Mystery's Choice (Vengeance Of The Fallen Book 1)

by Tanya Simon

  “They voluntarily left without you saying anything and without coming for you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have they been back?”

  “Yes. And I made them explode somehow. I don’t know what I did.”

  Felicity and Mary Kate looked at each other, silently communicating and turned their heads in unison back towards her.

  “What about the dreams?”

  Mystery shrank back into the chair.

  “You need to tell us everything if we are going to be able to help you.”

  “I keep dreaming of the same man, I can’t remember his face but his eyes are always the same. In the dreams, he is trying to get me to come with him somewhere.” Mystery looked up at them. “I am afraid to go to sleep at night. And now, it’s not just me I have to worry about. I have Seth and I just found out I’m pregnant.”

  “When they discover you are pregnant, they will step up the dreams and there will probably be more demon attacks. The child will be very important to them.”

  Mystery blanched. “I will not let them hurt my baby!”

  Felicity reached in her purse and took out a small suede bag, some crystals, and a dream catcher.

  “This bag contains some protection herbs, wear it around your neck at all times, it’s charmed so you don’t have to worry about it getting wet. Place these crystals over the doorframe of every room and the front and back doors.” She picked up the dream catcher, “Place this above your bed, it will help to filter your dreams. I can’t promise it will be strong enough to stop the dreams all together, but it should be able to filter them somewhat. I will go and cleanse the house of any negative energy, I will be back in a few minutes.” Felicity stood and walked out of the room.

  “She knows what she’s doing, this should all help. However, you have to keep on resisting, both mentally and physically or none of it will keep you safe.” Mary Kate said as she took Mystery’s hands in hers. “You and Seth have to stick together no matter what or they will start to use him against you. You may not know how you used your powers, but at least now you know you have powers. They will most likely show up again if you need them.”

  “Thank you. I don’t know why I feel the need to tell you this, but once she finishes the house, you both need to stay as far away from me as you can. I think the only reason they haven’t killed you in the past is because you were never enough of a threat to them. Now, for whatever reasons, they want me. They won’t hesitate to kill anyone they perceive as being between them and me. So, walk away.”

  “We won’t make contact with you again, but we have to keep working with the task force to stop the murders.”

  “I don’t think you can stop the murders, so, you should be safe enough.” Mystery stood as Felicity came back in the room. “Thank you, Felicity. Now both of you should go. Mary Kate, tell Felicity what I said.” She walked them to the door. “God bless you both.”

  “Blessed be, Mystery.” Felicity hugged her and headed for the door, Mary Kate right behind her.

  “Take care of yourself.” Mary Kate said as they stepped outside.

  Mystery said a prayer as she watched them drive away. She put the herb bag around her neck, grabbed her purse and keys and went to tell Seth he was going to be a daddy.

  Seth was sitting at the lunch table, contemplating going to his locker for one of the stash of pills he kept, when he looked up and saw Mystery standing in the door. Seth couldn’t believe how good she looked, her hair was shiny and she had on makeup. She even smiled shyly at him.

  “You look good enough to eat.” He looked her up and down.

  “Can you spare a few?”

  “Yeah. How bout lunch in the cafeteria?” He put his arm around her and they went to the elevator.

  “So, what brought you by the hospital today? Is everything okay?” He looked alarmed.

  “It’s okay. I have some good news. But first I wanted to catch you up on my visit with those two detectives who came by the house before. They came back today.” The doors to the elevator opened and they got out.

  “What did they want?”

  “They came by to tell me they know what is truly going on.” Mystery whispered.

  They got their food and went to sit at a table. Mystery made sure no one was close enough to hear them.

  “Turns out, Detective Ramirez is a witch, she has been aware of this particular cult for awhile. She even knew the name; she called them the Roodmasi. She said they have existed since the time of the Roman Empire.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “Nope. They are very powerful and very serious. She gave me some things to help protect us. Crystals for all the door frames and a dream catcher for over the bed.” Mystery played with the bag around her neck. “This bag of herbs is to help protect me from the guy in my dreams.”

  “So, this is all for real, we’re not having a group delusion?”

  Mystery smiled at him. “Nope. We are perfectly sane. This is happening. She says it won’t stop until they are destroyed or we are dead. But we can control it to a certain degree.”

  “That’s what we do.” He took her hands in his. “I’m here for you, 100 percent.”

  “I know.” She kissed his hands. “Which is why I love you.”

  “You said you have some good news.”

  Mystery took a deep breath. “After what I just told you, you might not think it’s good news. But here it goes. I’m pregnant.”

  Seth dropped his fork. “Oh! You’re preg… We’re having a….” he gave up and leaned across the table and kissed her.

  “You’re happy?”

  “Yeah!”

  “Felicity said they may step up their efforts when they find out about the baby.” Mystery held on to Seth’s hand. “She also thinks my ‘powers’ will show up again when I need them.” Mystery wiped an errant hair out of her face. “I understand if all this is too much. It almost is for me, so I can only imagine what it’s like for you, knowing you can’t stop them.”

  “I love you and I love our child.” He kissed her hand. “It will be okay, we’ll make it okay.” He stood. “I better get back upstairs, don’t want to get in trouble.”

  Mystery rode with Seth back up to his floor, kissed him and headed for home. When she got there she decided to make Seth’s favorite enchiladas. She went to work in the kitchen, humming as she cut up the onion and chiles to go in the dish. Frustrated screams ripped through the air. She whirled around expecting to see demons; instead there was nothing there. She laughed and went back to her cutting.

  “Sorry. Changed the locks.”

  The screaming continued for a few minutes and the kitchen fell silent except for the sounds of Mystery humming and cutting.

  When Seth arrived home later she greeted him at the door with a margarita and a smile. He laughed and grabbed her for a kiss. While they ate she told him about the demons screaming in frustration because they couldn’t enter the house. After dinner, Seth pampered her for the rest of the evening and they spent the night quietly reaffirming their love.

  Sarah looked out the window at the falling rain and wondered why she couldn’t mourn her husband of twenty-five years. Had the child killed all the love in her heart for her husband?

  She had hated her instantly, had known in her heart she would bring suffering to them both. David wouldn’t listen; he had loved her completely by the time he had brought her through the front door and as their bond had grown, somehow he and Sarah had grown apart.

  So, now only three months after his death, she could only stare out the window and wonder if she would ever feel anything for either of them again. Even her hatred of the child was gone. Sighing, Sarah left the window and went to pour herself a scotch and soda. The rings on her long, graceful fingers caught the firelight and sparkled, she smiled at them. At least he had left her well provided for. And now she would no longer have to deal with the child, no more pretending she could ever feel love for a child that wasn’t hers. It had been hard over
the last few years to keep up the pretense, but due to her superb acting, David had gone to his grave believing she loved the little bitch.

  Sarah toasted herself in the antique mirror over the bar and flounced over to sit down in the Queen Anne chair in front of the fire. She brought out the racy romance she was currently reading and settled down to read. She gasped at a noise upstairs and laughed at herself when she realized it was just the wind.

  Several hours later, Sarah found herself dozing, so she got up and put out the fire. She carefully checked all the doors and windows, and finding them locked, she went upstairs to bed. When she walked into her bedroom, Sarah stopped and stared at the large bed, which dominated the room. She was awed at the surge of loneliness that swamped her. David had moved into the guest room three months before he died. Yet, she guessed she missed having someone else in her bed. Resigned, Sarah dressed for bed, covering her white silk gown with a matching robe. She turned the hunter green satin sheets down and climbed into bed. After turning down the light, she settled in and closed her eyes. Her heart lurched when she felt someone sit down on the bed beside her.

  “Hello, Sarah.” A gravelly voice greeted her.

  “Who’s there?” Sarah asked when she opened her eyes and found no one sitting beside her. Fear stole her breath because she saw the indentation on the mattress, but she could not see the person sitting there.

  “I am afraid you must die for the pain you caused Mystery over the years.” The disembodied voice said.

  Sarah could feel hands closing around her throat.

  “No!” She pulled, trying to free her throat, “Please!”

  She screamed as invisible claws raked down her abdomen, she fought the urge to gag as the wet sound of her intestines sliding out of the gaping holes in her belly, filled her ears.

  “Now the fun begins!” said the gravelly voice.

  Sarah vaguely registered the sound of classical music growing loud enough in the room to burst her eardrums. The pain became too much and she leapt into the darkness reaching out to catch her. Next door her neighbors complained about the classical music blaring from the house, no one heard the screams.

  Mystery stretched like a contented cat and bounded out of bed. She’d slept like a baby last night. She whistled while she showered, blotted herself dry and got dressed. Once downstairs, she decided she would go and get the rest of her things from Sarah’s house, she no longer thought of the woman as her mother. She collected some boxes and bounced out of the door.

  When Mystery pulled up in front of Sarah’s house she had to sit in the car and wait for her hands to stop sweating and shaking. She smoothed her hair and got out of the car. As Mystery neared the door she saw it was slightly opened. She pushed it back with her hand and called Sarah’s name, but she stopped mid-syllable. There was blood all over the walls. Mystery went into the kitchen, thinking Sarah had hurt herself last night after the maid had left. She went through the kitchen and into the breakfast nook and found what was left of the maid. She back-pedaled out of the nook and panicked, ran upstairs, yelling for Sarah. At the top of the stairs, someone had left her a message scrawled in blood:

  MYSTERY! GIVE INTO YOUR DESTINY!

  YOU BELONG WITH US!

  Mystery backed against the railing, her hand covering her mouth. She gagged as a thought filled her mind. Turning she ran down the hall to the master bedroom. She stepped through the doorway and her tennis shoe squished. Looking down she watched in horrified fascination as blood seeped up to cover her feet.

  Mystery whirled around to run to the bathroom, and froze. Sitting on top of the dresser was Sarah’s head. As Mystery spun around to sludge out of the room, she spotted various body parts scattered about the room. She screamed and screamed until darkness engulfed her.

  When Mystery came to she was in the hospital with a nurse peering down at her. The nurse’s eyes were too close to her face and so they were out of focus. The result being they were somewhat monstrous and Mystery let out a long hysterical scream. She continued screaming and screaming until there was an entire team of out of focus faces and unfamiliar hands trying to restrain her.

  Slowly, the memory of all the blood came flooding back. She went totally still.

  “Seth!” she tried to get up and was gently lowered back.

  Seth's stormy gray eyes instantly filled her vision, they were full of tears, but the sight of his face was familiar and comforting.

  “Sarah’s dead.” She whispered.

  “I know, hun.” Seth said, tears rolling down his face. “There’s somebody here who needs to talk to you.”

  Seth’s face faded and was replaced by an unfamiliar face.

  “Miss Williams, I’m Detective Sergeant Jeffries.” Sam pulled out his badge.

  Mystery looked at it dully. “I don’t know who would want to kill Sarah. I didn’t see or hear anything”, she gagged, “except for the blood squishing under my feet.” She closed her eyes.

  “The fresher it is in your memory, the more you’ll be able to give us.” Sam looked at the pale face, closed eyes, sighed and turned to leave. “I’ll leave my card with your boyfriend.”

  “Wait.” Mystery swallowed, “I’ll try.”

  “Are you sure you don’t know anyone who would want to hurt your mother?” Sam took a seat by the bed.

  “Oh God!” Mystery reached for Seth, he took her cold hand. “Oh God! This is my fault!”

  “No! We had no reason to think they would go after her, she hated you and she had no part in taking you from them.” He forced her to look at him, “She was mean and vindictive, and she thrived on hurting you! I won’t have you trying to take the blame for her death. Yes, it’s sad she is dead, but YOU ARE NOT TO BLAME!”

  “I should have known she wouldn’t be safe.” She pulled her face out of his hands, “The dreams, the dreams told me it was all the truth.”

  “This was not your fault, Mystery. I won’t let you think it was!” Seth said fiercely.

  “Excuse me.” Sam cleared his throat, “Why would you believe any of this is your fault?”

  “Two months ago my father…” she closed her eyes and Seth squeezed her hand. “My father was killed in a car accident.” She swallowed hard. “At the funeral, Sarah informed me I was not their biological child.” Tears slid down her alabaster cheeks. “She said my father had stolen me from a cult…” she faltered and Seth continued.

  “Sarah said she had received a phone call warning her the cult wanted Mystery back and they would stop at nothing to get her back within the fold.” He stood and began to pace. “They had killed and would kill again to fulfill the prophecy. And whatever spell David had used to protect them had begun to fade and it would only be a matter of time until they came for her.”

  “We reported a breaking and entering/vandalism. We have spoken with two detectives from the Occult Crimes Division. They told us the cult was real and they will keep harassing us, but we had no reason to believe they would harass Sarah.” Seth said as he whirled around and came back to hold Mystery’s hand, “Sarah Williams was a cold, self-centered bitch who delighted in tormenting her child.” Seth stood again, his anger making him rigid. “If you could have seen the look of joy on her face, as she crushed her daughter’s world.” He struggled to relax; “Sarah never said anything to us about the cult bothering her, as far as we know she didn’t report anything to the other detectives. She made her break with Mystery quite clear to everyone.”

  Mystery turned to face Sam. “It was as if the phone call reminded her how much she hated me. Things had been civil between us for the last couple of months. After she got the phone call. Pow! Just like we had dreamed the peaceful time, things were back to the way they had always been. When my father was gone, she didn’t have to keep his secret anymore.” She wiped at her cheeks. “Instead of mourning her husband, she was basking in the knowledge she had the power to completely destroy the perfect world my father had built for me.”

  “Did she know which cult you w
ere taken from?” Sam asked looking down at his notebook.

  “No. If she had known she would have tried to give me back, years ago.”

  “No one has tried to contact you?”

  “Not…” she looked away. “No one has tried to contact me.”

  “Ms. Williams, if someone has contacted you, I need to know. You are in great danger, if it is the group I think it is.” He took her hand, “They have left a trail of bodies all over town and I don’t think they would hesitate to harm you or Seth if they thought it was written in some sacred book somewhere.” He looked at Seth. “So if either of you know anything about them, you need to tell me.”

  “We have been getting hang-ups. No one ever says anything and those haven’t been happening as much.” Mystery began.