The single figure split into dozens.
“Vampires caused more problems than the Vessels. Transformed by their magic, Vampires were unpredictable, their magic having control over them instead of the other way around. Once the transformation into a Vampire is complete, you don't regress into a Vessel again.”
“And Vessels?” Liam asked.
“Vessels were tamer. They shared the same philosophy as the Vampires – they should weed out the weak. But there was a certain amount of control over their actions. Their magic wasn't as strong and damaging.”
The sand spun into the three Goddesses again. Lyssa and Circe stood side by side facing Cerridwyn. “Circe and Lyssa demanded that Cerridwyn kill all Vessels and Vampires, or they would. Before anyone knew it, Blue Ruin had started.”
The sand blew in concentric circles, expanding across the grass to bring Abysm to life.
Thick forests with unimaginable and undiscovered wildlife bordered backyards. Flowers made of thousands of different colors bloomed after violet rain on every patch of grass. And after silver rain, diamond rivers flooded the roads until the blazing sun evaporated the temporary stones and turned them to glittery snow.
Liam ran his fingers along the miniature hillsides that grazed his ankles. Grass tickled his fingertips as if it were real.
Maura broke apart the beauty with a strike of lightning. Stone homes crumbled under bolts of powerful magic. Fires ignited in the middle of magenta oceans while turquoise seas flooded towns. Orbs of charms invaded the night sky and blocked out the sun so all crops withered and left towns hungry. People wept on diamond embedded roads as Vampires swarmed from beyond the forests. The sand developed into burnt homes, carcasses, and desolation.
“Circe and Lyssa wanted these beings gone from their world,” Maura said.
Liam cleared his throat and shifted to avoid a fire that spread across the shoreline.
“And they wanted Cerridwyn gone from it too. So, Lyssa and Circe used their most powerful beings. They didn't want to take Cerridwyn down themselves. What happened if they went down with her?” She shook her head. “It didn't matter in the end, though.”
Lyssa's scythe had claimed her and lay beside her decapitated body. Circe, mangled in the jaws of a lion charmed by Cerridwyn, rested next to Cerridwyn, who stood between the two deceased Goddesses. Their souls surrounded the Goddess of dark magic like smoke.
“Cerridwyn killed them and absorbed their souls.”
“Their souls?”
“Tethered to Cerridwyn’s soul are the souls of Lyssa and Circe. In a way, they became a single Goddess: Cerridwyn. She was able to use their powers. And it was a way for Cerridwyn to ensure they would never return. They're trapped within her soul. Only she can release them.”
Liam looked into her eyes. “Where is your story?”
Maura gulped. “My father, Artem, was the most powerful Siren under Circe's rule.” His figure rose from the sand. “At the start of the war, she had chosen him to lure in Cerridwyn.” Tears welled in her eyes. “And he did,” she sniffled. “She didn't take her defeat well. A Siren, a measly being, had been stronger than her? My father knew the only way to end this was to kill Cerridwyn. His intent was to trap her Soul – the essence of her power – in the Underworld.”
The sand formed an image of Cerridwyn donning Death's Noose in front of Liam. He traced his fingers over the golden chain.
“Death's Noose from Lyssa was the only thing capable of killing an immortal or a Goddess. It binds their Soul in the Underworld.” She tore the necklace off of her neck, threw it to the ground, and watched it repair the links she had snapped. “But after Lyssa was killed, that plan no longer worked. Lyssa wasn't guarding the Underworld. Cerridwyn could find her way back to Abysm. When The Keep arrived, they captured Cerridwyn and sent her for execution. My father tried to stop them, claiming she'd only return. They didn't listen. She used her last breath to curse her soul upon my father. She damned the future lineage of my family and hers to immortality, so even in death, the war she waged could carry on.”
Liam stared at the sand as it formed the three Wilhelm sons.
“These are Cerridwyn's sons. Adrian, the oldest. Julian, the middle child. And Claus, the youngest. All of whom are children of a Goddess, and therefore, more powerful than any of their kind.”
“I was right,” he said with a breathless smile. “You’re–”
“I’m Maura Leroux.” She let the Illusion fall, her red hair tumbling down her shoulders. “The one Adrian has been searching for.”
Chapter Twelve: The Call
Julian Wilhelm woke to his phone ringing beside his head. He slapped around the empty liquor bottles and lace lingerie on the floor until he found it.
“Hello?” his voice came out heavy, muddled from alcohol.
“You've been drinking again.” Adrian's voice shot lightning through his body. Instantly sober. He sat up, the world spinning.
“What do you need?”
Adrian never called. The last time they’d spoken was three months ago when Julian burned through another bank account. He had expensive taste. Hard liquor and Siren prostitutes. Adrian couldn't do anything about it. He needed Julian. After Claus had left the family, Adrian had no one else to turn to. Julian milked him for it.
“I need you to follow someone. Heidi sent you her name and picture. Beth Hollings. You're to talk to her.”
Julian groaned. He'd scouted for his brother before. Took a few Collectors out for drinks, showed them a wad of cash, required their loyalty to Adrian, and then sent them home. A few weeks later, he killed them for going against their word.
“Why aren't you meeting her?” Julian asked.
“You'll invite her to Viper tomorrow night at eleven. I'll speak to her then.”
The line went dead.
Julian growled and scrolled through the notifications on his phone. He found the message from Heidi, opened it, and read the details.
Beth Hollings. Collector. Head of Adrian’s case. No wonder he wants her. He clicked on her picture. She was attractive. Black hair, dark eyes, prominent features.
Siren. He grinned. Maybe I can bring her home first.
Julian rose from the floor and stumbled over an unconscious Siren. He swayed, looking down at her, trying to remember her name. Amelia? Tracy? Candy? He shook his head and threw a wad of twenties at her. He moved into the bathroom, washed his face, cleaned the lipstick kisses off his neck, and dressed.
“Beth Hollings,” he said, flattening his collar. He liked the way it rolled off his tongue. “Beth Hollings.” He imagined the way it would sound in bed, between the sheets, her legs around his waist. His smile widened. “Beth Hollings.”
His phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Did you get my message?” Heidi said.
“Yes.” Julian reached for his jacket and keys.
“Did Adrian tell you what to say?”
“Yes, Heidi,” he grumbled. “Since when do speak for him? Usually, I hear from Evrene. Finally suck your way to the top?”
He didn't mind Heidi, but he preferred Evrene, Adrian’s other lover. Evrene hung around ever since their mother looked to her to try to save Abysm. In the end, they didn't have Abysm, but Adrian had a new toy. A toy that spoke back. Julian admired her most for it.
“You're disgusting,” Heidi said. “Beth goes by the name Vera now. She’s bringing someone along with her.”
“Who?”
“I don't know. She never had a friend outside of work. Everyone here thinks she's dead. Take care of whoever it is.”
“I'll bring Flynn and Roy with me.”
“Those two are fucking morons.”
Julian leaned against the vestibule wall, twirled his keys, and stared down at the Siren. She didn't move. Shit. Did he kill her? “They're the only two I can call on short notice who'll show up.” He crouched beside the Siren and peeled back her red hair. Two fangs marks, crusted with venom, rested on her pale neck. “Fuc
k.”
“What is it?”
“Is that all you had to tell me, Heidi?” He rose and checked his wallet for enough cash to drop the Siren at the Dumping Grounds. Two bodies in two weeks. The goblins would charge him double to take her. He snatched his twenties back from the body.
“Don't let whoever she's with get away,” she said. “Also, your brother is back.”
Julian pressed the phone harder to his ear. “Claus?”
“Adrian wants to talk to you two after you're done tonight.”
“What's Claus doing back?” The thought made his head spin. Two hundred years ago, Claus left the family, moved to the mountains with their estranged father, and never made contact again. Every few years they heard about him from distant relatives in London. Julian never thought he'd come home.
“His flight comes in tonight,” Heidi said.
“Anything else?”
“Just don't fuck this one up,” she huffed. “Oh, there's something else.”
“Of course,” Julian mumbled.
“John Gilbert. He's the new lead investigator on Adrian's case. Get rid of him.”
“Adrian never mentioned him.”
“I’m mentioning him,” Heidi growled. “He came to my office looking to pin the Riley incident on me – saying I tipped off Adrian.”
Julian chuckled and leaned against the wall. “Sounds like you fucked up.”
“Just take care of him. Tonight. Before he opens his mouth.”
“Does Adrian know?”
“Only that there's a new investigator that needs to be handled. That's all he’ll ever know. You'll kill John before he becomes our problem.”
“Your problem.”
“Julian,” Heidi strained.
He fought back a smirk. “Send me his location.”
“Already sent.”
“You owe me, Heidi.”
***
Julian cast a Veil over John’s suburban house. To neighbors, the house appeared to sleep, nestled against the night sky, a canopy of leaves lazily lapping at the dark windows. Frogs croaked from a nearby pond in the backwoods and the wind carried moisture from an oncoming storm. Julian used the surroundings to paint a stronger picture against The Veil. He held it in place and stepped through.
He followed a concrete path to an unlocked garage door. The lingering effects of alcohol threw his gait off balance, and he swayed away from the silver doorknob. Shaking out his limbs, he stepped forward and pushed through the door. He stumbled into a kitchen, almost knocking pictures off the wall.
The home was quiet except for the ticking clock over the sink and the low chatter of a television from a distant room.
Julian took an unsteady step forward and two back, the slight incline of the floor an obstacle. He regained his balance using the wall and counters and leaned against the doorframe into the dining room. He listened, waited, and listened again for movement but heard nothing. His head pounded, stomach ached, and his eyes grew heavier in the dark. Heidi's pleaded favor rang in his mind.
He needed to kill John. While it was Heidi’s problem that an agent had sniffed her out, it would soon become his. Heidi would crack under the offer of more money. John would offer, Heidi would deliver, and soon every Wilhelm estate would be raided.
Julian could see the headlines now, “Adrian Captured”. No amount of money could erase a story like that. They'd find themselves broke, in jail, awaiting trial at The Gallows. That can't happen.
He pushed off the wall and followed a light blue aura left on the floor into a sitting room.
John slept on a recliner, remote in hand, an empty whiskey glass on the end table. His loud snores filled the room, overpowering the news reporter on television.
Julian sighed, relieved he wouldn't have to fight. He charged a small Annihilation spell in his palm and threw it over his shoulder as he left.
Chapter Thirteen: Drinks and Death
“What's your story?” Maura asked.
After their talk in the field, Liam had driven them to The Boathouse Bar. The siding of the building was constructed of wooden slats painted white. Toward the back, laughter bounced with the soft beat of music. A ghostly aura of bright colors emanated from hanging lights that outlined the deck. They sat beneath the lights, isolated in the far corner.
“I want to hear the rest of yours,” Liam said.
“I've told you everything.”
“You've told me the beginning.”
Maura played with the label on her beer bottle, paying more attention to it than the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach at the thought of being open. “What else do you want to know?”
“What happened after Blue Ruin?”
She took a long sip before answering. “For the next ten years, citizens of Abysm lived in fear. Vampires went after Sirens, Sirens went after Vessels, and Mystics went after everyone.” Maura became lost in the high-pitched screams that would rattle her bedroom windows during long nights in Abysm. Terror took her into an uneasy sleep, where she would wake covered in sweat.
“The Wilhelm's joined in the killings, but not for the same reason others did. They were looking for my father. They wanted the power that was supposed to be passed down to them.”
Anger surged through her veins at the thought of her father. He could've left the job of killing Cerridwyn to someone else. It didn't have to be him. He didn't have to do anything! She slammed her fist on the table.
Liam stroked the top of her hand. The power in her fingertips subsided to a dull throbbing. Heat in her chest extinguished with his cooling aura. Bitter thoughts toward her father disappeared into the sweeter memories they shared together, bringing tears to her eyes. She pulled away.
“The Keep then put a price on our heads,” she continued. “Any Mystic who found an Abysmal would be greatly rewarded if brought to The Gallows. Your kind began hunting us for money, slaughtering us for entertainment in front of thousands.” She shook her head. “If they found us, if they find me or any other Abysmal, they wouldn't hesitate to kill us. Some things never change.”
Liam scanned the deck. She followed his gaze.
Couples danced to the soft beat of the band. Humans wandered the boardwalk, cocktails in hand, their dress shoes clacking against the wood path.
Maura raised an eyebrow. “Liam?”
“What have you been doing since then?” he asked, his focus on her.
“Twenty years ago, I joined The Collectors as a means of hiding in plain sight while hunting Adrian. It wasn't until a year later that I discovered Adrian was paying off the head councilman, Dimitri.” She sipped her beer and exhaled a long breath. “As the years passed and the money grew, files regarding Adrian's possible locations started disappearing. Our posts were no longer by the various known Wilhelm estates. Instead we were at coffee shops and bars, told to listen in on conversations, and that's how we would get Adrian's location.”
“You still found him.”
“I kept searching. Eventually, Sayer gave me the files he'd been holding. That's when I knew he was protecting Adrian,” she croaked, lost in the dancing illuminations on the water. “And then The Keep let Adrian kill us.” She turned to Liam, his jaw tight. “Money rules your world.”
He looked into the distance, his irises red.
“Sayer revealed to us that Adrian spent time at Viper,” Maura said. “One by one he sent us there, and less and less of us came back.”
At memorial services, Sayer and Dimitri would say the fallen heroes died with honor. Tragic, they would say, always tragic, as they stood at the podium with their bloodstained hands.
“How'd you manage to run for so long?” Liam asked.
“When I lived with my family, we used Hell's Fire and Amnesia Dust whenever we had to relocate. But the last few years we didn't have time, so we left a trail.”
“How many places have you lived?”
“I've relocated twenty-nine times.” She smiled sadly. “I've had eighteen different names and I've use
d three different Illusions.”
“Where's your family now?”
“Dead.” The night she killed her family flashed into view.
Maura breaks the links in Death's Noose, slices her palms with her fangs, and presses the two frayed ends of the necklace to her blood.
Power floods her system, raw and sharp. It nearly knocks her off her feet. Trying to keep a scream locked behind clenched teeth proves difficult with each surge of power. It rocks her chest, tenses her muscles, and invades her mind with the names and faces of all the people Death's Noose had claimed.
Maura opens her eyes to a still world. Time ceases to exist. Howling winds die to nothingness. Every particle of magic blazes as a tangible substance.
She holds her shaking hands over the destruction of her life, whispering a tearful apology before summoning the power of Death that would come for her family.
The necklace's energy charges her fingertips and explodes on contact. Plumes of black smoke that carries the laughter of her family, their powers and memories, barrels toward her.
She screams and collapses to her knees. The burn in her palms is a painful reminder of her sin. She slumps forward. The Void, the curse her father carried, buries itself deep within her chest.
Holding her head, Maura finds the makings of her first scar on her arm, tainted black with the souls of her family.
“They've been gone for a long time now,” she said.
“Adrian?”
She looked away and polished off her beer before speaking. “What about you? What made you decide to become an Elixir?”
Liam smiled sadly. “I'd imagine it's hard to kill your family. If I'd been stronger, I'd have done the same.”
“Adrian was going to kill them. I couldn't let him take that power.” Maura stilled. She stared hard at her fingers around the bottle, the silver tail of her first scar peeking through her Illusion.
“I was fixing a neighbor's car across the street when I saw the flash from my home,” Liam said. “I didn't think anything of it until the fire started. I ran to the house and found my dad lying in the front hall, a woman standing over him…” His voice lowered. “She'd set fire to all of the rooms after she'd kill my family.”
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