through him.

"I see," Alex said when Gabe had finished. His eyes flicked to Sean, a flicker of something - recognition? suspicion? - passing across his face so quickly Sean almost missed it. "And who's this? A new recruit?"

Gabe shifted uncomfortably. "This is Sean. He's an old friend. He was here when the attack happened, helped us fight them off."

Sean fought the urge to squirm under Alex's scrutiny. He had the distinct impression that this was a man who didn't miss much, who could strip away pretenses with a single glance. It was all he could do not to blurt out a confession right then and there, to lay bare all his sins and beg for forgiveness.

But Alex simply nodded, his expression unreadable. "I see. Well, Mr. Sean, it seems we owe you our thanks."

"I didn't do much," Sean muttered, discomfort crawling up his spine. He didn't deserve thanks. If anything, he deserved their suspicion, their anger. If they knew the truth about his past, about his father's likely involvement in all this...

"Nevertheless," Alex continued, "your assistance is appreciated. Now, as for the current situation - Gabe, you have our full support. Do whatever you need to do to find Miss Wisteria and bring her captors to justice. We'll be there as soon as we wrap things up here in Manhattan."

Lily spoke up then, her voice cool and precise. "I'm sending over all the intel we have on the Wisteria family and any potential enemies they might have. It's not much, but it's a start. And Gabe? Be careful. Whoever did this isn't playing around."

The holograms flickered and died, leaving the kitchen feeling suddenly emptier. Sean let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, the tension in his shoulders easing fractionally.

"Well," Marcus said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us. Where do we start?"

Gabe straightened up, a determined set to his jaw that Sean remembered all too well. It was the look he got when he was about to do something either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid - often both.

"We start by going over every inch of this place," Gabe said. "Whatever magic they used to attack us, it had to leave some kind of trace. Lucas, I want you on that. Your sensing abilities are the strongest."

Lucas nodded, already pulling out what looked like a crystal pendant. "On it. I'll start with the backyard and work my way in."

"Marcus, I need you to run a perimeter check. See if you can pick up any unusual scents or energy signatures. And keep an eye out for any witnesses - someone must have seen or heard something."

Marcus grinned, a hint of eagerness in his expression. "Fast and thorough, that's me. I'll have a report for you in no time."

Gabe turned to Sean then, and for a moment, it was like no time had passed at all. They were just two kids again, facing down the latest magical crisis to hit Salem. "Sean, I could use your help going through the house. Fresh eyes might spot something we've missed."

Sean nodded, ignoring the way his heart leapt at the prospect of being useful. "Whatever you need, Gabe. I'm here."