by Martha Woods
Sarconi growled and made to lunge, only stopping when he felt the pistol pressed against his temple. “Don’t do that.” Christian said calmly, threat audible in his tone. “Especially since he’s right.”
He turned sharply to look up at Christian, the hammer clicking back in response. “If I’m telling you not to hit him, I very much recommend you don’t do it to me either. It would be...” He smirked, canines glinting in the light. “Unpleasant for you.”
Sarconi stared up at him for a few more seconds, utterly fuming, before grunting and standing slowly. He took one last look at Andrew, scowling to himself and walking to the door. The two men were left alone, Andrew trying to size him up now that he could spend more than three seconds without being hit.
“So, you’re the one who’s actually in charge then.” Andrew stretched out, his old back popping with the strain of having been immobile for days. “How’s it feel working with that fucking idiot?”
“About as pleasant as having to take care of another one.” He holstered his pistol, tucking his jacket back over the weapon. “I’ll never understand people like you, how hard is it to only gamble with the money you actually have?”
“Why do you chase people around the country instead of staying at home with that pretty little wife of yours?” Christian raised an eyebrow at that comment, he grinned. “Caught a little glimpse of her when the door opened a while ago.” He whistled, “One hell of an ass on her huh?”
Christian breathed out tiredly, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. “Yes, and believe me, you are far from the first person to say so.”
“You ever fucked it?” Andrew laughed at the momentary shock that came over Christian’s face. “Of course you have, who wouldn’t? Could bounce a penny off that thing.”
“Alright, if you’re done then we’re going to move you.”
“Oh, where to?”
Christian flicked his thumb over his shoulder. “The man’s an idiot but he’s right, we’re taking you to go meet your daughter. I’m sure it’ll be a heartfelt reunion for everyone.”
The thought of that happening actually did pain Andrew’s heart, he knew that there was only one way this was likely to end, and it didn’t look good for any of them. Damn if he was going to give them the satisfaction of knowing that though. Instead, he put on his best mock pout, puffing his chest out in a show of bravado. “Before we hit the road, mind if I ask your wife for one last roll? It’d be a shame if I went out without getting a taste you know?”
“Stop.” Christian walked around his back, working on loosening the knots. “Stop now and you get to walk to the van.”
“Oh, come on! It’s no big deal, she doesn’t strike me as the type who says no to anyon-” His words cut themselves off as Christian slammed the grip of his pistol into the back of his skull, his head hanging limply over his front and dribbling blood down the front of his shirt.
“There, you idiot. Now I have to carry you.” The hunter picked him up, hoisting him over a shoulder and walking towards the door. “This job is a fucking disaster.”
Chapter 6
Three days. Three long days had passed, and Skylar was almost completely over it. Three days of which the only break in monotony had been the times that Abigail needed to feed and when Cassandra would come and instruct her on some new way that she could utilize her powers, whether it be shifting parts of her body to adapt or grabbing something on the other side of the room.
While figuring out these new parts of herself was certainly very exciting, it didn’t help the gaping hole that she felt in her heart at not being able to see her husband. Ever since they had married, her and Liam had not gone longer than a single day without seeing each other, and to have to spend such a long time apart after the birth of their child no less... It was almost too much for her to take.
Cassandra was very sympathetic however, constantly bringing little notes that he had written or meals that he had prepared, the two of them determined to have her be as comfortable as she could possibly be under the circumstances.
One plus at least was that she was quickly learning the different ways in which little Abigail worked. She learned that gentle rocking from side to side didn’t put her to sleep, complete stillness being the only thing that would put her down. She wasn’t sure if that was exactly normal for most new born children, but she was quickly learning that her child was far from normal.
For instance, most would be quite upset at seeing their mother’s hand dissolve into a vaguely limb shaped mass of smoke, but rather than bursting into tears Abigail looked like the sun had just risen, a joyous giggle erupting out of her little mouth as thin tendrils of smoke tickled gently at her chin.
Skylar herself still wasn’t completely used to it, but she was happy at least that Abigail was adapting well. Whether she would have to worry about why that was she would wonder about a different day.
Right now however, she was trying to force down the soup that Cassandra had brought for her, while the witch herself sat in the corner bobbing Abigail up and down in her lap. “You’re really getting along well with her, aren’t you?” She asked the witch, turning up an amused eyebrow at the display.
“Surprisingly, yes. Normally I loathe children, but this one...” She pulled her index finger away as Abigail tried to sink her teeth into it. “She’s an interesting little thing, I’ll be quite sad when I have to leave.”
“You can always come back, you know?” Skylar laughed when Cassandra looked at her with confusion. “What, you didn’t think we would just kick you out when the time was up did you?”
Cassandra shrugged. “’Tis normally what happens when I help someone out, I haven’t done it in quite few years for that exact reason.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry with us. You’re more than welcome anytime you want to visit.”
Cassandra didn’t say anything at first, slowly smiling and inclining her head gently. “Thank you, Skylar, that’s very kind of you. Also very fortunate for you, considering that just because you will be in control of your powers doesn’t mean there is no more that you can learn.” She pointed at the bowl of soup in front of her. “So eat up, we need to continue our training as soon as possible.”
“Ugh, do I really have to? I’m not even hungry right now...”
“Given the fact that you are the one who just gave birth to a child, and are not in fact one yourself, I should not have to tell you to not fuss and eat your food.” She tutted disapprovingly. “The fact of the matter is you need as much energy as you can get, not just because until very recently you were supporting a second life off of your body’s energy, which puts a tremendous strain on any being, but your powers will also be feeding off that very same energy. If you do not eat you will be weak, if you are weak you will only hurt yourself when you try and use your powers.”
Skylar groaned, “So what does this mean for the long term then?”
“The long term?” Cassandra chuckled to herself, “On the one hand you’ll have a very fast metabolism from now on, so you don’t have to worry about gaining any weight you don’t want. On the other, get used to eating between five and eight meals a day.”
“Eight?” Skylar almost shrieked at the news, only keeping herself quiet when she saw Abigail sleeping peacefully. “What do you mean eight meals a day?”
“I think it’s really quite self-explanatory. I myself eat quite a lot out of necessity, as I’m sure a number of your group does too. Just be glad you have access to a sizable sum of money, most people wouldn’t be able to afford the amount of meals necessary.”
“I... Suppose that is true.” Skylar looked down at herself. “Sometimes I forget just how lucky I am, I should really try to help more people when I can. There’s so much someone with my resources could do to help those less fortunate.”
“Yes, yes, it’s all very tragic.” Cassandra waved her off, pointing to the soup again. “It’s not going to get you out of eating though, so finish the damned soup.”
&n
bsp; Grumbling to herself, Skylar gave in to the request, forcing spoonful after spoonful down her throat until she felt she might be sick, even scraping the bottom of the bowl at Cassandra’s pointed look. “There, I ate the stupid soup. Is being sick part of the training?”
Cassandra laughed, “Not quite, try and pick up that ball over there.” She pointed over to the side of the room, where the props they had been using for training sat. Easily, as if it was second nature, Skylar focused, the shadow underneath the ball shifting and molding until it had a grip upon the ball, drifting easily across the floor and into her hand. Immediately, Skylar’s nausea lessened, Cassandra watching her with an incredibly smug look of satisfaction.
“Fine, you were right. Enjoy it.”
“I will, thank you.” The witch smirked, setting Abigail down gently in her crib. “You are becoming stronger every single day, at this rate I’m confident that you will be more than capable of defending yourself and those dear to you.”
“Defending myself?” Skylar sat up in bed, this news quite alarming to her. “Why would I have to do that? Do you think that we’ll me in danger?”
“My dear...” She sat on the end of Skylar’s bed, taking her hand between her two. “You’re one of us now, there are always going to be people who seek to harm you because of that. Your husband and his brother have dealt with many, as have Hayley and Farah.” She chuckled, “My house is built upon dozens, if not hundreds who have sought to cause me harm. This is simply a part of your life now.”
“But... I don’t know if I can harm anyone. I know that Liam has, and I’d be stupid to think that no one else has either, it used to be Cayden’s job for god sake.” She huffed uneasily, “But me? I don’t know if I could live with that blood on my hands.”
Cassandra leaned forward, her hand covering her mouth as she hummed in thought. She leaned down, picking up the ball from the floor and tossing it lightly in the air, catching it with one hand. “Here’s an exercise for you.”
Skylar watched as she placed the ball lightly on the end of the bed, tapping the top with her knuckle. “I want you to pick this up, and I want you to imagine that it is someone who is after your blood. It could be for any reason, and it could be anyone, but this person desires one thing, and one thing only, and that is your body bleeding out in front of them.”
“Why can’t I just call the police?”
“They have a gun, or you don’t have your phone on you.”
Skylar laughed, “I always have my phone with me.” She couldn’t resist needling a little more. “I just need to know a reason why this person would try and kill me.”
“Here’s one...” Cassandra looked at her with a very unimpressed sneer. “You kept asking questions and bothering this person until the only recourse they had to keep their sanity was to make you quiet any way possible. How is that for a reason?”
Skylar tried to keep her giggling to a minimum as she nodded. “Fair enough, I suppose that’ll have to do.”
She focused her attention on the ball in front of her, able to feel the shadows as if they were pulsing through her veins, the feel of the ball as the shadows caressed its surface like she was touching it directly with her fingers. It had only been three days, and the rate at which she had become comfortable with her abilities both astounded and frightened her, though in moments like this she could hardly deny that it was exhilarating. She lifted it as easily as she breathed, thin lines crisscrossing its form as it rose through the air, squeezing down just enough to leave thin indentations in its surface.
Skylar squinted in concentration, trying to will herself to squeeze just that little bit harder, to force the air from the ball’s delicate form, yet she couldn’t. Imagining that it was a living person, even one hellbent on killing her... She just couldn’t bring herself to take that last step that was needed.
She let the ball fall lightly to the bed, sighing to herself as she did, “I can’t... I’m sorry. Even if it’s someone looking to hurt me I just... I can’t kill someone like that, not so easily.”
“It’s ok Skylar, not a lot of people are born with that killer instinct.” Cassandra tilted her head in thought, placing a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “Skylar, I want you to pick the ball up again, and hold it just like you were before. Can you do that for me?”
Skylar obeyed the request, picking up the ball and surrounding it once more with those tiny tendrils. She shivered as she felt Cassandra breath on her neck, her hands resting easily on her shoulders as she softly said, “We’ve established that you place others’ lives above your own, normally that is very admirable. But what if your life is not the one in danger?” She ran a fingertip lightly across the skin of Skylar’s bicep, tiny shocks of electricity crackling into her skin and making her wince, yet still the ball did not pop.
Cassandra hummed, “Even when you’re in pain, you still do not crush the ball, even when you know that it would make the pain stop.” She leaned in, her voice a mere dark whisper as she all but mumbled against Skylar’s ear, “But what if they were about to hurt Abigail?”
Not a moment passed before the ball was suddenly destroyed, not popped like either of them expected, but destroyed. Those thin tendrils of shadow expanded instantly, the surface of the ball covered in a shimmering mass of darkness, compressing in on itself as something flashed in Skylar’s eyes. There was no loud bang of the ball suddenly exploding, only a muffled thump from within that rapidly shrinking mass of shadow.
By the time Skylar regained control and let go of the ball, it was little more than a mostly dissolved scrap of material, far less than the ball was made of to begin with. While she reacted with a shocked gasp, her hand flying to cover her mouth, Cassandra grinned behind her.
“Well, looks like you do have a bit of fire in you.” She placed a hand on Skylar’s shoulder, working away at a knot that had placed itself in the muscle. “It’s good to know that if a threat comes to those you call family that you will answer the call. That is far more than can be said of many others. And it does not make you a bad person, before you get any thoughts like that.”
“Well?” Skylar said, turning to look at her. “What does it make me then?”
Cassandra shrugged, reaching for her cup of tea. “Someone who cares.”
* * *
“I have destroyed your stupid ball five times now, is that enough to prove that I can leave this room now?” Skylar let her head fall back against the pillow, frustration clear in her voice as she tossed aside yet another scrap of destroyed ball. “What do I have to do to prove that I’m in control now?”
“Hmm…” The witch put her finger on her chin as she walked around the room, kicking the destroyed remnants of their training exercises out of her way. “Let me think… What if you tried lifting me up in the air?”
“Lifting you?” Skylar screwed up her eyebrows in confusion. “Why would I want to lift you into the air?”
Cassandra rolled her eyes. “How do you expect to be able to stop someone hurting Abigail if you can’t even physically slow them down? Do you expect them to just stand there while you gather your shadows to burst their skulls?”
She continued walking, her hands behind her back as she shook her head. “You need to be able to stop someone with sheer overwhelming force, and I know that you’re capable of doing so, you just need to stop holding yourself back and just give in!” She suddenly stopped walking, her foot catching on something on the floor. Cassandra attempted to pull her foot up towards herself, squinting when it remained fixed against the surface.
“Oh, that’s new.”
Skylar focused with all her might, a small twist of her hand sending shadow shooting up the witch’s legs, wrapping around her hips and hoisting her into the air with a startled yelp.
Cassandra was struck by how strange of a feeling it was, looking down and seeing only shadow keeping her in the air. Suddenly being able to feel something that was always over your body, that was as much a part of you as anything else…
It was disconcerting, to say the least.
“Ok Skylar, I’d say that you’ve made your point, you’re more than ready in my opinion. You can put me back on the ground now.” She grimaced when instead of lowering to the ground she rose even higher, scowling as her cheek pressed against the ceiling, thankfully free of dust and cobwebs. “I hope that you’re enjoying this.”
“I am, thank you.” Skylar smirked, finally lowering her towards the ground into her chair, the witch placing a hand against her forehead as soon as she had even footing. “Are you alright?” Skylar asked, with no small amount of concern.
Cassandra waved her off. “I’ll be fine in just a moment, ‘tis just… Uncomfortable, feeling something that normally has no way for you to touch it. It’s nothing to worry about.” She breathed out slowly, tamping down on her nausea. “Well, you certainly proved me wrong didn’t you? Very well, I suppose if this doesn’t prove that you’re ready nothing will.”
Skylar perked up, a grin slowly spreading across her face. “You mean I can finally leave?”
Cassandra nodded, standing to leave. “Get some sleep for a few hours first, I’ll make sure everyone is here when you wake up.”
“I’m not tired though…” Skylar stretched her mouth open in a yawn, head falling back against the bed. “Ok, I guess I might need a little sleep then…”
“Rest easy.” The witch smiled softly, placing her hand on the younger woman’s forehead. “There will be plenty of time to catch up later.”
She walked out of the room, Skylar already snoring softly as the door clicked shut.
* * *
As soon as they received the call that she was leaving the room, everyone had dropped what they were doing and gotten into their cars, none of them wanting to chance missing the reunion they had all been waiting for. Even though Liam and Cassandra had been the ones to personally put out the calls, they were surprised when they opened the door and were presented with every single one of Skylar's loved ones at once, all having arrived at the exact same time.
