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Chapter 3

I've not been down here since that incident happened. I don't even know if I can bring myself to perform black magic again" Lizz said as she stirred an elixir in a mortar.

"Can you stop talking about it, Lizz… please?" Charlie begged calmly.

"Sorry baby" Lizz said.

"Not to pry in your business Charlie but what happened?" Roland asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it Roland. Sorry" Charlie replied.

"Sure. Sorry I asked" Roland said.

"So…when doing an uncloaking spell, don't you like need something related to that object?" Roland asked.

"Sure, I didn't even ask. What are we looking for?" Lizz asked.

"A ring" Charlie answered. She looked at Roland to be sure whether to tell Lizz the type of ring she was looking for. Roland then gave her the green light.

"Baby, don't tell me you brought me all the way down just to look for some engagement ring" Lizz said in annoyance.

"It's not just a ring Lizzy. It's the ring of the damned" Charlie said calmly. Lizz was beyond shocked.

"I'm sorry but no. I'm not helping you find that ring" Lizz said sternly.

"Lizz come on. Why won't you?" Charlie asked.

"You're playing with some dangerous magic baby. It's called the ring of the damned for fuck's sake and then you want me to use black magic to find it? It's black magic tampering with black magic. I'll be burnt alive the moment I try to locate it. Something like this you don't find it. It finds you" Lizz said. One could sense fear in her tone.

"Woah" Charlie said but Roland wasn't even buying it.

"I'm sorry but what you're saying sounds too fictitious" Roland said.

"We live in a world where witches and vampires exist. How does that sound?" Lizz retorted. Immediately, Roland brought out a gun from his pocket.

"I'm aware of how black magic works. Get out your map and find that ring" Roland ordered.

"Roland, what has gotten into you! Drop your gun!" Charlie ordered.

"She knows how to find it. Every witch should know that the ring of the damned was carved of pure magic but possesses black magic when in the wrong hands. Whoever took the ring used her to cloak the ring. Either he's still using her or she's trying to protect him" Roland suggested.

Soon, Lizz took Charlie by her neck and choked her.

"Drop the gun or she dies" Lizz demanded.

"She's being controlled, don't shoot" Charlie said underneath her breath.

"Drop the gun or your friend dies!" Lizz repeated.

"I'm not dropping the gun Char" Roland said sternly.

"She has a little boy, don't shoot" Charlie said.

"Let her go and I promise I won't shoot. We'll leave here and never come back again. We'll stop looking for the ring, I promise. Just let her go" Roland begged sternly but Lizz kept on choking Charlie.

"Hey! Whoever's controlling poor Lizzy. Why don't you come out here and tell us who you are? Let me guess… Omar?" Roland said with a smirk.

"You should have dropped the gun" Lizz said with Omar's voice. As she was about to snap Charlie's neck, Roland pulled the trigger.


"Courtesy of Oliver Stones. Why that fucking bastard" Oliver said to himself.

"We have to get out of this place. This doesn't look good" father Micheal advised. Then they quickly left. They drove off to the parish church. Father Micheal packed some of his things while Oliver put a call through Roland.

"Hey" Roland said.

"We have a serious problem. There was another murder. The victim's body was mutilated and it's in my name. Before you get home, drop Charlie at her house and don't tell her any of this. Then go to your house and pack your stuff, we're leaving town" Oliver ordered.

"There's another problem. I'll explain when I get back" Roland said and then he hung up.

"We have to get out of here" Roland said as he picked Charlie from the floor. He took her out of the store and into his car.

"Roland" Charlie said as she coughed afterwards.

"Roland, her son. We need to get her son Malcom" Charlie said in a weak tone.

"Lizz is dead because she made a deal with Omar. We don't need to take care of her son. I'm sure he has someone" Roland said as he got into his car about to drive off.

"Roland please. He has only his mother" Charlie begged.

"We are going away. Another murder happened and Oliver wants he, the priest and I to leave town" Roland said sadly.

"We're getting the boy and we're leaving together whether Oliver likes it or not" Charlie insisted. Oliver then sighed.

"Where's the address?" Roland asked.


Oliver later drove to his place and began packing as fast as he could.

"Where are we gonna go?" Father Micheal asked.

"As far away as we can get from the Vatican. Roland should know a place" Oliver said.

"And when they find you? What happens then?" Father Micheal asked.

"Till that happens father" Oliver said.

"Call me Micheal… at least until we save the world" father Micheal said with a smirk.


Charlie knocked on Lizz's door.

"Who's there?" Malcolm asked.

"Malcolm, it's me aunty Char" Charlie said with a smile and immediately, he opened the door. He jumped on her with a huge smile on his face.

"I've missed you Charlie" Malcolm said.

"Me too my love" Charlie replied.

"My mum's not around though. She's at the store" Malcolm said with a smile.

"My love come, I have something to tell you and I-I need you to be strong. Will you be strong for me?" Charlie asked almost in tears.

"Sure" Malcolm said with a smile.

"Your mum…your mum passed away. But listen…listen to me. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you" Charlie confessed as she hugged him in tears.

Malcolm was just ten years old. He didn't know how to react. He didn't even shed a tear. He just stopped smiling.

"Will you stay with me here?" Malcolm asked.

"No, we're gonna go somewhere far away from here. Isn't that right Roland?" Charlie asked with a smile as she wiped her tears away. Roland was dumbfounded. He couldn't answer. All he thought about was how he pulled the trigger on little Malcolm's mother. He couldn't even look at the boy.

"Roland?" Charlie called out.

"Yes, yes" Roland replied.

"You see, so pack your bags okay. Let's go" Charlie said calmly.

Minutes later, Roland arrived after he had stopped at Charlie's so she could pack her bag. Oliver and father Micheal were already waiting for Roland's arrival. Little did they know that they were expecting guests.

Roland got out of the car and so did Charlie and Malcolm.

"Roland come on" Oliver complained.

"This is bigger than you think Oly and you should know Charlie better. She's too stubborn to listen to orders like this" Roland said.

"I can't believe you" Charlie said to Oliver in disgust.

"Everyone this is Malcolm. He's coming with us. I trust Roland will give you more details when we get to our destination. Shall we Roland?" Charlie said.

"Yeah. Everyone in the car. We have to leave before the news of the murder spread" Roland said and everyone did as he said. Oliver took the rear seat while the rest took the back seat as Roland drove.

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