Chapter Sixty-one—Deathly Encounters
I spent most of the night in the attic with my sisters, piles and piles of books surrounding us. We figured the attic would have the most solitude and quiet. Nikki had sat right next to me until we fell asleep in the early morning, her father’s journal and my amulet in hand. So far, she hadn’t said anything about how the translating was going. She hadn’t given the amulet back to me, however, so I supposed that it was working.
I awoke a few hours later by the croaking of a crow on the window sill, for we had forgotten to shut the window before we had gone to sleep. Our candles were still lit, flickering from the slight breeze in the dense humidity. Feeling hot, I wiped the sweat off of my brow as I got up and brushed the dust off of myself. My sisters were sleeping around the books like a circle, some sleeping over each other. I walked up to the window and poked my face out of its small opening, yearning to feel any brush of chill. Unfortunately, it was like sticking my face in front of a campfire. Putting my hands on the window made it worse, for it felt dry and warm. I closed the window and sighed, tip-toing past the sleeping figures on the floor. I wondered what time it was.
I walked down the rusty iron ladder from the attic to the second floor’s hallway. There was no light but the usual grey shade over the hallway, as though it was haunted with some kind of mysterious dullness.
As I stifled a yawn of exhaustion, I heard noises from downstairs. Something like the faint opening of something, most likely the main entrance’s door, and then voices coming from the parlor.
I quietly walked downstairs, and crossed the hall to the dining room, where the parlor was in view. Sitting on the little couches were a man and a woman, one with dark red hair and the other with brown.
Sneaking through the dining room, I stopped at the arch of where the parlor lay. Blinking, I realized they were Fiona and Ronan. I wondered why they were here, considering they hadn’t been invited, especially at these hours of the morning. “Ronan? Fiona? What are you guys doing here?”
Fiona jumped in her seat, startled. They both stood up and turned around, smiling faintly when they saw me. Fiona gave me a hug, as if she hadn’t seen me in years. I hugged her back slightly, and she still smelled slightly of Mooshu, like farmland and dense foliage.
Letting go of me, she took a good look at me. “You look tired, hon.”
“I am.” I replied groggily. “You should be, too. Why are you here so early?”
“It was the only time we could come.” Fiona answered anxiously, glancing at Ronan. “Things are very hectic in our station of work right now. Ambrose recently told us to visit all of you to speak of traveling. Are you going back to Mooshu?”
“Well, it’s a lot to explain.” I nodded to the couch. “You might want to sit down, because the news I have to tell you might not be entirely comforting.”
Fiona and Ronan exchanged glances worriedly, and sat down. I noticed to myself that they seemed to be closer, but pushed those thoughts away.
I sat down myself, wishing it wasn’t so heated. Everything felt fuzzy and discomforting, and it almost seemed difficult to speak. “So, I am guessing you are aware of Malistaire and his somewhat growing army?”
“Somewhat...?”
I swallowed. “I take that as a no. Well, that’s the bad news. Malistaire is frightening everybody, and they are choosing to be in his army because they are scared they will die if they don’t. The thing is… We don’t have enough soldiers in the first place to fight against him. A day or two ago, Caspian- wait, you know Caspian, right?”
Ronan raised his eyebrow, and Fiona nodded. Fiona whispered something to Ronan, who then nodded curtly. “Yes, we are aware of him.”
“Alright, good. Caspian brought up the idea of separating. This means going to different places to gather up people, or even creatures. We aren’t entirely sure of the plans yet, however.” I bit my lip, and glanced at Ronan. “Or how many ships will have to be used for the traveling.”
“I would love to help, but I can’t drive multiple boats at once.” Ronan sighed in dismay. “But perhaps I can talk to some people near the docks. I’m sure they have something planned, but I don’t know what. What I’m honestly thinking is that normal boats aren’t going to be enough for this kind of traveling.”
“What do you mean?” I frowned, leaning forward. “Your boat has taken the S.A. to many places with ease. Well, except moving into Dragonspyre, which was rather unsettling for some reason.”
Ronan did a little laugh, and replied gruffly. “You have no idea what people have been doing to make sure that the six of you are safe. Do you honestly think they are going to send you on a wooden ship like mine, off to worlds that are engulfed with evil and hatred?”
“Well… I don’t know?” I replied weakly. “It depends. We don’t even know who ‘people’ are. Are you talking about Ambrose and Cyrus?”
“Halina Warhawk, Laszlo Starblade, Castamir Silverdrake.” Caspian announced while taking slow steps down the dark wooden stairs, admiring my surprise with an irritating gleam in his eyes. “Wolf Deathbringer, Austin Swifthorn, Merle Ambrose, Cyrus Drake, Vidor Drakesmith, Victoria Angleheart, Arthur Wethersfield, Tabitha Winterflame, Samantha Drake, Jasmine Smith, Milos Bookwyrm…” Caspian raised his eyebrow as he stopped in front of me, his hands in his pockets. “Shall I go on?”
I found myself almost speechless, until I cleared my throat with frustration. “But I don’t know half of those people. Wait!” I gasped, and I looked at the floor in realization. “Did you say Arthur Wethersfield?”
“Yes.”
“But isn’t he in Ravenwood with all the other professors?” I asked, slouching in my seat. “Why would he be here?”
“He’s not. You are correct; he is in Ravenwood. I can’t tell you how he’s helping, however, because I apparently don’t have the privileges of knowing.” Caspian squinted in somewhat hidden annoyance. “But Ronan is correct. They won’t be sending you on normal boats.”
“So… How will they not be normal?”
“You’ll have to ask somebody who knows and see it for yourself.” Caspian replied softly, and then looked up at the ceiling. “Some people are awake. I’m going to get some coffee. Want some?”
“I…” I glanced up at the ceiling. “Yeah, I’d like some. How do you know people are awake?”
Caspian frowned. “Can’t you hear them?”
Before I could respond, he had walked inside the kitchen. I suddenly heard the pattering footsteps down the stairwell, and to my surprise, I realized that people were in fact, awake. How Caspian seemed to know, I don’t know. Perhaps the floor upstairs had creaked or something, or just that he has super accurate hearing.
Abby and Ellie trotted downstairs, noticing Ronan and Fiona. Knowing their surprise, I quickly spoke before they could. “Ronan and Fiona arrived very early this morning. I told them everything about yesterday. Is anybody else awake?”
“Nikki is practically dead. I think she was the last to go to sleep last night.” Ellie explained, stifling a yawn. “But I think Bell and Sophia are awake. They won’t be coming down here for a while, though. They’re either studying some more or trying to go back to sleep.”
I nodded, and Caspian came back into the room with two cups of coffee. Noticing Ellie and Abby, he asked if they wanted coffee while he gave me my cup. Ellie shook her head and sat by me while Abby went into the kitchen once again with Caspian for more coffee.
Taking a sip of my coffee, it was sweet and light, just how I preferred it. Ellie leaned back into the cushions and took a deep breath, and as I looked at her, I noticed how exhausted she really was. Looking past her beautiful complexion, I saw shadows under her slightly bloodshot eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want any coffee?”
Ellie groaned, and took the cup out of my hand. I chuckled and let her take the coffee, and turned back to Ronan and Fiona. “How long do you guys think you’ll be able to stay?”
Ronan checked his watch. “Not very long. Food has been scarce, and we have been put into a lot of work. We have animals, you know- not a lot, however. It’s been very difficult to breed, especially at this time of year. We don’t have many resources outside or inside of Dragonspyre. What makes it worse is that most of the animals have been dying. We don’t know why, but it seems as though their blood has been drained of their bodies.”
I bit my cheek glumly, thinking of Vampires. “Well, it was really nice to see you guys again. I missed you both.”
“Yes,” Fiona smiled sadly. “We miss you too. I’m afraid leaving Mooshu has been hard on me, as well. It’s hard to leave home suddenly, especially if you know you have nowhere to go back to.”
I blinked, and suddenly remembered that Fiona’s house had been burned down, along with Adam’s book and my mother’s wedding gift with the letter inside it. “Yeah, I know how that feels. How is your leg?”
Fiona touched her thigh, and I knew she remembered the pirate attack quite vividly. “It’s been better. Sometimes it hurts, but it’s been very good. How are you? I know you have been attacked quite a few times.”
“Same as always.” I rolled my eyes, and reached up to touch my amulet, but only touched bare skin. I remembered that my amulet was no longer on me, and I dropped my hand in my lap. “It’s as though I can’t fight back sometimes, you know? But I’m getting better. Dragonspyre Academy has really helped.”
“That’s good.” Fiona smiled, and then exchanged glances Ronan. “What are you doing for Christmas, Mary?”
I shrugged. “Well, I forgot about Christmas. It’s not exactly my favorite holiday, if you know what I mean.”
Fiona frowned sympathetically. “We know. We were just wondering if all of you were going to be given a break for Christmas.” Fiona hesitated, but then continued with strain. “I know everything is rather frightening for everybody right now, but we want to have a proper holiday in this chaos. Ronan and I were just wondering if you guys wished to celebrate it as well, considering it’s this Saturday.”
“Mary is visiting the Necropolis on Saturday.” Ellie spoke before I could. “To send her respect for Natalia, along with the fact that her family’s graves are there and that Christmas was the day that they died. But yes, we’d love to spend Christmas with you. Do you have a place to..?”
Ronan shrugged. “We don’t have a very good space to celebrate, exactly. We thought it would be nice to celebrate it here.”
I surveyed the room for a moment, with its tall ceiling and beautiful wood and masonry. “We would love that.”
“Love what?” Caspian walked back inside the room with Abby at his side with her coffee. “Love me? Because I know I’m sexy.”
Abby smacked him in the chest as she took a sip of her coffee. “Why would anybody say that? Your ego is already dangerously huge.”
“It’s not dangerously huge, little sister. Yours is just dangerously small.” Caspian smirked while he sat down in a cushioned chair by the fireplace as Abby scowled.
Despite having just sat down, Caspian suddenly stood up, his head held high as if he was sensing something. Something about his demeanor changed; he stood like a stone, and then he turned his head to the front door, and something in his eyes intensified.
“Caspian..?”
The door swung open, and a tall, frail girl stood at the doorway. I recognized the crimson streaks in her jet black hair and her illuminated ocean eyes, and she looked weak, as though she hadn’t eaten in months. Her somewhat tan skin was suddenly pale, as though she had seen a ghost, and her blood-red lips were no longer full and healthy, but they held no color within them, as though all the blood had been drained from her. She looked almost rabid as she searched the room, and stopped on Ellie. There was a pleading in her eyes that frightened me.
Ellie stood up, breathless. “Lyra…”
Lyra seemed speechless as she stood at the doorway, staring at Ellie pleadingly. Ellie rushed to her side, and whispered something in her ear. Lyra nodded, and they left the room to the outside. Caspian pushed past Abby and I, and followed them outside.
Turning to follow myself, I stopped when Caspian slammed the door shut behind him with magic, leaving Abby, Ronan, Fiona, and I inside. I turned to her, frustrated. “What the hell?”
Abby grabbed my wrist and pulled me with her as she ran to the dining room, where there was a window. Opening the window, she shrieked in surprise as the window also magically slammed shut. Angrily, she cried out to Caspian. “Dude, don’t make me break this window!”
As there was no answer, I pushed Abby slightly to the side so I could peer out the window. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see anything. “What do you think they are doing out there?”
“I don’t know, but its making me pissed. Why don’t they want us involved?” Abby growled, moving towards the backdoor. She grabbed the handle and pulled, but it didn’t seem to open. Abby cursed out and moved back to the front door, where she also attempted to open, but failed doing so. “Caspian, if you don’t open this door, I’m going to freaking blast it to shit.”
The front door swung open, and Caspian stood at the entrance, a casual look on his face. “What the hell is it, Abby?”
“W-“Abby looked confused as she looked behind him, except there was nothing there but the outside. “Where did Ellie and Lyra go? What happened back there?” Abby put her hands on her waist. “Why didn’t you want Mary and me to come?”
“Well, one- Mary is an absolute terror to society right now. Nobody wants to see her violent problems.” Caspian answered curtly as I glared at him with my arms crossed. “And two, Lyra has a cold and Ellie has gone to take care of her because their parents are off doing things with Cyrus Drake, and I didn’t want any of you getting sick.”
“Dumbass.” Abby raised her hand and smacked him on the side of the head. “Angels can’t get sick.”
Caspian shrugged. “My bad. I forgot.”
Ronan and Fiona appeared in the hallway, looking unsettled. Fiona smiled and gave me a quick hug, and then turned to the others. “I’m afraid we must go.”
“Aww,” Abby sulked. “But it feels like you just got here.”
“Well, you know us. Busy, busy.” Ronan chuckled weakly. “We’ll see you this weekend, alright?”
“Alright.” I smiled back, and they walked out into the hot, humid outside.
“You said something about this weekend?” Caspian asked strangely.
Abby looked at me. “Mary can tell you everything. I’m going upstairs with Sophia and Bell, because I’m still pissed at you.”
I glared at Abby irritatingly as she left the room, walking up the stairs. I turned back to Caspian and narrowed my eyes. “Abby may believe half of what you said, but you ought to know that I’m not that gullible. Now, you don’t need to tell me right now because I don’t really care, and I have other things to do. But later, you better tell me what happened or I’m going to beat your ass.”
“Ooh… And you keep thinking that you aren’t violent.” Caspian made a crooked smile as I attempted to walk past him, except he seemed to keep blocking me. “What’s happening this weekend?”
“It’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?” I stared at him as though he was immensely stupid. “It’s Christmas on Saturday, remember? Ronan and Fiona want to come over to celebrate it while I go to the Necropolis.”
“Okay, now you’re officially more stupid than I thought.” Caspian laughed, not letting me past him. “Do they honestly think we have time to celebrate a silly holiday like Christmas? And who decided you could go to the Necropolis? Do you know how dangerous that is?”
“You were right next to Ambrose when he gave me permission, smart one!” I retorted as Caspian blinked, finally letting me past him. “And I think it will be nice to have a happy evening for a change.”
“That may be true, but are you going alone?”
I shrugged slowly, hesitating. “To the Necropolis? I… Don’t know. Maybe. Probably not.”
Caspian walked close beside me as I moved towards the kitchen for another cup of coffee. “Perhaps I should come with, just in case.”
“No.” I answered curtly, sending knives through my eyes as I poured coffee into a cup. “I don’t want you there. I can have Austin or Wolf come.”
“Gee, thanks for breaking it to me softly.” Caspian grumbled as I drank my coffee cheerfully. “Where is this Christmas thing going to happen?”
“Here.” I answered simply, walking into the dining room.
“Here?” Caspian frowned angrily. “Since when?”
“Since now.”
“But this is my house.”
“So I’ve heard.” I smiled at him, sitting down at the table.
“But, once again, this is my house. I’m not some random person visiting you. I actually make the decisions, alright?”
“I’m aware of that. But there’s one problem, Caspian. You don’t visit, so you’re right about not being a visitor. But you appear. Periodically. Usually somehow, even if it’s not coming out of your mouth, reminding us that this isn’t our house, and that you’re the boss, and…”
“Somebody needed to mow the lawn.” Caspian shrugged, smirking, as if that was an excuse for inviting us to live with him.
“You don’t have a lawn.” Abby walked inside the dining room, with Bell and Sophia at her side. “And you’re the one who invited us to live with you in the first place.”
“You have a point there,” Caspian winked at Abby. “But it takes two to have somebody move into your house. You agreed.”
I laughed. “I didn’t.”
“Shut up, Mary.”
I took the last sip of my coffee. “Is Nikki still sleeping?”
“No. She’s working on the translation.” Sophia answered, sitting at the table with Abby and Bell. “I don’t think she’ll be coming down anytime soon.”
“How is the translation going, by the way?” I asked eagerly. “Has she told you?”
“She’s not letting anybody in on her progress, which is kind of weird. I’m guessing its working alright, though…” Bell replied warily. “I’m only guessing.”
I heard the front door open and close once again, and Ellie appeared, looking pale and almost sickly. I gaped at her as she sat down at the dining table, while she looked casual as though she wasn’t sick at all. “Ellie, what… Are you alright?”
Ellie looked up and smiled. “Perfectly fine, why?”
“You look like shit,” Bell announced loudly, as Ellie glanced at her in surprise.
“My sister is just a little sick. She’ll be better soon.”
“I know an Angel’s immune system is perfect and all, but it kind of looks like you are sick too,” Sophia added her as we exchanged glances worriedly. “It’s not something bad, is it?”
“No, no. I’m just really stressed out, girls. I’m totally fine.” Ellie assured us with a twinkle in her eye. She then looked at Caspian. “Do you have anything to eat? I’m starving.”
“You would be.” Caspian’s eyes narrowed, and Ellie’s smile faltered slightly. “In the cupboards there is a lot of bread and stuff. Go look there.”
“Thanks.” She patted him on the shoulder and left for the kitchen, as we stared strangely.
We sat in silence, but I knew there was something strange occurring. Staring at Caspian, I felt as though he knew what was going on. He didn’t speak, however, or even look at me in the eye.
I stood up from the table, wanting to get away from the staggering silence. “I’m going to see Nikki. Anybody want to come?”
“It’s hopeless.” Bell answered, slouching in her seat. “She won’t even talk to anybody.”
“Well, maybe she’ll talk to me.” I replied swiftly, and despite their warnings, I left the dining room. I trekked through the parlor and up the wooden stairs, where the seemingly-haunted old hallway was. Checking her bedroom first, I knew she was still up in the attic as I walked to the end of the hallway where the iron ladder was.
I found her surrounded by piles of books and melted candles, and the dust in the air became visible through the golden rays of light coming in from the window, catching Nikki’s hair ablaze. She, however, looked exhausted.
“Nikki…?” I spoke quietly, and she looked up. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She murmured, flipping through her father’s book, my amulet in her left hand.
“Need something to eat? You look tired, and you haven’t eaten at all.”
“I’m a bit busy right now, Mary.” Nikki replied, reading something. “Maybe later.”
“If you keep saying ‘maybe later’ to everybody, you’re going to starve.” I smirked, kneeling down beside her.
“I’m trying to translate this, Mary. I’m afraid I won’t have enough time to do so.” Nikki sounded stressed as she ran her fingers through her long hair. “What if the day of the war comes and I won’t be finished?”
“We have time, Nikki.”
“No we don’t, Mary.” Nikki shook her head, and pointed to the journal. “Translating this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever tried to do. Half of it is in some kind of Earth language, and I…”
I put my hand on her back reassuringly. “It will be alright, Nikki. We have time.”
Nikki sighed, and put her face in her hands. “But if there’s not…”
“There is.” I told her once more. “Remember, we have the Fates on our side. We can do this.”
Nikki nodded. “I’ll talk to you later, Mary. I need to work.”
I bit my lip and stood up in defeat. “Alright. But don’t forget to live, Nikki.”
She didn’t reply, and I shook my head in annoyance as I made my way down into the hallway. Making my way back into the dining room to the others, I now noticed everyone was in the parlor.
Wolf stood near the window where light was cast upon him, and yet, he still seemed as eerie as a shadow. Everyone sat around the wide coffee table, where maps and parchment were scattered. “Wolf? You’re here.”
“No shit, Sherlock.” Wolf replied, glaring at me.
I cocked my head, walking towards them. “What’s your problem now?”
Wolf growled under his breath, pieces of parchment crumpling under his grasp. “The Oracle had another prophecy.”
My eyes widened as I slowly sat beside Sophia and Ellie, who seemed frozen. “When did this happen?”
“Just now.” Abby whispered, huddled next to Caspian. “Remember that conversation last night? About killing Malistaire?”
“…Yes.”
“She spoke of a Titan, Mary. We’re thinking that the Death Titan is against us, as well.”
I laughed, but I wasn’t amused. “That’s impossible. The Titans are children of the Fates. They don’t do things like that, especially siding with evil psychopaths that are destroying the balances and connections between Life and Death as we know it.”
“But the Oracle is never wrong.” Caspian swallowed gruffly, staring at nothing in particular.
“We’re Angels. We can handle it.” I reassured them with a cheerful smile, but I felt dead inside. Whether there was something in my eyes or my voice, it sounded like a white lie.
“Yes, we are Angels.” Sophia agreed weakly. “But we aren’t Titans.”
“And there are the Demons.”
“And the entire race of the Undead.”
I turned to Wolf pleadingly. “Did the Oracle say what side the Death Titan was going to be on?”
“Tell her the part of the prophecy where it talks about the Titan, Wolf.” Ellie ordered faintly.
“Yes, do tell.” I added.
“The Oracle spoke of a Titan that will break through its limitations. The Titan will no longer follow the Fate’s order of life, not at that moment in time, anyways. The Titan will either cause the already failing bond that holds the Spiral together to shatter or it will…“
“It will what?”
Wolf hesitated, then shook his head. “It will just shatter, and the Spiral will fall apart. The only way it could be fixed is if the Fates truly become involved themselves to fix their creation. There would be nothing else we could do to prevent it. Both Earth and the Spiral will be in danger, along with our sanity.”
I watched Wolf’s face, wanting to see any part of a lie upon his face. But it was blank. Not secretive, but painfully hidden. “You said ‘or’.”
“What?”
“You spoke as if there was a possibility of the Spiral not just shattering, but doing something else. The Titan will either cause the already breaking bond that holds the Spiral together to shatter or it will..?”
Wolf narrowed his eyes at me, and I suddenly felt a rush of fear through my body. Leaning back in my seat, my instincts told me to run without reason. “Nothing else would happen. The Spiral is too feeble. You of all people should know that, considering the Spiral’s poison is your father.”
I didn’t respond, for I was speechless against his argument. I stayed in silence as few others spoke, asking helpless questions.
“Malistaire has never been, and never will, be one of our kind. He had lied to thousands, pretending he was something he was not. He tricked the Council, Sylvia, even Ambrose. It was when he showed his pure hatred and darkness to the world when everyone turned against him, just like he expected them to. He, somehow, is always one step ahead.”
“So let’s just be one step ahead of him, why don’t we?” Caspian decided arrogantly. “There are evidently backstabbers in our midst, so we are going to have to change things for the next time we do something to make it evil-proof, if you get what I mean.”
“The next big thing we will be doing is the separation.”
“Exactly.” Caspian pointed at Ellie in agreement. “The separation. What are we going to do if we are attacked while we are moving to the docks, where the boats are kept, where our only chance of winning is, and where it also happens to be outside of the boundaries?”
“We will fight back, obviously.” Bell sniggered as though it was an easy question. “We’re Angels. We can beat them easily.”
“Oh yes, until Mary’s bomb inside her explodes and her magical essence will kill anyone near her. Unless, of course, you want Mary’s shit all over you, I suggest we don’t do anything at all.”
I groaned in irritation. “I am telling you people that I can control myself. Why can’t you see that?”
“Mary, how can you control something when you don’t even realize it’s happening?” Sophia asked calmly. “What if it’s like a blink of an eye? What if it’s that easy?”
“Then…” I murmured, turning my head away from them.
“You don’t know.”
“You know I’d never do anything to hurt you guys.” I pleaded out, feeling lost.
“Of course you wouldn’t.” Wolf smiled, leaning on the wall behind him. “But that provides the comfort of knowing you will feel immense guilt after you accidentally kill them. What we need to do is make the Academy believe that you are leaving at a different time, from a different place, with different people. This plan will not leave this room, except for those who you are traveling with.”
“What about Ambrose and Cyrus? Or Ronan?” I asked, frowning. “Ronan can help us with the boats.”
“You’re correct.” Wolf answered rigidly. “I’ll check in with Ronan, considering he may be much more help than I’d anticipated before. However, Ambrose and Cyrus can’t know.”
“Are you kidding me?” Sophia exclaimed, shocked. “Ambrose and Cyrus are the most trusted and powerful wizards out there.”
“They also have connections, Sophia.” Wolf growled back. “They may be trusted, but the people they know can be traitorous. Trust me, I’ve met these people.”
“What if the traitors figure out our real date of departure, then?” Ellie hissed, sitting straight up. “What then? We need a plan B, Wolf.”
“Austin and I will be there, but the first priority you will be given is to get Mary inside the boat.” Wolf glanced at me warily. “After you do that, you must get on the right boats with the right people, and leave at once. Austin and I will take care of the rest.”
“So you think that you can handle the Demons? Five against two wizards, as powerful as you are,” I raised my eyebrow, sending a dazzling look of disapproval. “You’ll be dead in a split second.”
“You obviously don’t know the full powers of Umbrata Venustus.” Wolf smirked, winking at us. “We’re also fully trained and very intelligent, along with just being ridiculously sexy.”
“Sexy isn’t going to get you anywhere.”
Wolf chuckled. “You’re right. It’ll get you nowhere.”
Before I could respond, a sudden crash erupted near the front door, making us jump. Standing up from our seats, Caspian and the others ran out of the dining room and into the parlor, while Wolf grabbed my forearm tightly, holding me back.
“Wolf, let me go.” I growled, his hand on my arm. “Last time somebody tried to hold me back with my arm, I blasted them across the room on my first day of school. I suggest you let me go, considering that I am such a dangerous time bomb.”
“I sense there’s something wrong. I can’t let you go in there, Mary.” His violet eyes buried intensely into mine, as if he was trying to hypnotize me. “You screwed up the last time you followed somebody into a trap. I suggest you hold your tongue and your idiotic ideas to yourself this time.”
I glared back at him, my icy blues against his fiery violets. “I may go against my wisdom at times, but that’s the only way I learn; I suggest you release me and let me do my job.”
Wolf smirked, as if I was a little girl. “No.”
Anger rushed through me, and I suddenly felt a slight hurt from the others. Feeling my Angelic powers kicking in, I knew my demeanor changed when Wolf let me go, and took a step back. His eyes were no longer demanding, but they held a gaze of danger and some kind of defense. Something in him changed as well, as though he had suddenly turned into some kind of killer. “Calm down, Mary.”
I smiled, pushing back my powers softly as I turned around to leave the dining room. “Letting me go was all I wanted, Wolfie.”
I walked into the parlor, leaving Wolf in the dining room. Everyone stood on the sides of the room, watching as Caspian stood at the doorway. The door was open, and a tall man stood there in a white robe, with grey hair and his hands folded together calmly, almost peacefully. He somehow reminded me of a priest, almost.
Caspian was taller than the man, making the man look smaller and weaker than he already was- for he did look old and not entirely much of a fighter. Caspian had one hand on the door and his other hand in his jean pocket, as if he was going to slam the door in the man’s face. Caspian narrowed his eyes, however, and lifted his chin in greeting. “You had quite a knock there.”
The man smiled pleasantly, and the twinkle in his eye reminded me of a grandfather somehow. “I am here to bring a message to Ms. Ravengem?”
I saw Caspian’s hand tighten on the door, while I took a slow step towards the door, causing glances of warning from the others. “She isn’t here.”
I wondered why the others were so paranoid. Sure, there was something eerie about this man, but he looked rather harmless. If evil, the Angels could kill him in a second. The man cocked his head and smiled even more, almost warmly.
I put my hand softly on Caspian’s shoulder, and he froze. “I’m here.”
Caspian turned his head. “Mary…”
I glared at him. “Stop being so paranoid.”
The man smiled once more, and he held out his hand. I shook it slowly, and it felt like any other person appearing on your doorstep. Nothing bad, nothing evil. “What’s your message? Who is it from?”
The man did not answer these questions, however. “Of course, I shall tell you, for I am the messenger of Everything and Everyone, and you need to behold what is to come. But first, may I step inside?”
“N-” Caspian started, but I interrupted him.
“Yes, of course.” The man started forward, but I blocked him, and stared him down. Leaning forward, I murmured a few words, just in case. “But you must not touch, break, or try anything that will make the others think of as a threat. You do that, you die, got it?” I then smiled sweetly and leaned back, letting him walk through. “Please, come inside. I am dying to hear your message.”
The man’s smile had never faded once, or even lost its warmth, even as I threatened him with his death. He took a step inside the manor, and looked around, as if contemplating the rich wood and its surroundings.
“Who is this Everyone and Everything?” Caspian asked, closing the door slowly while he studied the man’s every move.
The man suddenly turned around, but his face was different. He was no longer smiling, and there was no more warmth radiating off of him. His demeanor turned dark, and even the fact that he looked old didn’t seem to matter anymore. He, however, did not seem violent, for he just stood there like a cold stab of stone. Slowly, the man’s body began to turn, except for the fact that he wasn’t moving his legs, or his feet. While he turned in slow circles, he spoke gruffly, with a kind of menacing vibe.
As I watched the man murmur things that didn’t make sense, even for a spell, I wondered how I didn’t feel any kind of evil vibe in the first place. Whatever this man was doing, however, was too dark to be good. There was something bad inside of him, like a dark cloud. The fact that he got through the boundaries stumped me; unless he was one of the Demons, or a Demon. Exchanging glances with my sisters, they nodded and we surrounded him, but stayed as far away as possible from him as we could.
The man stopped turning, and stared his cold eyes into mine. Whatever he was saying before ceased, and another voice rang out from his mouth, causing me to freeze up inside.
“You think you can win? You think you can kill me, darling?” The hateful voice sprang out of the man, and yet, it wasn’t his voice at all. Instead, it was that rich, deep voice that I always dreaded so. “I will not be the one to murder the people you love, Mary. You will kill them. You will kill them all with your love. You will hurt them, cause their blood to spill. You will kill Melissa. You will kill Sophia, Elizabeth, Danielle, Abigail, Ronan, Fiona-“
“Malistaire, stop. I don’t know how the hell you got here, whether it’s because your possessing this man’s body or not, but you need to get the hell out before I come after you myself.” I growled, clenching my fists.
Nikki appeared at the doorway, and gasped. “You!”
Malistaire ignored Nikki. “Come get me, Mary. Come here so I can slit your throat just like I slit your sisters-“
I took another step towards the man, ignoring the other’s shouts, especially Nikki’s, who looked terrified. “Mary- no! Do you know who this man is? He’s dangerous!”
I whipped my head around and glared at Nikki. “So am I.”
“Mary-“
“And burned their bodies alive-“
Somebody grabbed a fist full of my hair and yanked my head back, causing me to yelp. Tearing at the hands that held me back, I saw Caspian’s face loom in front of me. “Don’t you dare, Mary. Don’t you dare get angry at him. He’s provoking you.”
“Caspian- let go!”
A huge force slammed against us, causing Caspian to let go of my hair as I flew off onto the staircase, where I tumbled down. Tasting blood in my mouth, I noticed painfully that I had accidentally bit the inside of my cheek, from where blood gushed out.
Looking up, my eyes widened as I saw the man and Caspian brawling, the others unable to attack because of how fast the man was moving; if they shot a spell, they could possibly hit Caspian instead.
It was Malistaire in the man’s body, and I knew that Caspian would be killed if Malistaire truly wanted to at this time. As I stood up, Caspian pulled out a knife and slashed at the man with his swift reflexes, which Malistaire didn’t seem to notice, or even care.
It was until Malistaire himself unsheathed a knife, while Caspian came up from behind him, unaware of the knife in Malistaire’s cold-blooded hand.
“No!” I cried out angrily, and I suddenly slammed into Malistaire myself, not realizing my sudden speed from the staircase to the middle of the parlor.
I could feel something within myself vibrating, and anger pulsed through me like a fire, and for the first time, I felt no fear in front of Malistaire.
I lifted my hand and blasted Malistaire into the dining room, crashing against the table while glass from the chandelier rained to the ground. Malistaire laughed and stood up, a bloody gash on his temple. Even though it wasn’t Malistaire’s body, I could see his coal black eyes through his mask of another.
Hearing his laugh, I screamed and sent a ball of light, blasting him through the window behind him. He fell onto the concrete, still laughing, as glass rained upon him, cutting his host’s flesh. Climbing through the window and its now spiky frame, I landed right next to Malistaire’s laughing body, as he stood up once more. “Do it again, Mary. Let it all out.”
I grabbed the hem of his robe and glared into his eyes, wondering if looking into my mother’s eyes that I obtained would do him any good. He still kept laughing, however, as I wanted to hurt him. To kill him. “Someday I will be able to cease your gloating from your infamous murders, and your heart will stop beating, and I will be utterly and incredibly free.” I spat out in his face, making sure I never left eye contact with my father.
“Then do it.” He whispered back, smiling. “Do it, Mary. Kill me. Make it painful, and love doing it. Make me bleed. Make me beg for mercy, Mary. Do it- do it now!”
Make it painful, and love doing it. I swallowed. Through my anger and hatred for this man that is my father, I knew what he was doing to me. He wanted me to kill him by using my powers that had been stored up so long. Killing this man will do no good, however, for the spirit of Malistaire will still exist, and he will eventually find his own body, wherever it is. If I kill his host, I have the chance of killing everyone else as well. But of course, that’s what he wants.
Make it painful, and love doing it. He wanted me to be like him; he wanted me to be a killer. But no, I won’t give him that satisfaction. If I am to fight back, I will fight back my own way.
As I held Malistaire in my hands, beaten and gloating, I was suddenly pushed by something with immense strength, away from Malistaire. The person locked me in their arms and brought me inside with sudden speed. As I struggled, the person slammed me against the wall of the parlor, a room and a half away from Malistaire.
Looking up, I saw the back of Caspian, pinning me to the wall from behind. I wasn’t sure what he was doing until I saw Malistaire, still beaten and bloody, appear in front of Caspian, as if he ported-but there was no sound of a port whatsoever.
I couldn’t see Caspian’s face, but from being behind him, I could hear a gurgling growl escape his throat as he stood between Malistaire and I. There was something in him that changed; I suddenly felt as though I was right next to a predator. Trying to move away from Caspian, his arms wouldn’t let me past him. No matter how much I struggled, even with my Angelic strength, he wouldn’t budge. “Caspian-!”
He did not respond. Instead, he watched Malistaire’s every move, with that same gurgling growl. I suddenly knew what was going to happen; Caspian was going to attack Malistaire, and Malistaire would kill him, and then I would…
Malistaire knew if he killed another, I wouldn’t be able to keep myself from attacking. No such thing could ever stop me, for the pain and grief that Malistaire had given me was too much already; he was searching for my breaking point, and I knew he just found it.
As Malistaire grinned darkly and took a step forward, his face suddenly went blank. For a split second, he stood there, with a shocked look upon his face. I heard a grotesque snapping sound come from behind him. His knees then buckled, and he fell to the ground, his neck sticking out in an odd position.
Wolf stood behind Malistaire, and Caspian finally let me go slowly. I gaped at the body that used to hold Malistaire, and then at Wolf. “Did you just..?”
Caspian and Wolf exchanged glances coolly, and Caspian even smiled a little.
Leaning down, I turned the head of the man, but then moved back in disgust. “Wolf, y- you snapped his neck!”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed. If it hadn’t been for me, Caspian would’ve died.” He huffed. He cast a sideways glance at Caspian, then continued. “Shortly followed by everyone else in the Academy, given the fact that if Caspian died, you would explode...in every sense of the word.” Wolf replied easily. “You’re welcome.”
Caspian chuckled and I smacked him in the chest. “I’m angry, so stop laughing. This man wasn’t Malistaire, he was just possessed by him. Now you’ve practically killed an innocent man, and we have to clean it up…” I groaned. Wolf shrugged casually, and I glanced back at the broken body. “Whatever world I’m in, there’s always a dead body wherever I go.”
“Get used to it, blondie.” Caspian replied irritatingly. “You’re about to see thousands of them.”
“Mary-” Sophia burst into the room, wide-eyed. She relaxed when she saw me safe, even with a bleeding mouth. Ellie, Abby, Bell, and Nikki followed after; breathing hard as if they’d ran a mile.
“Mary, you must know who that man was-“Nikki demanded, looking restless and terrified still. “He-“
“I know he was Malistaire, Nikki.” I sighed, trying not to look at the crippled body. “I actually fought him.”
Nikki shook her head, her hands shaking. “I know, but the man he was using- that was not any ordinary man, Mary. Dear Fates,” Nikki gasped, looking up at the ceiling. “Oh, you must help us now.”
“Nikki, wha-“
A large crack echoed through the room, and Ambrose appeared, looking disheveled and worried. “Get back! Get back!”
We stepped back from the body as Ambrose rushed to it, inspecting the face of the man with a kind of sadness. “Oh, Dear Fates…”
“Ambrose, you know him?” I asked, whispering.
“He is one of the most powerful members of the High Order.” Nikki blurted out, leaning next to Ambrose. “Is this really happening, Ambrose? Are you thinking what I am thinking?”
Ambrose stood up somberly, and met the gazes of all of us sadly. “I’m very disappointed to give you this information at this time, but regarding the death of this man, along with the fact that they got inside the boundary because of one simple reason, I believe I have no choice.”
We stood in silence for a moment as Ambrose closed his eyes, and I saw pain inside this old man. When he opened them, when he spoke, there was something broken in his voice that was heard. “This man was a good friend of mine, and he was also, like Melissa had said, in the High Council.”
I blinked. Could it be?
“I am sorry to say that the High Council is no longer on our side. The oldest and most powerful Council of all time is with Malistaire.”
We exchanged glances in fear, but Ambrose forbid us to speak. “But we still have the most powerful person in the Council.”
At that point of time, we knew our solution, whatever she could do to make it happen. We then turned to the heir, the princess, the ruler of the High Council, the only one powerful enough to control the Council itself.
We then turned to Nikki, who in response, slumped to the ground in realization. “Let us all pray that I don’t screw this up, then.”
