The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death
Feb. 25th, 2018 02:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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marysuevirusTitle: The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death
Chapter Fifty: Bad Company
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic sex and violence, language, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the Sues are the sole property of their originators, Ginevra, Dazzledfirestar, Nanaea, SilverFoxChan and ladydeathfaerie. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar.
Author's Notes: holy shit, this is chapter fifty and i'm only just starting to tear into the meat of the story. how fucked up is that? this one isn't quite as graphic as the last but there's still a bit of something here. so best be on your guard.
The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link
"What the hell is going on with you?" Her voice was not kind, so there was an edge to her words that startled the woman coming from her room. Aedan stopped and stared at her with eyes that were still soft with sleep. She'd obviously just woken up, which was odd. It was late in the day, even for Aedan. She was usually up well before now. Which is why Minette had been standing outside her door for hours, just waiting. And the longer she'd waited, the higher her anger had climbed.
The softness was gone in the blink of an eye, replaced with a blank look that locked everything away, leaving Minette once more trying to figure out what had her friend acting so goddamned weird. "I don't know what you mean," Aedan returned, voice cold and frosty. It was going to be like that, was it? Well, two could play at that game. And Aedan wasn't leaving until she gave Minette an answer.
"Really? What was all that last night? You're supposed to be my best friend and you couldn't even tell me that Micah had been kidnapped. You ran out of that room so fast, I thought someone had set your ass on fire," Minette responded, taking the few steps needed to cross the hallway. She stopped when she was practically in Aedan's face, letting her power leak out into the corridor. Aedan didn't take a step back, nor did she act as if she was aware of Minette's power play. "For that matter, what the hell have the past weeks been? You haven't talked to me since the night of the party. And every time I ask you about it, you find a reason to hurry off. That's not going to happen this time. This time, you're going to tell me what crawled up your ass and died."
"Its nothing," Aedan said, voice flat. Minette scoffed at the lie and inched closer.
"Liar. I can smell it on you," she told the other woman. It was hard to look intimidating when the person you were trying to intimidate was a few scant inches taller than you, but Minette gave it her best shot. She made sure that there was no mistaking she was pulling power. Still, Aedan did nothing to suggest she was at all intimidated by Minette.
"Well, it looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of paranoia today." Aedan crossed her arms over her chest and stared down into Minette's face. Aedan made a show of glancing at her wrist. "Get out of my way, Minette. I'm late for work and I don't have time for your childishness."
"Childishness?" Minette blinked at the other woman. No way in hell Aedan had just used that word to describe someone else after the way she'd been acting lately. "You're calling me childish? You? The one who ran off and left me with her boyfriend?"
"He isn't my boyfriend, Minette," Aedan told her. Not an ounce of emotion or a flicker of feeling. When the hell had Aedan gotten so cold? "Also, in case it slipped your mind, Micah had just been kidnapped. I did not run off, as you put it. I went out to look for any clues. To see if I could find him before those sick fucks kill him. What did you do last night?"
Her words were sharp. And ice cold. They brought forth a rush of fear that Minette couldn't shake. Which made her all the angrier. How could Aedan be so utterly emotionless when Minette's entire world could come crashing down? How could she act like Micah being taken and tortured wasn't a huge deal? "Jesus fucking Christ, you're such a bitch. I don't think I know who you are anymore, Aedan. When did you become this cold-hearted?"
Aedan's lips thinned into a flat line and she leaned toward Minette. There was emptiness in the woman's eyes and her words. "Don't presume to think you know everything about me, Minette. Maybe this is the real me and you've just never met me before. Have you ever stopped and thought about that?"
Aedan's power filled the hallway. It was cold where it touched her skin, and it offered the stillness of death. There was a kind of seductive quality to it. Which there shouldn't have been. Aedan was a necromancer. Her powers were only over the dead. What was presently trying to wrap itself around Minette and suck her under felt more like a vampire's powers. Minette blinked at that and found herself taking an involuntary step back, a small spike of fear piercing her. The spell, or whatever it was, was broken when Aedan shot her a smile that lacked warmth and life. "Try not to forget that, Minette. Now get out of my way, or I'll make you. I have to get to work."
"You... bitch!" Minette snarled, anger rising up to take fear's place. She threw herself forward, reaching for Aedan even as her hands shifted and grew and became the hands she sported in her half and half form.
~*~*~*~*~
The room looked familiar, the walls barren save for the bloodied implements that hung from hooks here and there. There was blood staining the concrete floor, both dried and fresh, leaving it alternating patches of dried, rusty brown and glistening crimson. There was a table stationed in the center of the floor, covered with gleaming instruments that were meant to no doubt inflict pain.
She'd been here before, in her dreams. This time, there was no mirror to show her what she was meant to see. This time, she found herself staring at a trio of people. She remembered the man and the woman well. They were, again, arguing. The woman was talking rapidly, positioned midway between the man with the knife and their prisoner. Her hands were up and she gave the appearance of being non-threatening.
She might have watched the two argue, but some sound or movement caught her attention. She found her eyes raising, lifting up to look over the man and woman's heads, to the third person who was behind them.
Vibrant green eyes stared straight at her, right into her soul, silently begging for help. Curls that were normally brown were stained with blood, leaking from his forehead and scalp thanks to the prick of myriad silver coated thorns. Blood masked his face, ran freely over his torso. It slid down his thighs and dripped from his hands and his feet. Silver spikes had been set into them. His arms had been stretched out straight from his body. It was a classic crucifixion pose, straight out of every biblical story ever told. Given the silver spikes that had been used to secure his hands and his feet and the crown of thorns resting on his head, there was no missing the resemblance to Christ.
"Please, Rhia. Help me. Save me," he whispered, voice harsh and rough with pain.
"Micah, I..." she replied. She wasn't sure what she was going to say. Maybe she couldn't. Maybe she didn't know how. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. The woman said something that upset the man with her. One of his fists connected with her jaw and sent her to the ground. She lay there, trying to make as small a target of herself as she could, and quivered. Rhia could hear her whimpering softly.
The man bellowed something. Like the last time, Rhia couldn't hear what he said, just knew he was angry and ready to do harm. He reached out and pulled a knife from the table's surface, hand curling around the grip with deadly intent. His hold was so tight that his knuckles went white. She watched as his arm swung back, then forward. The blade of the knife sank deep into Micah's belly, split skin so easily. The tangled mass of Micah's intestines spilled out. She cringed when they hit the floor with a wet splat. When she dragged her eyes away from the gruesome sight, it was to find Micah was once more looking at her.
"Help me, Rhia. Save me before I die."
"Goddess above!" Rhia exclaimed as she sat upright and found herself in the chair at her dining room table. The spread of cards before her was unfinished, the glossy images of her tarot deck laying silent and still on the mellow wooden surface. She'd only managed to finish half of the spread before the vision had stolen over her. Perhaps the vision had come because of the cards. It had been her intent to ask them if Micah was still alive and, if so, how to find him and save him before it was too late.
She stared at the cards before her and saw what they were trying to tell her. Even without the last card added to the spread, the answer was obvious. Micah was going to die. Soon. Tonight. She had to do something to save him. That's what the vision had been about. Both this time and the last time. She just hadn't realized, the last time she'd have the vision, what it had meant. She hadn't even really known it was Micah. Maybe if she'd called Marianne and asked her questions...
Rhia pushed all the doubt aside with a sigh and rose from the chair. There was only one thing to do. She had to get help. That's what Micah had wanted her to do. Not to help him personally, but to get help to keep his kidnappers from killing him. Help me. Save me.
She crossed to the end table where she'd left her phone. It told her she'd missed a text during her vision. Nathaniel, checking in to ensure she was okay. She'd text him back in a bit. She had to text someone else first.
Her fingers flew over the electronic keyboard as she typed in her text and hit send. Please, Goddess, let them not be too late.
~*~*~*~*~
Warmth was trickling down the back of her arms, letting her know that Minette's claws had broken skin. Aedan kept her breathing level, kept herself from letting fear or anything else flood through her. The last thing Minette needed at the moment was to know that she had Aedan good and scared. There was no telling what would happen, given her current state of mind.
Minette had her back pressed against the stone wall, eyes the green of her beast as she glared up into Aedan's face. Aedan could go for her gun, could draw the weapon and put the barrel dead center against Minette's forehead. And hope it was enough to get the woman off her. But she wasn't going to draw on a friend, no matter what the circumstances. And, to be honest, she deserved this. Maybe letting Minette take her fear and frustrations out on Aedan would help make the other woman feel better.
"Goddamn it, Aedan! Tell me what the fuck is going on! And don't say nothing. I know you're lying. You're hiding something from me and I don't understand why. This isn't like you. You aren't a selfish bitch. Just talk to me." The words were meant to be gentle and coaxing. But the growl in her voice negated that.
"There's nothing to talk about, Minette," she replied. She meant to, too. There were things no one needed to know.
"Liar!" Minette snarled. Her rage saw her shaking Aedan, just a couple times. And just hard enough to bounce Aedan's skull off the stone wall. Pain flared across her brain and down her spine, telling her Minette was putting more strength into her actions than Aedan could handle. Another blow or two like that and she'd crack Aedan's head open. "You are going to tell me what's going on, even if I have to use unsavory methods to get you to do it. You're not leaving here until I have the whole story from you. So you'd better start spilling it."
The chirping of the phone in Aedan's pocket saved her from having to speak. One hand reached into said pocket to retrieve the phone, pulling it out so she could see the text message on the screen. Frowning, she tucked the phone away and leaned toward Minette again. "Time to let me go, little kitty. I have to go to work and I would imagine they need me in one piece. Maybe you'd like to talk to Dolph and Zerbrowski again?"
It was an empty threat. But Minette didn't know that.
"They can wait. You have things to explain to me." There was no give in Minette's voice. Aedan let her power leak out into the hallway again. Hopefully she wouldn't wake anyone up with her display, but Minette needed to understand, and fast, that Aedan wasn't playing games. She wasn't going to put up with this shit. Not now. Not ever.
"I have nothing to explain to you, Minerva. Technically, Micah's kidnapping qualifies as police business. And I'm the police. So its my business. Now, if you want to keep me from that business..." Aedan paused and motioned with her hands. "By all means. Go right ahead. Keep me here. Smash my brains into the wall in an attempt to get answers. We'll put that shit on Micah's tombstone so you'll always remember what happened. Won't that be lovely?"
Minette's eyes narrowed on her, a mixture of fear and growing rage lingering at the back of them. Let her be mad. Let her be afraid. It was better than her finding out the truth. Aedan could live with her rage and her fear. She couldn't live with her hatred.
"Now," she continued and amped up the power display just a bit. "Unless there's anything else, I've got work to do. So kindly back the fuck off."
With the last, Aedan shoved Minette away from her and turned to start up the hall. She could feel the Minette's eyes on her back, could feel her rage following. "Fuck you, Aedan. Fuck you for being a heartless bitch."
Aedan lifted a middle finger and kept walking.
~*~*~*~*~
Aedan looked really unhappy when Rhia swung the apartment's door open. She stepped back and allowed the other woman to enter, noting with a touch of concern that there was dried blood on Aedan's arms. Aedan was facing her before she'd even shut the door. "You said it was important. What's going on? I don't have time to waste. Micah doesn't have much time."
"I know. That's why I called you. Its about Micah," Rhia said and motioned toward the sofa. Aedan frowned at her, but moved to settle on the couch. Rhia took a seat in an arm chair and reached for her tea. "I had a vision just before I texted you. It was about Micah."
"Tell me everything," Aedan ordered.
Rhia took a sip of her tea, then drew a breath. "Its bad, Aedan. I found myself in a room that had implements on the wall. There was blood on them. And there was blood on the floor. The man and the woman were there, too. They looked like they were arguing. I can't be sure because I couldn't hear anything. I was just seeing things. And Micah was there. They had him crucified, Aedan. Silver spikes through his palms and his feet. A crown of silver coated thorns. He was covered in blood. The man picked up a knife and used it to gut Micah. His intestines fell out."
Aedan frowned. "So he's already dead?"
"No. No, I don't think so. I think its a warning. I think they're going to kill him. Soon. I think the man is getting angry or desperate or something. We have time to find him. I just wish I'd realized what this vision meant the first time I had it. We might have been able to avoid all this if--"
"What do you mean, the first time? You've had this vision before?" There was an edge in Aedan's voice. She looked upset. Rhia frowned
"I had it over a month ago. None of it made sense because I was seeing it all from the cross. But I realize now that it was through Micah's eyes. Which doesn't make sense because I've never had visions like that before. I didn't know how to interpret it. I'm so sorry. If I'd known, I'd have told you about it then."
Aedan took a breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them back up, Rhia could see that she was filled with a new urgency. A new sense of purpose. "Was there anything in your vision that told you where they were holding him?" she asked quietly.
Rhia thought about it, letting her mind play over what she remembered of both visions. Finally, she frowned and shook her head. "No. There was nothing. No windows or anything. I never saw anywhere outside of the room. I'm sorry. I can't help you."
She watched as Aedan deflated right before her eyes. The woman slumped back against the couch and put her hands over her eyes. "Shit. I was really hoping..." Her voice trailed off a moment before she looked up at Rhia. "I'm screwed. I can't find him, Rhia. I don't have any clues. No one has seen them. No one can tell me anything. And if I don't find him soon, he's going to die. And that will be my fault."
"It will not be your fault, Aedan. How can you even think such a thing?" Rhia asked her. Aedan shot her a look that any harm to befall Micah was absolutely her fault. Then she rose to pace the small bit of open floor Rhia's living room could offer her.
"He never should have been taken. No one should have died. I should have stopped it all, but I'm fucking useless and now Micah will die because I can't find him. I don't know how to find him and I don't have a clue where to start looking."
Rhia watched the other woman a moment, lower lip caught between her teeth as she considered what to do next. Finally, she let go a breath and rose from the chair. "I think I know someone who can help us," she told Aedan.
The other woman frowned at her, pausing in mid-step to stare. "You do?" There was a disquieting amount of hope in her words and on her face.
"I do. I don't know if he'll help, though," Rhia cautioned.
Aedan stared at her so hard, it felt as if she was staring right into Rhia's soul. Then her expression turned grim and she nodded her head."Well, I guess if he doesn't want to help, I'll have to make him help."
The other woman turned and headed for the door, leaving Rhia to run and catch up.
~*~*~*~*~
The power amassed outside the house to form the wards was staggering. It had buzzed all the way through her body to Aedan's brain before slipping away, leaving her tingling as she'd headed for the door. The inside hadn't been much better, a subtle but powerful layer of magic laid over everything. The man who'd answered the door had greeted Rhia warmly, a smile stretching his mouth wide and showing off the brightness of his teeth. His eyes, the pupils clouded over and left milky white, had shifted to Aedan and she'd felt the man's demeanor change. "Who is this you've brought to me, child?" he'd asked Rhia, never once taking his gaze from Aedan's face.
"This is my friend, Aedan. She's come to you because she needs your help," Rhia had answered. The man had stared for several long moments, then he'd nodded and motioned with one hand.
"Come with me, necromancer." He'd turned toward Rhia and offered her a faint smile. "You will wait here, child. What passes between your friend and I must remain private. For now. Please feel free to help yourself to my stash of tea. You'll find it in the drawer next to the sink in the kitchen." The last was said with a wink and a smile, then the man had turned and headed into the depths of the house. Aedan had shared a look with Rhia and followed after him.
They were presently enclosed within the man's inner sanctum. It was disguised as an office, but Aedan knew the trappings of power when she saw them. She let her gaze drift across the dark wood, the unending shelves of books, and the tables with little odds and ends that would, to the unknowing, no doubt seem esoteric and eclectic. When she brought her gaze back to the man, those milky eyes were focused very intently on her. "I know who you are, necromancer. I know what you are."
His words, said in a deep voice filled with his power, didn't phase Aedan one bit. "And I know who you are, Cassadore. The question is, how does Rhia know you? And does she know what you are?"
The man stared at her a moment, then his bright smile returned and some of the seriousness left his voice. "She wonders. She has a suspicion. But she doesn't truly know. Not yet. Someday, however, I will tell her."
Cassadore moved to take his seat, positioning himself behind the desk. It made him untouchable. It leant to his power. Aedan settled into one of the chairs before the desk and sighed. "You know why I'm here." It wasn't a question.
He nodded his head once. "You are looking for the Nimir-Raj. His time is running out and you must be very desperate to come to me for help."
"My best friend is in love with him. She's bonded to him. And its my fault he was taken in the first place. I have to save him before they can kill him." There was no point in lying to him. He would see the truth, whether she told it or not. Better to tell the truth than be caught in a lie. "I have no way of finding him unless someone can give me a clue."
"Or tell you where they're keeping him tied up," Cassadore added.
"Or tell me where they're keeping him tied up," Aedan agreed.
He was silent for some time, simply staring at her with those eyes of his. Aedan sat straight and tall, refused to squirm under his all-seeing gaze. "How do you know of me, necromancer? I am not a public figure to be learned about in school courses. People like Rhia know of me because stories are passed down between coven members, between mentors and their pupils. But those like you have always been on the fringes of the magical community. Necromancers, true necromancers, are rare."
"Necromancy is magic, isn't it? Which means those who wield the power over the dead are witches. Necromancy is just a far more specialized branch of magic than most others." Aedan met his stare dead on. "I'm not a fool. Once I understood what I was, I found books. I read what I could. Maybe there wasn't much information on necromancy, but I could find lots of books on magic. And those books helped me understand all the various types of paths that magic can put a soul upon. Like those of the seers. Everyone knows that Cassandra, theCassandra, is the very first in a long line of oracles. What most people don't know is that line has continued on to this day. My research took me to a bunch of long forgotten, handwritten pages tucked away in an esoteric library. They provided me with the name of the last Oracle. Cassadore. You."
The news seemed to surprise him. "You knew me when you saw me?"
"I'm very thorough, but no. The papers said nothing about what you looked like or anything. Just mentioned your name. I merely hazarded a guess. The eyes kind of gave you away. I was unaware you were here in St. Louis, though."
Cassadore offered her that smile of his and shrugged his shoulders, hands spreading in a gesture meant to say 'Well, here we are.' Then he leaned back in his own chair and eyed her intently. "St. Louis is large enough to offer me anonymity but not so large that I get lost completely. Christophe is here and he's an old friend." His look turned serious and he leveled his stare on her once again. "You come to me for help."
"I do," Aedan nodded. She studied his face a moment or two, reading on it unasked questions. "What do you want from me?"
He chuckled at her question. "What makes you think I want anything from you, necromancer?"
She sighed. "I have a feeling. Call it a premonition, if you will. What is it you want of me?"
He watched her quietly for several long minutes before heaving a sigh and pulling a sheet of paper before him. "You know that Rhiannon is willing to put herself at risk in order to stop the demon and its summoner. I believe you are having little luck in hunting him down presently."
"I do," Aedan nodded. "I don't like it, but I've told her I'll help her in whatever way I can. She's determined to end the summoner's murder spree. And stop the demon. I understand that determination and I have no wish to squash it. I also have no wish to see Rhia injured or killed because she believes she owes the world something."
"But it is acceptable that you feel this way?" he asked, tone light. She knew, though, that he was going to judge her based on how she answered. So she considered what she'd tell him long and hard before she even opened her mouth.
"I don't really want to see myself injured or killed because I believe I owe the world something. But I swore an oath when I became a federal marshal. Which means its my job to put myself in danger to protect others." She paused a moment, then added a bit more to her statement. "I know you and Rhia would both tell me that this is just as much her fight as it is mine, that she has a responsibility to protect people as much as I do. And I won't argue with you. People who are born with talents do have a responsibility. But Rhia is a private citizen. I'm not. I'm a cop. The moment the summoner set that demon upon that family, it became a police matter. I would be doing my oath a disservice if I let Rhia do my job for me."
Cassadore nodded. The intensity flowed out of his face to leave him simply looking tired and concerned. "Rhiannon cannot hope to defeat the summoner and the demon together. She's a strong witch, but she isn't that powerful. I can help you, but I would ask a favor in return for my services."
Aedan saw the lie in his words. It wasn't a favor. At least, not entirely. He had ulterior motives in wanting to keep Rhia out of the line of fire. As far as he was concerned, Aedan was little more than cannon fodder. "I see. Let me guess. You'll give me the kidnappers' location, Micah's location, if I offer myself up on the demonic chopping block and spare Rhia."
"You make it all sound so ruthless and cruel," Cassadore chided. Aedan gave him a look.
"My life has been nothing but ruthless and cruel. Forgive me if I sound jaded as fuck," she responded, just a little tersely. To let him know she wasn't fond of his games. Aedan took a deep breath, and let her magic leak out to fill the room. She saw, albeit briefly, his eyes widen with surprise. Then the look was gone and he slipped on a pleasantly blank mask. "What is it you want from me? As you can tell, I have power to spare. But it means nothing to me if Micah dies. Because if that happens, if Micah dies, Minette will wither and die. And I'll do whatever it takes to keep that from happening."
"Are you so certain of this?" he asked quietly. Aedan pinned him with a glare.
"Even if I have to fucking die to prove it to you. What do you want me to do?"
~*~*~*~*~
Once again, she'd been stuck waiting. She was going crazy waiting. Waiting sucked ass in so many ways. She wasn't good at waiting. She hated it. And she'd been left waiting for far longer than she liked. No one was giving her answers to her questions. And she'd asked a lot. She was done waiting. If no one was going to tell her anything, if no one was going to do anything, then she was going to have to do it herself. Get the answers to her questions herself.
Minette muttered a few choice words under her breath about friends and friendship and liars. A lot of her anger was directed at her supposed friend. Of course she was upset with Aedan. The woman had, once again, told her absolutely nothing about what was going on. She was so tired of being left out. She was so very tired of not knowing anything. If Aedan wasn't going to tell her what was going on, that was fine. Let her keep her secrets. Minette hoped she was very happy with them. But that wasn't going to stop her from doing something to find Micah.
She had to do something. It felt like she'd already lost one loved one. She certainly didn't want to lose another.
It was easy to slip out of the Circus. Everyone seemed to be in a tizzy about something anyway. Not that it mattered to Minette. She had to find Micah. She was Nimir-Ra and it was her duty, her responsibility, to seek out her Nimir-Raj and bring him home. Whatever matters were on the minds of those living under the Circus weren't hers to consider unless they chose to make them hers. And no one had done that. Fuck every last one of them.
Once in the parking lot, Minette had no problems slipping into the vehicle she and Micah used. She was in the process of turning over the ignition when the passenger door opened and a body slid into the empty seat. She snarled at the intruder. The rat just stared at her as if she'd lost her damn mind. "Orders are orders," he said, buckling his belt. "I go anywhere you go."
She was silent a moment, giving consideration to kicking him out of the car anyway. But she finally pushed the urge aside and put the car in gear. "Fine. Just stay out of my way."
The rat never said a word, just pulled the door shut seconds before Minette peeled out of the parking lot. She felt his eyes resting upon her, judging her. She wanted to sneer at him, but kept it to herself. It wasn't his fault she was in a bad mood. Taking it out on him when he was only doing his job was unfair. She'd take her bad mood out on the people who had taken Micah.
"Where are we going?" her passenger asked.
"I don't know," she admitted. But before he could say anything, she pressed on. "Yet. But that'll change once we find someone who can give us some information."
The rat nodded, as if that made perfect sense to him. He was kind enough not to point out the gaping holes in her plan. Like the fact that she didn't know who to talk to. For a moment, she considered turning back and letting someone else handle it. This was nothing she'd ever had to deal with before. But the thought was gone almost as soon as she had it. She was responsible for the pard. And for Micah. She should be out trying to help find him. No. There was no turning back.
~*~*~*~*~
Rhia had been waiting what felt like an eternity when the door to Cassadore's office finally opened. Aedan stepped out, pulled the wooden panel shut behind her, and offered Rhia a smile. "Well? Can he help us? Will he help us?"
"He's willing to help," she nodded. Aedan closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Rhia, enfolding her in a tight hug. Even before Rhia could lift her arms to hug back, Aedan was stepping away from her. "Thanks for bringing me here, Rhia. We're going to get Micah back. Alive. And in one piece."
"I'm glad Cassadore will help. I really wasn't sure when I told you about him. I only met him a few days ago. And most seers I know don't like to be used for their talents," she told the other woman. Aedan stared at her, an unreadable look on her face. Then it was gone and she glanced back toward the closed door.
"Cassadore wants to talk to you before we go," she said, motioning with her head in the direction of the office. Rhia blinked at that. It felt a little odd, but she had no reason to doubt Aedan. So she nodded and made for the door. "I'll wait for you in the living area. When you're done, we'll plan out our next move."
"Okay," Rhia agreed. She watched Aedan head toward the living room before turning back to the closed panel. Lifting a fisted hand, she knocked on the wood. The sound was deep and melodious and the answer was almost instantaneous.
"Enter," Cassadore's voice called through the door. Rhia took hold of the knob and turned it, then poked her head into the room. Cassadore looked up at her expectantly. "Rhia? Was there something else?"
"Aedan said you wanted to speak with me," she replied, pushing the door wider so she could step into the room. Cassadore stared, his brow furrowing as he considered her words. The furrow stayed too long and Rhia frowned. "You didn't want to see me, did you?"
"I asked your friend to convey no such message," he confirmed.
Rhia stared at him a moment before turning and leaving the room. The word 'No' echoed over and over again in her head like a mantra as she headed for the nearest window that overlooked the front of the house. When she got there, she found exactly what she thought she'd find. Aedan, and her car, were gone. "Shit. No. This was not supposed to happen. Shit and double shit," Rhia spat.
"What is it, child?" Cassadore's voice filled the room behind her. Rhia turned to look at him.
"You told her where to find Micah, didn't you?"
"Yes. I gave her his location," he said, a touch of confusion in his voice. She watched as those milky eyes slid toward the window a moment, then back to her face. "She left you behind?"
"She did. Damn it. She's going to get herself killed. She has no backup and these people are monsters," Rhia muttered.
"Perhaps she had good reason to leave you here? You are no fighter, child. She wouldn't want to put you at risk." he suggested. She frowned at him and dug her cell out of her bag.
"I know why she left me here. But she needs someone to watch her back. Edward. Richard. Raphael. Anyone who can help her fight these sick fucks," she snarled. Her finger hit a button and she heard the phone dialing on the other end even before she put the device to her ear. It rang once before it was answered.
"Hi, Rhia," Nathaniel's voice was a touch of much needed serenity and calm. Rhia took a deep breath in, then let it out in an effort to try and ground herself. Nathaniel heard her. "Rhia? What is it? What's wrong?"
"First, I need you to contact Jason. Have him call Richard. Tell Richard that Aedan has Micah's location and she's going there alone. She needs back up. Second, I need you to see if you can get Edward's number. Someone you know must have it. If he's in town, I want him in on this. Third, I need you to come get me from Cassadore's."
"Cassadore's? What are you doing there?"
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I had a vision. I had it once before, only I didn't know what I was seeing at the time. This time, I know. It was a vision about Micah. His captors are going to kill him. Tonight. Soon. I texted Aedan to let her know. We came to see Cassadore because neither one of us had a solid lead. He told her where to find Micah. She left me here and went after them alone. I'm afraid she's going to get herself killed, Nathaniel."
"Okay, sweetheart. Okay. Just calm down. As it happens, I'm with Jason and he's already on the phone with Richard," Nathaniel assured her. "As an added bonus, Jean Claude is awake and I think he can get a hold of Edward. Janika is eating dinner with us, so I'm going to send her to find him and let him know what's going on. Okay?" The soothing tone of his voice helped ground her. She felt the panic lessen, felt her lungs loosen as if they'd been constricted by something.
"Okay. That's good. Thank you," she replied.
"Good. Hold on just a second while I talk to Janika," he said. She heard him pull the phone away, heard the soothing tones of his voice as he spoke to the other woman. The conversation was brief and she heard the higher pitch of Janika's voice for a moment before Nathaniel came back. "She's on her way to see him now. I need two more things from you."
Rhia sighed with the news. "Okay."
"First, I need you to give me Micah's location so I can relay that to Richard. Second, I need you to stay at Cassadore's until I get there. Don't leave the house. Don't even go outside. Not until I knock on the door. Have Cassadore make you a cup of tea while you wait. Got it?"
"I've got it. Let me give the phone to Cassadore. Hang on," she replied, then held the phone out to the seer. "Tell him what you told Aedan. Please."
Cassadore took the phone from her hand without fail, lifted it to his ear, and spoke. "Good evening, young leopard. I sent the necromancer to an abandoned house where the kidnappers are holding your Nimir-Raj."
~*~*~*~*~
They'd been driving around for nearly two hours and Minette still had no idea where to go or who to talk to. She'd seen nothing that would give her pause, no shifty characters lingering in the shadows who looked like they just knew something. To his credit, the rat, a former Ranger, hadn't said anything about her random driving. Nor had he helpfully pointed out that she had no clue where to find Micah or who to even ask. But she'd noticed, in the last fifteen or twenty minutes, that he'd become increasingly tense. His tension was rubbing her the wrong way, making her tense and edgy.
She watched covertly for five more minutes as he shifted in his seat numerous times, his right hand hidden under his coat. She knew it for the sign it was. He was reaching for his gun, ensuring that the comforting weight of the weapon was close at hand in case he needed it. She'd seen Aedan do the same thing more than once. Which saw her nerves come tingling to life in a big way. "What is it?" she asked him. She kept her voice quiet, so as not to startle him. The man glanced her way, then glanced toward the mirrors. Both his side view mirror and her rear view. Minette flicked her gaze toward the larger of the two mirrors and stared a moment or two before being forced to return her stare to the road. She had to repeat the action several times before she finally saw it.
There was a dark sedan about three cars back. It never sped up unless she did. And it never passed the cars in front of it. "Shit."
"There's a second vehicle, next lane. Only one car back. Keeping the same pace,' the rat told her. Minette found it easily enough in the side mirror. It was an exact replica of the first car. Its presence saw her looking for more identical automobiles in their close vicinity, but she saw none.
She sent a look her companion's way. She could see by the expression on his face that he was processing possible scenarios and how best to deal with them. "What do you want me to do?"
"Take a right up ahead. Let's see if our friends want to follow," the rat suggested, his left hand pointing toward the road without bringing it up where anyone else could see. "And don't use your signal. Let's see if they're following for sure. It could be an odd coincidence."
His voice suggested he didn't believe any such thing. Minette was pretty sure that it wasn't. But they wouldn't know until she did as he'd said. So she kept an eye on the traffic, making sure she could cut over into the right hand lane to make her turn without causing an accident, then made her move. Her foot pressed the gas pedal down, adding a touch of speed to the car, allowing her to change lanes and then turn the corner without inconveniencing anyone. They heard the squeal of tires on the road's surface and, moments later, two dark sedans turned the corner behind them.
"Double shit," Minette snarled.
"Do you have any evasive driving experience?" the rat questioned, voice indicating he was already processing their next options.
"No," she returned.
"Okay. Here's what I need you to do. Keep a calm, level head. Follow my instructions. Let me handle whoever is following us," her companion instructed. "For now, I want you to keep driving. Try not to let a red light stop you. They know we know they're there so they're going to be less likely to stay hidden."
"Where am I going?"
"We want to get them to a less populated area. Someplace where gunshots won't bring the cops," he told her. She could hear the anticipation in his voice.
"I think I know a place," Minette said. A sense of calm settled over her and she checked her mirrors again before taking a left. When she was fully through her turn, she put on a little speed. Here was hoping the sons of bitches liked the surprise she had in store for them.
~*~*~*~*~
The abandoned house was located in the midst of an entire housing community that had been left standing empty. Bad section of town. Bad property. Bad buildings. Maybe the entire place was infested with something dark and nasty that normal people couldn't handle. Whatever the reason, four or five blocks of homes were left empty and forgotten. It was the perfect place for a serial killer and his accomplice to hole up. No one would hear their victims scream.
Aedan had found the place easy enough. Cassadore's directions had been very detailed. She'd made sure to park her car some distance from the house in order to approach it on foot. Darkness had fallen on her drive over and the entire area was completely shrouded in shadows. It gave her a slight advantage.
The house had once been a bright color. Maybe yellow or white. Possibly even a robin's egg blue. Now, it was dull and lifeless. Wide strips of paint hung from the exterior. It looked for all the world like someone had come along and peeled the paint away.The yard was filled with dead grass. She had no doubt it would crunch under foot if she stepped on it. If she dared. Trash had collected in the yard, pushed up against a chain link fence by the wind or clustered together around the taller bits of weeds. Windows had been boarded over, no doubt broken out by vandals at some point. The garage stood back from the house, covered in various shades of spray paint. Someone had used the walls and the door for their own canvas.
Even the dark couldn't hide the air of neglect that surrounded the building. It lived among every single one of the homes she passed. Not even the trees had escaped the lingering pall of misery. Most of them were dying, bare branches reaching toward the sky as if to ask whomever would listen to end their pain. A few were already dead, skeletal branches broken and splintered without care.
Aedan paused outside the house and stared at it. She wasn't sure what she was going to find when she walked through the door. She honestly hoped that Micah was still alive, that Rhia had been correct in her earlier statement. If not, it was going to be so hard to go back to the Circus and tell Minette that she'd failed her. She was pretty sure Minette already mostly hated her. Letting him die at the hands of two unstable serial killers would no doubt finish that off and Minette would completely hate her.
Pushing doubt from her mind, she pulled her Glock from her holster and flicked the safety off. Aedan drew a breath and made her way slowly up the cracked drive. She was careful where she put her feet, careful that she moved as silently as she was able. She found a door that was unlocked without trouble, the knob turning easily in her grasp. It took a bit of time and effort to make sure she opened the door slowly. The last thing she wanted to do was notify people of her arrival.
The door let her into a small mudroom. Trash was crowded into the corners of the room and the air smelled of dirt and decay. Aedan took a moment to listen, trying to find sounds of life in the empty house. It was hard, given the door from the mudroom to the house proper was shut. Once again, she took her time opening the panel, making sure that her entrance or footsteps went unheard by anyone who might be in the house. She really, really hoped that there was someone in the house.
The smell was worse when she stepped into the kitchen from the mudroom. She had to stomp down on the urge to gag and made sure she breathed through her mouth instead of her nose. It helped cut down on the stench. At least a little bit.
She stood in the kitchen and listened, ears straining to find some hint of where to start looking. The last thing she wanted to do was go traipsing through the house and give away the fact she was there. She heard nothing. Which meant she had to explore the house.
There were two options available to her. A closed door behind the door she'd just come through suggested that the house had a basement. An open archway in the other corner would no doubt take her through to a dining living area. She sighed softly. Logic said that anyone who was torturing people would be smart and set up shop in the house's basement. It would help keep lights to a minimum. And it would help keep any screams muffled. Especially with a door to close off the stairwell.
Fuck. Why was it always the basement?
Aedan took another breath, mentally steeling herself against what she might find, and headed on silent feet toward the door. Standing next to it, she could see that it was brand new. Someone had recently installed the panel at the top of the stairs. She was willing to bet it was solid wood in an effort to keep the basement as soundproof as possible. She didn't like the implications that came with that bit of effort.
Since the door was so new, the knob turned effortlessly under her hand. There was no sound and she barely caught the tumblers moving in the lock. The door swung open on silent hinges, letting Aedan see the pool of light at the end of the stairs. It was all she could see because the stairs dead ended in front of a wall. She'd be blind until she got to the bottom and looked around the corner. Now all she had to do was hope the stairs didn't squeak...
She was almost to the bottom when she finally heard the first sounds of life in the house. It was a man's voice, raised in anger and filled with the threat of violence. "I told you to change the damn bag, whore! Do you want him to regain full control of himself? What happens then?"
The sound of that voice brought back memories long buried in the recesses of her brain. It sounded very much like one she'd heard a long, long time ago. Aedan frowned and forced the comparison aside. Pushed the memories back into the darkness and locked them there. Focused her energy on saving Micah before they could hurt him any further.
There was some murmuring, so soft Aedan couldn't hear words. But she could tell the voice was a woman's and there was a hint of defiance in it. Curious. Maybe there was hope after all.
She took another step down, inching ever closer to the bottom of the stairs. The sound of the voices told her that they were located somewhere near the bottom of the stairs. That meant Aedan would have to be careful when she finally stepped off the last step. She wished for a moment that her powers would offer her an advantage here. But calling up a zombie would attract attention. And she couldn't see through the zombie's eyes so the only benefit it would have would be an immediate attack. She was going to have to be stealthy.
When she stood on the last step, she risked a look around the corner and found there was a large open area that was lit by bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. The place was filled with bedding and empty food containers and papers. A television was in one corner, on but with the sound muted. Aedan could see it was some news report that looked to be a few days or possibly even weeks old.
The corner nearest her was sectioned off into an actual room, with walls that reached the ceiling. The doorway must have been facing the rest of the basement because Aedan couldn't see it. She stepped around the edge of the wall into the basement proper, then put her back up against the wall so that she could make her way to the room in the corner without anyone being able to come up behind her in surprise.
"You aren't here to think. You're here because this is the only way to lift the taint of evil from your soul. Now do as I say or else!" the man's voice filled the basement.
"I don't want to hurt him," the woman's said, voice soft with pain and fear.
"I don't care. Do as I say! Now!"
"No. I'm not going to help you with this anymore. I'm going to turn myself in to the police," she said, voice much steadier this time. Now filled with strength and resolution. "I'm going to tell them everything we've done."
"I don't fucking thing so, whore." There was the meaty sound of a fist striking flesh to accompany those words. Aedan came around the corner to see the opening into the room. She had a very limited view and didn't see anyone through it. But she could see shining implements hanging off the wall, looking ominous and evil. It was now or never.
She inched her way to the open door, stopped just before the frame, and risked a quick glance into the room. In that brief flash, she saw the male perpetrator with his back to her. The woman was between him and Micah. And that quick glance, she'd seen that Rhia's vision was true. Micah was nailed to a crude looking cross with silver spikes with a crown of silver coated thorns sat on his head. Mother fucker.
"Go ahead and hit me again. It'll be the last thing you ever do. I'm stronger than you. I can take you down." The woman sounded much more certain this time, her confidence growing with every word she spoke.
"Where are you getting these ridiculous ideas, whore? Who's been filling your head with nonsense?" the man asked. There was silence a moment. "Ah. I see. He's been filling your head with all this shit. No doubt he's been begging you to help him. Offering to help you in exchange. Did he tell you he could protect you? Don't you see what he's trying to do? He's trying to turn you against me."
"He's showing me the truth! There's nothing wrong with me! Everything you've told me has been a lie! All of it! I'm not going to listen to you anymore!"
"If you aren't with me, whore, you're against me," the man announced. There was deadly intent in his voice. Aedan drew a breath and said a quick prayer to anyone who might be listening. Then she raised her weapon and stepped into the doorway. "And anyone against me has to die."
She was just in time to see him sink a blade into the woman's stomach. Her eyes went wide, hands reaching out blindly for something to hold on to. One hand caught his throat and squeezed, fingers working at crushing his windpipe. The other hand flailed briefly, then seemed to find what it was looking for. Her fingers curled around a thin line Aedan hadn't seen before and tugged. There was a soft grunt from Micah, then tape gave way and the IV that had been taped to his arm pulled free. The girl smiled, blood already staining her lips, and let her gaze return to the man's face. "See if you can fight them both off," she whispered.
"Bitch!" the man snarled. His arm pulled back just a bit, then shoved forward again. The woman made a noise of pain as the knife bit deeper. Then he pulled the blade free and used his empty hand to push her away from him. She toppled to the floor, hands seeking out the wound in her belly as if to stem the flow of her blood, and lay still.
"Federal marshal. Drop the knife, asshole. Or I'll put a whole in your head so big, they'll be able to drive a Mack truck through it," Aedan said softly.
The man turned to face her. A manic smile curved his lips up. The hand holding the knife was bloodied. His other hand was up and empty. But she could tell that he had no plans on giving up that easily. "But isn't that what you came here for, officer?" he asked. "To stop me. To bring me to justice? Didn't you say judgement day was coming?"
"I did. I'm glad you got the message. Have you repented yet?"
He made a face at that and shook his head. "I have nothing to repent for. I am not the sinner here. I am righteous in my duties."
"Maybe in your world. But here in the real world, the police look at what you've done as cold blooded murder. You can either give yourself up and go to jail, of you can make a move and die. I don't care what option you chose."
"What if I decide to chose option three?"
"And what is option three?"
His empty hand moved and the table was suddenly upended. All kinds of bladed implements were flying at her. Aedan ducked to avoid being injured. Heard the sound of a low grunt. Listened to all of his torture devices strike the wall behind her. When she stood, the blade he'd just held was sticking out of Micah's abdomen and the man was scurrying up a low set of stairs behind the cross.
She holstered the gun even as she rose to her feet. It only took a handful of steps to reach Micah. His eyes were open, clouded with pain, and focused on her. "Go after him," he whispered. "Take the knife out and go after him."
"But..." she started, only to have him glare her into silence.
"I'll live. Stop him." His words were an order, and Aedan was surprised that he could muster the energy to put it in there. He had to have been through hell. "Just do it."
Aedan was conflicted. She didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to leave him. But she wanted to catch the son of a bitch and let him know that she was done with his shit. Micah was giving her the opportunity. She had to take it. As gently as she could, she put her hand on the handle of the knife. Micah made a noise that said it hurt. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, apologizing for more than just removing the blade. Then she tugged it free. Micah's scream of pain ripped through her and steeled her resolve. She hurried toward the stairs to chase after a soon to be dead man.
The stairs took her up and out into the house's backyard. There was no sight of her prey. Aedan stopped to take a moment and let her senses spread out before her. Her necromancy told her that there were ghosts lingering here and there, though she couldn't see them. There were also bodies buried here and there, the area a perfect place to hide murder victims. There were enough bodies that she could raise a small army if she wanted. She put that idea on the back burner and instead went back to the ghosts. The zombies would be unable to tell her anything. The ghosts, however...
It took a moment, but she finally felt a spot where the ghosts were agitated. They'd been disturbed and the didn't like it. Aedan smiled and started in that direction. Unless he left the area, he wouldn't be able to hide from her. And even then, it wasn't a safe bet that he could manage to elude her. There were markers of the dead everywhere.
Knife in hand, Aedan followed the trail of disturbed, angry ghosts. There was no moon, leaving the terrain around her cast in deep shadows. She wouldn't be able to see him if he was hiding so she had to rely on the ghosts to help her find him. And they were eager to do so, moving up to press close and follow along with her. They whispered in her ear and pointed her in the right direction. They offered her their strength and solace.
He was hiding in a shed three yards over, obviously hoping that she'd collect Micah and go and leave him to his mad plans. He was going to be so disappointed when he realized that she wasn't going to let him live much longer. Maybe he could push his accomplice around, but he couldn't do the same to her. And he'd find out what happened if he tried. Taking a second to center herself, Aedan squatted down and put a hand on the ground. Power flowed from her hand into the earth and, in no time at all, a trio of zombies stood around the shed. Waiting.
Aedan rose. "You can come out, murderer. I know you're in there. Your time is up. We're going to end this now."
"If that's what you want," he responded. A moment later, he launched himself from the shed and right at her. Aedan felt the tip of the blade he held bite into her arm even as she was shifting out of the way. She brought her own blade up and let it bite into the meat of his thigh. "You haven't got it in you, bitch. You won't kill me. You're a cop. You have a code that you have to follow."
"I'm a cop, yes. But I'm not wearing my badge tonight, fuckwad. I left it at home. Tonight, I'm merely a private citizen. And you're going to die by my hand." She made sure to smile at him.
"I don't believe you," he returned.
There's a fire within,
Hate to admit it, but I always knew
Violence and sin
Keeps me fearless
Keeps me from being...
You...
Aedan's smile widened. Then she lunged forward.
~*~*~*~*~
The house was abandoned. Just like the entire neighborhood was abandoned. But there was light shining up the stairs from the basement when there shouldn't have been, letting Edward know he was in the right place. He glanced at the group of men behind him, making sure to remind them that he was in charge. It was bad enough Aedan had come here alone. He didn't like that he had a handful of lycanthropes as his backup. He was going to strangle her when he got his hands on her for going off half-cocked like this.
After receiving nods from the men with guns, Edward took point and started down the stairs. He couldn't hear anything, but that meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. His gun was up, safety off and weapon pointed straight ahead. Anyone who dared come around that corner was going to find themselves on the business end of a gun loaded with silver shot. They'd have two about one whole second to prove they were a friend before he pulled the trigger.
He came to a halt on the last step, cast a look over his shoulder, then began moving again. Coming off the steps, he found himself in a large, open basement. He didn't need to look hard to know that this was the lycanthrope killers newest lair. There was an enclosed room to his right. He made a motion that way with one hand before starting forward. He felt more than heard the men behind him spread out, moving the guys with guns away from his back. It made him feel a whole lot better and allowed him to fully concentrate on what he'd find when he entered that room.
He didn't like what he found.
The walls were lined with various implements meant to be used to torture people. Every single one of them had been coated in silver, telling everyone present that the murderers had planned on killing more lycanthropes. The floor at his feet was littered with several types of blades, a wooden table on its side not far from him. The concrete was spattered and stained with blood.
A woman was on her back on the floor, bleeding heavily out of a wound in her belly. Her eyes were closed and it didn't appear that she was breathing. He turned his attention away from her to study the only other person in the room. Micah was strung up on a crude looking cross. His hands and his feet had been nailed to the wood in the same manner he'd seen depicted in every crucifixion image ever painted. A crown of thorns, shining silver in the overhead light, sat upon his head. Blood caked his hair, painted his face, and trailed down his torso and legs. There were red spots on his skin that looked like healing scars. And there was a fresh knife wound in his gut. He was going to die, and soon, if they didn't get him out of there.
"Jesus Christ," Richard breathed from behind Edward.
"Exactly," Edward nodded. "Let's get him down."
"The girl is still breathing," Raphael said. Edward turned to see the rat king was kneeling over the woman, fingers pressed to her throat. "She's barely alive. What do we do with her?"
"We take her with us and heal her. Then we find out why she and her psycho partner did this," Richard replied. Raphael nodded and motioned for two of his rats to deal with the girl. He came over to where Edward stood before the cross and glanced from Death to Richard. "He's going to need time to recover. I don't know. It looks bad. We might need Dr. Lillian."
"She's already at the Circus. I sent her ahead when I got the call. How do we proceed?" Raphael asked.
"Feet first. Then hands. Then we undo the cuffs and the collar. We lower him gently," Edward said. He reached up and carefully removed the crown of thorns. The tips were liberally coated in blood. Muttering a curse, Edward tossed the thing aside and went in search of a hammer to remove the silver spikes from Micah's hands and feet.
It was slow going. They were trying hard to get Micah down without causing any unnecessary pain. But every time they jostled him, the man moaned softly. Finally, after what felt like an age, they'd lowered Micah to the floor and Richard was checking his vitals. "He's alive. Barely. There's silver under his skin. I can smell it. He needs to push it out. He'll be able to shift and heal then."
"Is he capable of doing those things?" Edward asked. He knew enough about the lycanthropes to know that it was possible Micah would need help to accomplish the things Richard was talking about.
"Possibly. He is Nimir-Raj. He's powerful. Then again, he's suffered so much abuse, he might need help," Raphael said, studying Micah's wounds intently. "Richard and I could attempt to force the change. It wouldn't be pretty or easy."
Edward considered it a moment, then nodded his head. "Do whatever needs to be done. We need to take him home alive and in one piece. I know Minette would appreciate it. And I don't think Aedan would let any of us live it down if we didn't try."
"Aedan." Micah's voice was faint, a whisper of sound that was barely audible in the silence of the room. Green eyes bright with pain found Edward's face. One of Micah's hands, mangled and bruised, reached out to try and take hold of Edward's coat sleeve. The other hand pointed to the back of the room, where a set of stairs disappeared up into the darkness. Edward took it to mean that the other member of the pair and escaped and Aedan had gone off, alone in the dark, to find him.
Fucking great.
Chapter Fifty: Bad Company
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic sex and violence, language, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the Sues are the sole property of their originators, Ginevra, Dazzledfirestar, Nanaea, SilverFoxChan and ladydeathfaerie. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar.
Author's Notes: holy shit, this is chapter fifty and i'm only just starting to tear into the meat of the story. how fucked up is that? this one isn't quite as graphic as the last but there's still a bit of something here. so best be on your guard.
The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link
"What the hell is going on with you?" Her voice was not kind, so there was an edge to her words that startled the woman coming from her room. Aedan stopped and stared at her with eyes that were still soft with sleep. She'd obviously just woken up, which was odd. It was late in the day, even for Aedan. She was usually up well before now. Which is why Minette had been standing outside her door for hours, just waiting. And the longer she'd waited, the higher her anger had climbed.
The softness was gone in the blink of an eye, replaced with a blank look that locked everything away, leaving Minette once more trying to figure out what had her friend acting so goddamned weird. "I don't know what you mean," Aedan returned, voice cold and frosty. It was going to be like that, was it? Well, two could play at that game. And Aedan wasn't leaving until she gave Minette an answer.
"Really? What was all that last night? You're supposed to be my best friend and you couldn't even tell me that Micah had been kidnapped. You ran out of that room so fast, I thought someone had set your ass on fire," Minette responded, taking the few steps needed to cross the hallway. She stopped when she was practically in Aedan's face, letting her power leak out into the corridor. Aedan didn't take a step back, nor did she act as if she was aware of Minette's power play. "For that matter, what the hell have the past weeks been? You haven't talked to me since the night of the party. And every time I ask you about it, you find a reason to hurry off. That's not going to happen this time. This time, you're going to tell me what crawled up your ass and died."
"Its nothing," Aedan said, voice flat. Minette scoffed at the lie and inched closer.
"Liar. I can smell it on you," she told the other woman. It was hard to look intimidating when the person you were trying to intimidate was a few scant inches taller than you, but Minette gave it her best shot. She made sure that there was no mistaking she was pulling power. Still, Aedan did nothing to suggest she was at all intimidated by Minette.
"Well, it looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of paranoia today." Aedan crossed her arms over her chest and stared down into Minette's face. Aedan made a show of glancing at her wrist. "Get out of my way, Minette. I'm late for work and I don't have time for your childishness."
"Childishness?" Minette blinked at the other woman. No way in hell Aedan had just used that word to describe someone else after the way she'd been acting lately. "You're calling me childish? You? The one who ran off and left me with her boyfriend?"
"He isn't my boyfriend, Minette," Aedan told her. Not an ounce of emotion or a flicker of feeling. When the hell had Aedan gotten so cold? "Also, in case it slipped your mind, Micah had just been kidnapped. I did not run off, as you put it. I went out to look for any clues. To see if I could find him before those sick fucks kill him. What did you do last night?"
Her words were sharp. And ice cold. They brought forth a rush of fear that Minette couldn't shake. Which made her all the angrier. How could Aedan be so utterly emotionless when Minette's entire world could come crashing down? How could she act like Micah being taken and tortured wasn't a huge deal? "Jesus fucking Christ, you're such a bitch. I don't think I know who you are anymore, Aedan. When did you become this cold-hearted?"
Aedan's lips thinned into a flat line and she leaned toward Minette. There was emptiness in the woman's eyes and her words. "Don't presume to think you know everything about me, Minette. Maybe this is the real me and you've just never met me before. Have you ever stopped and thought about that?"
Aedan's power filled the hallway. It was cold where it touched her skin, and it offered the stillness of death. There was a kind of seductive quality to it. Which there shouldn't have been. Aedan was a necromancer. Her powers were only over the dead. What was presently trying to wrap itself around Minette and suck her under felt more like a vampire's powers. Minette blinked at that and found herself taking an involuntary step back, a small spike of fear piercing her. The spell, or whatever it was, was broken when Aedan shot her a smile that lacked warmth and life. "Try not to forget that, Minette. Now get out of my way, or I'll make you. I have to get to work."
"You... bitch!" Minette snarled, anger rising up to take fear's place. She threw herself forward, reaching for Aedan even as her hands shifted and grew and became the hands she sported in her half and half form.
~*~*~*~*~
The room looked familiar, the walls barren save for the bloodied implements that hung from hooks here and there. There was blood staining the concrete floor, both dried and fresh, leaving it alternating patches of dried, rusty brown and glistening crimson. There was a table stationed in the center of the floor, covered with gleaming instruments that were meant to no doubt inflict pain.
She'd been here before, in her dreams. This time, there was no mirror to show her what she was meant to see. This time, she found herself staring at a trio of people. She remembered the man and the woman well. They were, again, arguing. The woman was talking rapidly, positioned midway between the man with the knife and their prisoner. Her hands were up and she gave the appearance of being non-threatening.
She might have watched the two argue, but some sound or movement caught her attention. She found her eyes raising, lifting up to look over the man and woman's heads, to the third person who was behind them.
Vibrant green eyes stared straight at her, right into her soul, silently begging for help. Curls that were normally brown were stained with blood, leaking from his forehead and scalp thanks to the prick of myriad silver coated thorns. Blood masked his face, ran freely over his torso. It slid down his thighs and dripped from his hands and his feet. Silver spikes had been set into them. His arms had been stretched out straight from his body. It was a classic crucifixion pose, straight out of every biblical story ever told. Given the silver spikes that had been used to secure his hands and his feet and the crown of thorns resting on his head, there was no missing the resemblance to Christ.
"Please, Rhia. Help me. Save me," he whispered, voice harsh and rough with pain.
"Micah, I..." she replied. She wasn't sure what she was going to say. Maybe she couldn't. Maybe she didn't know how. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. The woman said something that upset the man with her. One of his fists connected with her jaw and sent her to the ground. She lay there, trying to make as small a target of herself as she could, and quivered. Rhia could hear her whimpering softly.
The man bellowed something. Like the last time, Rhia couldn't hear what he said, just knew he was angry and ready to do harm. He reached out and pulled a knife from the table's surface, hand curling around the grip with deadly intent. His hold was so tight that his knuckles went white. She watched as his arm swung back, then forward. The blade of the knife sank deep into Micah's belly, split skin so easily. The tangled mass of Micah's intestines spilled out. She cringed when they hit the floor with a wet splat. When she dragged her eyes away from the gruesome sight, it was to find Micah was once more looking at her.
"Help me, Rhia. Save me before I die."
"Goddess above!" Rhia exclaimed as she sat upright and found herself in the chair at her dining room table. The spread of cards before her was unfinished, the glossy images of her tarot deck laying silent and still on the mellow wooden surface. She'd only managed to finish half of the spread before the vision had stolen over her. Perhaps the vision had come because of the cards. It had been her intent to ask them if Micah was still alive and, if so, how to find him and save him before it was too late.
She stared at the cards before her and saw what they were trying to tell her. Even without the last card added to the spread, the answer was obvious. Micah was going to die. Soon. Tonight. She had to do something to save him. That's what the vision had been about. Both this time and the last time. She just hadn't realized, the last time she'd have the vision, what it had meant. She hadn't even really known it was Micah. Maybe if she'd called Marianne and asked her questions...
Rhia pushed all the doubt aside with a sigh and rose from the chair. There was only one thing to do. She had to get help. That's what Micah had wanted her to do. Not to help him personally, but to get help to keep his kidnappers from killing him. Help me. Save me.
She crossed to the end table where she'd left her phone. It told her she'd missed a text during her vision. Nathaniel, checking in to ensure she was okay. She'd text him back in a bit. She had to text someone else first.
Her fingers flew over the electronic keyboard as she typed in her text and hit send. Please, Goddess, let them not be too late.
~*~*~*~*~
Warmth was trickling down the back of her arms, letting her know that Minette's claws had broken skin. Aedan kept her breathing level, kept herself from letting fear or anything else flood through her. The last thing Minette needed at the moment was to know that she had Aedan good and scared. There was no telling what would happen, given her current state of mind.
Minette had her back pressed against the stone wall, eyes the green of her beast as she glared up into Aedan's face. Aedan could go for her gun, could draw the weapon and put the barrel dead center against Minette's forehead. And hope it was enough to get the woman off her. But she wasn't going to draw on a friend, no matter what the circumstances. And, to be honest, she deserved this. Maybe letting Minette take her fear and frustrations out on Aedan would help make the other woman feel better.
"Goddamn it, Aedan! Tell me what the fuck is going on! And don't say nothing. I know you're lying. You're hiding something from me and I don't understand why. This isn't like you. You aren't a selfish bitch. Just talk to me." The words were meant to be gentle and coaxing. But the growl in her voice negated that.
"There's nothing to talk about, Minette," she replied. She meant to, too. There were things no one needed to know.
"Liar!" Minette snarled. Her rage saw her shaking Aedan, just a couple times. And just hard enough to bounce Aedan's skull off the stone wall. Pain flared across her brain and down her spine, telling her Minette was putting more strength into her actions than Aedan could handle. Another blow or two like that and she'd crack Aedan's head open. "You are going to tell me what's going on, even if I have to use unsavory methods to get you to do it. You're not leaving here until I have the whole story from you. So you'd better start spilling it."
The chirping of the phone in Aedan's pocket saved her from having to speak. One hand reached into said pocket to retrieve the phone, pulling it out so she could see the text message on the screen. Frowning, she tucked the phone away and leaned toward Minette again. "Time to let me go, little kitty. I have to go to work and I would imagine they need me in one piece. Maybe you'd like to talk to Dolph and Zerbrowski again?"
It was an empty threat. But Minette didn't know that.
"They can wait. You have things to explain to me." There was no give in Minette's voice. Aedan let her power leak out into the hallway again. Hopefully she wouldn't wake anyone up with her display, but Minette needed to understand, and fast, that Aedan wasn't playing games. She wasn't going to put up with this shit. Not now. Not ever.
"I have nothing to explain to you, Minerva. Technically, Micah's kidnapping qualifies as police business. And I'm the police. So its my business. Now, if you want to keep me from that business..." Aedan paused and motioned with her hands. "By all means. Go right ahead. Keep me here. Smash my brains into the wall in an attempt to get answers. We'll put that shit on Micah's tombstone so you'll always remember what happened. Won't that be lovely?"
Minette's eyes narrowed on her, a mixture of fear and growing rage lingering at the back of them. Let her be mad. Let her be afraid. It was better than her finding out the truth. Aedan could live with her rage and her fear. She couldn't live with her hatred.
"Now," she continued and amped up the power display just a bit. "Unless there's anything else, I've got work to do. So kindly back the fuck off."
With the last, Aedan shoved Minette away from her and turned to start up the hall. She could feel the Minette's eyes on her back, could feel her rage following. "Fuck you, Aedan. Fuck you for being a heartless bitch."
Aedan lifted a middle finger and kept walking.
~*~*~*~*~
Aedan looked really unhappy when Rhia swung the apartment's door open. She stepped back and allowed the other woman to enter, noting with a touch of concern that there was dried blood on Aedan's arms. Aedan was facing her before she'd even shut the door. "You said it was important. What's going on? I don't have time to waste. Micah doesn't have much time."
"I know. That's why I called you. Its about Micah," Rhia said and motioned toward the sofa. Aedan frowned at her, but moved to settle on the couch. Rhia took a seat in an arm chair and reached for her tea. "I had a vision just before I texted you. It was about Micah."
"Tell me everything," Aedan ordered.
Rhia took a sip of her tea, then drew a breath. "Its bad, Aedan. I found myself in a room that had implements on the wall. There was blood on them. And there was blood on the floor. The man and the woman were there, too. They looked like they were arguing. I can't be sure because I couldn't hear anything. I was just seeing things. And Micah was there. They had him crucified, Aedan. Silver spikes through his palms and his feet. A crown of silver coated thorns. He was covered in blood. The man picked up a knife and used it to gut Micah. His intestines fell out."
Aedan frowned. "So he's already dead?"
"No. No, I don't think so. I think its a warning. I think they're going to kill him. Soon. I think the man is getting angry or desperate or something. We have time to find him. I just wish I'd realized what this vision meant the first time I had it. We might have been able to avoid all this if--"
"What do you mean, the first time? You've had this vision before?" There was an edge in Aedan's voice. She looked upset. Rhia frowned
"I had it over a month ago. None of it made sense because I was seeing it all from the cross. But I realize now that it was through Micah's eyes. Which doesn't make sense because I've never had visions like that before. I didn't know how to interpret it. I'm so sorry. If I'd known, I'd have told you about it then."
Aedan took a breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them back up, Rhia could see that she was filled with a new urgency. A new sense of purpose. "Was there anything in your vision that told you where they were holding him?" she asked quietly.
Rhia thought about it, letting her mind play over what she remembered of both visions. Finally, she frowned and shook her head. "No. There was nothing. No windows or anything. I never saw anywhere outside of the room. I'm sorry. I can't help you."
She watched as Aedan deflated right before her eyes. The woman slumped back against the couch and put her hands over her eyes. "Shit. I was really hoping..." Her voice trailed off a moment before she looked up at Rhia. "I'm screwed. I can't find him, Rhia. I don't have any clues. No one has seen them. No one can tell me anything. And if I don't find him soon, he's going to die. And that will be my fault."
"It will not be your fault, Aedan. How can you even think such a thing?" Rhia asked her. Aedan shot her a look that any harm to befall Micah was absolutely her fault. Then she rose to pace the small bit of open floor Rhia's living room could offer her.
"He never should have been taken. No one should have died. I should have stopped it all, but I'm fucking useless and now Micah will die because I can't find him. I don't know how to find him and I don't have a clue where to start looking."
Rhia watched the other woman a moment, lower lip caught between her teeth as she considered what to do next. Finally, she let go a breath and rose from the chair. "I think I know someone who can help us," she told Aedan.
The other woman frowned at her, pausing in mid-step to stare. "You do?" There was a disquieting amount of hope in her words and on her face.
"I do. I don't know if he'll help, though," Rhia cautioned.
Aedan stared at her so hard, it felt as if she was staring right into Rhia's soul. Then her expression turned grim and she nodded her head."Well, I guess if he doesn't want to help, I'll have to make him help."
The other woman turned and headed for the door, leaving Rhia to run and catch up.
~*~*~*~*~
The power amassed outside the house to form the wards was staggering. It had buzzed all the way through her body to Aedan's brain before slipping away, leaving her tingling as she'd headed for the door. The inside hadn't been much better, a subtle but powerful layer of magic laid over everything. The man who'd answered the door had greeted Rhia warmly, a smile stretching his mouth wide and showing off the brightness of his teeth. His eyes, the pupils clouded over and left milky white, had shifted to Aedan and she'd felt the man's demeanor change. "Who is this you've brought to me, child?" he'd asked Rhia, never once taking his gaze from Aedan's face.
"This is my friend, Aedan. She's come to you because she needs your help," Rhia had answered. The man had stared for several long moments, then he'd nodded and motioned with one hand.
"Come with me, necromancer." He'd turned toward Rhia and offered her a faint smile. "You will wait here, child. What passes between your friend and I must remain private. For now. Please feel free to help yourself to my stash of tea. You'll find it in the drawer next to the sink in the kitchen." The last was said with a wink and a smile, then the man had turned and headed into the depths of the house. Aedan had shared a look with Rhia and followed after him.
They were presently enclosed within the man's inner sanctum. It was disguised as an office, but Aedan knew the trappings of power when she saw them. She let her gaze drift across the dark wood, the unending shelves of books, and the tables with little odds and ends that would, to the unknowing, no doubt seem esoteric and eclectic. When she brought her gaze back to the man, those milky eyes were focused very intently on her. "I know who you are, necromancer. I know what you are."
His words, said in a deep voice filled with his power, didn't phase Aedan one bit. "And I know who you are, Cassadore. The question is, how does Rhia know you? And does she know what you are?"
The man stared at her a moment, then his bright smile returned and some of the seriousness left his voice. "She wonders. She has a suspicion. But she doesn't truly know. Not yet. Someday, however, I will tell her."
Cassadore moved to take his seat, positioning himself behind the desk. It made him untouchable. It leant to his power. Aedan settled into one of the chairs before the desk and sighed. "You know why I'm here." It wasn't a question.
He nodded his head once. "You are looking for the Nimir-Raj. His time is running out and you must be very desperate to come to me for help."
"My best friend is in love with him. She's bonded to him. And its my fault he was taken in the first place. I have to save him before they can kill him." There was no point in lying to him. He would see the truth, whether she told it or not. Better to tell the truth than be caught in a lie. "I have no way of finding him unless someone can give me a clue."
"Or tell you where they're keeping him tied up," Cassadore added.
"Or tell me where they're keeping him tied up," Aedan agreed.
He was silent for some time, simply staring at her with those eyes of his. Aedan sat straight and tall, refused to squirm under his all-seeing gaze. "How do you know of me, necromancer? I am not a public figure to be learned about in school courses. People like Rhia know of me because stories are passed down between coven members, between mentors and their pupils. But those like you have always been on the fringes of the magical community. Necromancers, true necromancers, are rare."
"Necromancy is magic, isn't it? Which means those who wield the power over the dead are witches. Necromancy is just a far more specialized branch of magic than most others." Aedan met his stare dead on. "I'm not a fool. Once I understood what I was, I found books. I read what I could. Maybe there wasn't much information on necromancy, but I could find lots of books on magic. And those books helped me understand all the various types of paths that magic can put a soul upon. Like those of the seers. Everyone knows that Cassandra, theCassandra, is the very first in a long line of oracles. What most people don't know is that line has continued on to this day. My research took me to a bunch of long forgotten, handwritten pages tucked away in an esoteric library. They provided me with the name of the last Oracle. Cassadore. You."
The news seemed to surprise him. "You knew me when you saw me?"
"I'm very thorough, but no. The papers said nothing about what you looked like or anything. Just mentioned your name. I merely hazarded a guess. The eyes kind of gave you away. I was unaware you were here in St. Louis, though."
Cassadore offered her that smile of his and shrugged his shoulders, hands spreading in a gesture meant to say 'Well, here we are.' Then he leaned back in his own chair and eyed her intently. "St. Louis is large enough to offer me anonymity but not so large that I get lost completely. Christophe is here and he's an old friend." His look turned serious and he leveled his stare on her once again. "You come to me for help."
"I do," Aedan nodded. She studied his face a moment or two, reading on it unasked questions. "What do you want from me?"
He chuckled at her question. "What makes you think I want anything from you, necromancer?"
She sighed. "I have a feeling. Call it a premonition, if you will. What is it you want of me?"
He watched her quietly for several long minutes before heaving a sigh and pulling a sheet of paper before him. "You know that Rhiannon is willing to put herself at risk in order to stop the demon and its summoner. I believe you are having little luck in hunting him down presently."
"I do," Aedan nodded. "I don't like it, but I've told her I'll help her in whatever way I can. She's determined to end the summoner's murder spree. And stop the demon. I understand that determination and I have no wish to squash it. I also have no wish to see Rhia injured or killed because she believes she owes the world something."
"But it is acceptable that you feel this way?" he asked, tone light. She knew, though, that he was going to judge her based on how she answered. So she considered what she'd tell him long and hard before she even opened her mouth.
"I don't really want to see myself injured or killed because I believe I owe the world something. But I swore an oath when I became a federal marshal. Which means its my job to put myself in danger to protect others." She paused a moment, then added a bit more to her statement. "I know you and Rhia would both tell me that this is just as much her fight as it is mine, that she has a responsibility to protect people as much as I do. And I won't argue with you. People who are born with talents do have a responsibility. But Rhia is a private citizen. I'm not. I'm a cop. The moment the summoner set that demon upon that family, it became a police matter. I would be doing my oath a disservice if I let Rhia do my job for me."
Cassadore nodded. The intensity flowed out of his face to leave him simply looking tired and concerned. "Rhiannon cannot hope to defeat the summoner and the demon together. She's a strong witch, but she isn't that powerful. I can help you, but I would ask a favor in return for my services."
Aedan saw the lie in his words. It wasn't a favor. At least, not entirely. He had ulterior motives in wanting to keep Rhia out of the line of fire. As far as he was concerned, Aedan was little more than cannon fodder. "I see. Let me guess. You'll give me the kidnappers' location, Micah's location, if I offer myself up on the demonic chopping block and spare Rhia."
"You make it all sound so ruthless and cruel," Cassadore chided. Aedan gave him a look.
"My life has been nothing but ruthless and cruel. Forgive me if I sound jaded as fuck," she responded, just a little tersely. To let him know she wasn't fond of his games. Aedan took a deep breath, and let her magic leak out to fill the room. She saw, albeit briefly, his eyes widen with surprise. Then the look was gone and he slipped on a pleasantly blank mask. "What is it you want from me? As you can tell, I have power to spare. But it means nothing to me if Micah dies. Because if that happens, if Micah dies, Minette will wither and die. And I'll do whatever it takes to keep that from happening."
"Are you so certain of this?" he asked quietly. Aedan pinned him with a glare.
"Even if I have to fucking die to prove it to you. What do you want me to do?"
~*~*~*~*~
Once again, she'd been stuck waiting. She was going crazy waiting. Waiting sucked ass in so many ways. She wasn't good at waiting. She hated it. And she'd been left waiting for far longer than she liked. No one was giving her answers to her questions. And she'd asked a lot. She was done waiting. If no one was going to tell her anything, if no one was going to do anything, then she was going to have to do it herself. Get the answers to her questions herself.
Minette muttered a few choice words under her breath about friends and friendship and liars. A lot of her anger was directed at her supposed friend. Of course she was upset with Aedan. The woman had, once again, told her absolutely nothing about what was going on. She was so tired of being left out. She was so very tired of not knowing anything. If Aedan wasn't going to tell her what was going on, that was fine. Let her keep her secrets. Minette hoped she was very happy with them. But that wasn't going to stop her from doing something to find Micah.
She had to do something. It felt like she'd already lost one loved one. She certainly didn't want to lose another.
It was easy to slip out of the Circus. Everyone seemed to be in a tizzy about something anyway. Not that it mattered to Minette. She had to find Micah. She was Nimir-Ra and it was her duty, her responsibility, to seek out her Nimir-Raj and bring him home. Whatever matters were on the minds of those living under the Circus weren't hers to consider unless they chose to make them hers. And no one had done that. Fuck every last one of them.
Once in the parking lot, Minette had no problems slipping into the vehicle she and Micah used. She was in the process of turning over the ignition when the passenger door opened and a body slid into the empty seat. She snarled at the intruder. The rat just stared at her as if she'd lost her damn mind. "Orders are orders," he said, buckling his belt. "I go anywhere you go."
She was silent a moment, giving consideration to kicking him out of the car anyway. But she finally pushed the urge aside and put the car in gear. "Fine. Just stay out of my way."
The rat never said a word, just pulled the door shut seconds before Minette peeled out of the parking lot. She felt his eyes resting upon her, judging her. She wanted to sneer at him, but kept it to herself. It wasn't his fault she was in a bad mood. Taking it out on him when he was only doing his job was unfair. She'd take her bad mood out on the people who had taken Micah.
"Where are we going?" her passenger asked.
"I don't know," she admitted. But before he could say anything, she pressed on. "Yet. But that'll change once we find someone who can give us some information."
The rat nodded, as if that made perfect sense to him. He was kind enough not to point out the gaping holes in her plan. Like the fact that she didn't know who to talk to. For a moment, she considered turning back and letting someone else handle it. This was nothing she'd ever had to deal with before. But the thought was gone almost as soon as she had it. She was responsible for the pard. And for Micah. She should be out trying to help find him. No. There was no turning back.
~*~*~*~*~
Rhia had been waiting what felt like an eternity when the door to Cassadore's office finally opened. Aedan stepped out, pulled the wooden panel shut behind her, and offered Rhia a smile. "Well? Can he help us? Will he help us?"
"He's willing to help," she nodded. Aedan closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Rhia, enfolding her in a tight hug. Even before Rhia could lift her arms to hug back, Aedan was stepping away from her. "Thanks for bringing me here, Rhia. We're going to get Micah back. Alive. And in one piece."
"I'm glad Cassadore will help. I really wasn't sure when I told you about him. I only met him a few days ago. And most seers I know don't like to be used for their talents," she told the other woman. Aedan stared at her, an unreadable look on her face. Then it was gone and she glanced back toward the closed door.
"Cassadore wants to talk to you before we go," she said, motioning with her head in the direction of the office. Rhia blinked at that. It felt a little odd, but she had no reason to doubt Aedan. So she nodded and made for the door. "I'll wait for you in the living area. When you're done, we'll plan out our next move."
"Okay," Rhia agreed. She watched Aedan head toward the living room before turning back to the closed panel. Lifting a fisted hand, she knocked on the wood. The sound was deep and melodious and the answer was almost instantaneous.
"Enter," Cassadore's voice called through the door. Rhia took hold of the knob and turned it, then poked her head into the room. Cassadore looked up at her expectantly. "Rhia? Was there something else?"
"Aedan said you wanted to speak with me," she replied, pushing the door wider so she could step into the room. Cassadore stared, his brow furrowing as he considered her words. The furrow stayed too long and Rhia frowned. "You didn't want to see me, did you?"
"I asked your friend to convey no such message," he confirmed.
Rhia stared at him a moment before turning and leaving the room. The word 'No' echoed over and over again in her head like a mantra as she headed for the nearest window that overlooked the front of the house. When she got there, she found exactly what she thought she'd find. Aedan, and her car, were gone. "Shit. No. This was not supposed to happen. Shit and double shit," Rhia spat.
"What is it, child?" Cassadore's voice filled the room behind her. Rhia turned to look at him.
"You told her where to find Micah, didn't you?"
"Yes. I gave her his location," he said, a touch of confusion in his voice. She watched as those milky eyes slid toward the window a moment, then back to her face. "She left you behind?"
"She did. Damn it. She's going to get herself killed. She has no backup and these people are monsters," Rhia muttered.
"Perhaps she had good reason to leave you here? You are no fighter, child. She wouldn't want to put you at risk." he suggested. She frowned at him and dug her cell out of her bag.
"I know why she left me here. But she needs someone to watch her back. Edward. Richard. Raphael. Anyone who can help her fight these sick fucks," she snarled. Her finger hit a button and she heard the phone dialing on the other end even before she put the device to her ear. It rang once before it was answered.
"Hi, Rhia," Nathaniel's voice was a touch of much needed serenity and calm. Rhia took a deep breath in, then let it out in an effort to try and ground herself. Nathaniel heard her. "Rhia? What is it? What's wrong?"
"First, I need you to contact Jason. Have him call Richard. Tell Richard that Aedan has Micah's location and she's going there alone. She needs back up. Second, I need you to see if you can get Edward's number. Someone you know must have it. If he's in town, I want him in on this. Third, I need you to come get me from Cassadore's."
"Cassadore's? What are you doing there?"
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I had a vision. I had it once before, only I didn't know what I was seeing at the time. This time, I know. It was a vision about Micah. His captors are going to kill him. Tonight. Soon. I texted Aedan to let her know. We came to see Cassadore because neither one of us had a solid lead. He told her where to find Micah. She left me here and went after them alone. I'm afraid she's going to get herself killed, Nathaniel."
"Okay, sweetheart. Okay. Just calm down. As it happens, I'm with Jason and he's already on the phone with Richard," Nathaniel assured her. "As an added bonus, Jean Claude is awake and I think he can get a hold of Edward. Janika is eating dinner with us, so I'm going to send her to find him and let him know what's going on. Okay?" The soothing tone of his voice helped ground her. She felt the panic lessen, felt her lungs loosen as if they'd been constricted by something.
"Okay. That's good. Thank you," she replied.
"Good. Hold on just a second while I talk to Janika," he said. She heard him pull the phone away, heard the soothing tones of his voice as he spoke to the other woman. The conversation was brief and she heard the higher pitch of Janika's voice for a moment before Nathaniel came back. "She's on her way to see him now. I need two more things from you."
Rhia sighed with the news. "Okay."
"First, I need you to give me Micah's location so I can relay that to Richard. Second, I need you to stay at Cassadore's until I get there. Don't leave the house. Don't even go outside. Not until I knock on the door. Have Cassadore make you a cup of tea while you wait. Got it?"
"I've got it. Let me give the phone to Cassadore. Hang on," she replied, then held the phone out to the seer. "Tell him what you told Aedan. Please."
Cassadore took the phone from her hand without fail, lifted it to his ear, and spoke. "Good evening, young leopard. I sent the necromancer to an abandoned house where the kidnappers are holding your Nimir-Raj."
~*~*~*~*~
They'd been driving around for nearly two hours and Minette still had no idea where to go or who to talk to. She'd seen nothing that would give her pause, no shifty characters lingering in the shadows who looked like they just knew something. To his credit, the rat, a former Ranger, hadn't said anything about her random driving. Nor had he helpfully pointed out that she had no clue where to find Micah or who to even ask. But she'd noticed, in the last fifteen or twenty minutes, that he'd become increasingly tense. His tension was rubbing her the wrong way, making her tense and edgy.
She watched covertly for five more minutes as he shifted in his seat numerous times, his right hand hidden under his coat. She knew it for the sign it was. He was reaching for his gun, ensuring that the comforting weight of the weapon was close at hand in case he needed it. She'd seen Aedan do the same thing more than once. Which saw her nerves come tingling to life in a big way. "What is it?" she asked him. She kept her voice quiet, so as not to startle him. The man glanced her way, then glanced toward the mirrors. Both his side view mirror and her rear view. Minette flicked her gaze toward the larger of the two mirrors and stared a moment or two before being forced to return her stare to the road. She had to repeat the action several times before she finally saw it.
There was a dark sedan about three cars back. It never sped up unless she did. And it never passed the cars in front of it. "Shit."
"There's a second vehicle, next lane. Only one car back. Keeping the same pace,' the rat told her. Minette found it easily enough in the side mirror. It was an exact replica of the first car. Its presence saw her looking for more identical automobiles in their close vicinity, but she saw none.
She sent a look her companion's way. She could see by the expression on his face that he was processing possible scenarios and how best to deal with them. "What do you want me to do?"
"Take a right up ahead. Let's see if our friends want to follow," the rat suggested, his left hand pointing toward the road without bringing it up where anyone else could see. "And don't use your signal. Let's see if they're following for sure. It could be an odd coincidence."
His voice suggested he didn't believe any such thing. Minette was pretty sure that it wasn't. But they wouldn't know until she did as he'd said. So she kept an eye on the traffic, making sure she could cut over into the right hand lane to make her turn without causing an accident, then made her move. Her foot pressed the gas pedal down, adding a touch of speed to the car, allowing her to change lanes and then turn the corner without inconveniencing anyone. They heard the squeal of tires on the road's surface and, moments later, two dark sedans turned the corner behind them.
"Double shit," Minette snarled.
"Do you have any evasive driving experience?" the rat questioned, voice indicating he was already processing their next options.
"No," she returned.
"Okay. Here's what I need you to do. Keep a calm, level head. Follow my instructions. Let me handle whoever is following us," her companion instructed. "For now, I want you to keep driving. Try not to let a red light stop you. They know we know they're there so they're going to be less likely to stay hidden."
"Where am I going?"
"We want to get them to a less populated area. Someplace where gunshots won't bring the cops," he told her. She could hear the anticipation in his voice.
"I think I know a place," Minette said. A sense of calm settled over her and she checked her mirrors again before taking a left. When she was fully through her turn, she put on a little speed. Here was hoping the sons of bitches liked the surprise she had in store for them.
~*~*~*~*~
The abandoned house was located in the midst of an entire housing community that had been left standing empty. Bad section of town. Bad property. Bad buildings. Maybe the entire place was infested with something dark and nasty that normal people couldn't handle. Whatever the reason, four or five blocks of homes were left empty and forgotten. It was the perfect place for a serial killer and his accomplice to hole up. No one would hear their victims scream.
Aedan had found the place easy enough. Cassadore's directions had been very detailed. She'd made sure to park her car some distance from the house in order to approach it on foot. Darkness had fallen on her drive over and the entire area was completely shrouded in shadows. It gave her a slight advantage.
The house had once been a bright color. Maybe yellow or white. Possibly even a robin's egg blue. Now, it was dull and lifeless. Wide strips of paint hung from the exterior. It looked for all the world like someone had come along and peeled the paint away.The yard was filled with dead grass. She had no doubt it would crunch under foot if she stepped on it. If she dared. Trash had collected in the yard, pushed up against a chain link fence by the wind or clustered together around the taller bits of weeds. Windows had been boarded over, no doubt broken out by vandals at some point. The garage stood back from the house, covered in various shades of spray paint. Someone had used the walls and the door for their own canvas.
Even the dark couldn't hide the air of neglect that surrounded the building. It lived among every single one of the homes she passed. Not even the trees had escaped the lingering pall of misery. Most of them were dying, bare branches reaching toward the sky as if to ask whomever would listen to end their pain. A few were already dead, skeletal branches broken and splintered without care.
Aedan paused outside the house and stared at it. She wasn't sure what she was going to find when she walked through the door. She honestly hoped that Micah was still alive, that Rhia had been correct in her earlier statement. If not, it was going to be so hard to go back to the Circus and tell Minette that she'd failed her. She was pretty sure Minette already mostly hated her. Letting him die at the hands of two unstable serial killers would no doubt finish that off and Minette would completely hate her.
Pushing doubt from her mind, she pulled her Glock from her holster and flicked the safety off. Aedan drew a breath and made her way slowly up the cracked drive. She was careful where she put her feet, careful that she moved as silently as she was able. She found a door that was unlocked without trouble, the knob turning easily in her grasp. It took a bit of time and effort to make sure she opened the door slowly. The last thing she wanted to do was notify people of her arrival.
The door let her into a small mudroom. Trash was crowded into the corners of the room and the air smelled of dirt and decay. Aedan took a moment to listen, trying to find sounds of life in the empty house. It was hard, given the door from the mudroom to the house proper was shut. Once again, she took her time opening the panel, making sure that her entrance or footsteps went unheard by anyone who might be in the house. She really, really hoped that there was someone in the house.
The smell was worse when she stepped into the kitchen from the mudroom. She had to stomp down on the urge to gag and made sure she breathed through her mouth instead of her nose. It helped cut down on the stench. At least a little bit.
She stood in the kitchen and listened, ears straining to find some hint of where to start looking. The last thing she wanted to do was go traipsing through the house and give away the fact she was there. She heard nothing. Which meant she had to explore the house.
There were two options available to her. A closed door behind the door she'd just come through suggested that the house had a basement. An open archway in the other corner would no doubt take her through to a dining living area. She sighed softly. Logic said that anyone who was torturing people would be smart and set up shop in the house's basement. It would help keep lights to a minimum. And it would help keep any screams muffled. Especially with a door to close off the stairwell.
Fuck. Why was it always the basement?
Aedan took another breath, mentally steeling herself against what she might find, and headed on silent feet toward the door. Standing next to it, she could see that it was brand new. Someone had recently installed the panel at the top of the stairs. She was willing to bet it was solid wood in an effort to keep the basement as soundproof as possible. She didn't like the implications that came with that bit of effort.
Since the door was so new, the knob turned effortlessly under her hand. There was no sound and she barely caught the tumblers moving in the lock. The door swung open on silent hinges, letting Aedan see the pool of light at the end of the stairs. It was all she could see because the stairs dead ended in front of a wall. She'd be blind until she got to the bottom and looked around the corner. Now all she had to do was hope the stairs didn't squeak...
She was almost to the bottom when she finally heard the first sounds of life in the house. It was a man's voice, raised in anger and filled with the threat of violence. "I told you to change the damn bag, whore! Do you want him to regain full control of himself? What happens then?"
The sound of that voice brought back memories long buried in the recesses of her brain. It sounded very much like one she'd heard a long, long time ago. Aedan frowned and forced the comparison aside. Pushed the memories back into the darkness and locked them there. Focused her energy on saving Micah before they could hurt him any further.
There was some murmuring, so soft Aedan couldn't hear words. But she could tell the voice was a woman's and there was a hint of defiance in it. Curious. Maybe there was hope after all.
She took another step down, inching ever closer to the bottom of the stairs. The sound of the voices told her that they were located somewhere near the bottom of the stairs. That meant Aedan would have to be careful when she finally stepped off the last step. She wished for a moment that her powers would offer her an advantage here. But calling up a zombie would attract attention. And she couldn't see through the zombie's eyes so the only benefit it would have would be an immediate attack. She was going to have to be stealthy.
When she stood on the last step, she risked a look around the corner and found there was a large open area that was lit by bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. The place was filled with bedding and empty food containers and papers. A television was in one corner, on but with the sound muted. Aedan could see it was some news report that looked to be a few days or possibly even weeks old.
The corner nearest her was sectioned off into an actual room, with walls that reached the ceiling. The doorway must have been facing the rest of the basement because Aedan couldn't see it. She stepped around the edge of the wall into the basement proper, then put her back up against the wall so that she could make her way to the room in the corner without anyone being able to come up behind her in surprise.
"You aren't here to think. You're here because this is the only way to lift the taint of evil from your soul. Now do as I say or else!" the man's voice filled the basement.
"I don't want to hurt him," the woman's said, voice soft with pain and fear.
"I don't care. Do as I say! Now!"
"No. I'm not going to help you with this anymore. I'm going to turn myself in to the police," she said, voice much steadier this time. Now filled with strength and resolution. "I'm going to tell them everything we've done."
"I don't fucking thing so, whore." There was the meaty sound of a fist striking flesh to accompany those words. Aedan came around the corner to see the opening into the room. She had a very limited view and didn't see anyone through it. But she could see shining implements hanging off the wall, looking ominous and evil. It was now or never.
She inched her way to the open door, stopped just before the frame, and risked a quick glance into the room. In that brief flash, she saw the male perpetrator with his back to her. The woman was between him and Micah. And that quick glance, she'd seen that Rhia's vision was true. Micah was nailed to a crude looking cross with silver spikes with a crown of silver coated thorns sat on his head. Mother fucker.
"Go ahead and hit me again. It'll be the last thing you ever do. I'm stronger than you. I can take you down." The woman sounded much more certain this time, her confidence growing with every word she spoke.
"Where are you getting these ridiculous ideas, whore? Who's been filling your head with nonsense?" the man asked. There was silence a moment. "Ah. I see. He's been filling your head with all this shit. No doubt he's been begging you to help him. Offering to help you in exchange. Did he tell you he could protect you? Don't you see what he's trying to do? He's trying to turn you against me."
"He's showing me the truth! There's nothing wrong with me! Everything you've told me has been a lie! All of it! I'm not going to listen to you anymore!"
"If you aren't with me, whore, you're against me," the man announced. There was deadly intent in his voice. Aedan drew a breath and said a quick prayer to anyone who might be listening. Then she raised her weapon and stepped into the doorway. "And anyone against me has to die."
She was just in time to see him sink a blade into the woman's stomach. Her eyes went wide, hands reaching out blindly for something to hold on to. One hand caught his throat and squeezed, fingers working at crushing his windpipe. The other hand flailed briefly, then seemed to find what it was looking for. Her fingers curled around a thin line Aedan hadn't seen before and tugged. There was a soft grunt from Micah, then tape gave way and the IV that had been taped to his arm pulled free. The girl smiled, blood already staining her lips, and let her gaze return to the man's face. "See if you can fight them both off," she whispered.
"Bitch!" the man snarled. His arm pulled back just a bit, then shoved forward again. The woman made a noise of pain as the knife bit deeper. Then he pulled the blade free and used his empty hand to push her away from him. She toppled to the floor, hands seeking out the wound in her belly as if to stem the flow of her blood, and lay still.
"Federal marshal. Drop the knife, asshole. Or I'll put a whole in your head so big, they'll be able to drive a Mack truck through it," Aedan said softly.
The man turned to face her. A manic smile curved his lips up. The hand holding the knife was bloodied. His other hand was up and empty. But she could tell that he had no plans on giving up that easily. "But isn't that what you came here for, officer?" he asked. "To stop me. To bring me to justice? Didn't you say judgement day was coming?"
"I did. I'm glad you got the message. Have you repented yet?"
He made a face at that and shook his head. "I have nothing to repent for. I am not the sinner here. I am righteous in my duties."
"Maybe in your world. But here in the real world, the police look at what you've done as cold blooded murder. You can either give yourself up and go to jail, of you can make a move and die. I don't care what option you chose."
"What if I decide to chose option three?"
"And what is option three?"
His empty hand moved and the table was suddenly upended. All kinds of bladed implements were flying at her. Aedan ducked to avoid being injured. Heard the sound of a low grunt. Listened to all of his torture devices strike the wall behind her. When she stood, the blade he'd just held was sticking out of Micah's abdomen and the man was scurrying up a low set of stairs behind the cross.
She holstered the gun even as she rose to her feet. It only took a handful of steps to reach Micah. His eyes were open, clouded with pain, and focused on her. "Go after him," he whispered. "Take the knife out and go after him."
"But..." she started, only to have him glare her into silence.
"I'll live. Stop him." His words were an order, and Aedan was surprised that he could muster the energy to put it in there. He had to have been through hell. "Just do it."
Aedan was conflicted. She didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to leave him. But she wanted to catch the son of a bitch and let him know that she was done with his shit. Micah was giving her the opportunity. She had to take it. As gently as she could, she put her hand on the handle of the knife. Micah made a noise that said it hurt. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, apologizing for more than just removing the blade. Then she tugged it free. Micah's scream of pain ripped through her and steeled her resolve. She hurried toward the stairs to chase after a soon to be dead man.
The stairs took her up and out into the house's backyard. There was no sight of her prey. Aedan stopped to take a moment and let her senses spread out before her. Her necromancy told her that there were ghosts lingering here and there, though she couldn't see them. There were also bodies buried here and there, the area a perfect place to hide murder victims. There were enough bodies that she could raise a small army if she wanted. She put that idea on the back burner and instead went back to the ghosts. The zombies would be unable to tell her anything. The ghosts, however...
It took a moment, but she finally felt a spot where the ghosts were agitated. They'd been disturbed and the didn't like it. Aedan smiled and started in that direction. Unless he left the area, he wouldn't be able to hide from her. And even then, it wasn't a safe bet that he could manage to elude her. There were markers of the dead everywhere.
Knife in hand, Aedan followed the trail of disturbed, angry ghosts. There was no moon, leaving the terrain around her cast in deep shadows. She wouldn't be able to see him if he was hiding so she had to rely on the ghosts to help her find him. And they were eager to do so, moving up to press close and follow along with her. They whispered in her ear and pointed her in the right direction. They offered her their strength and solace.
He was hiding in a shed three yards over, obviously hoping that she'd collect Micah and go and leave him to his mad plans. He was going to be so disappointed when he realized that she wasn't going to let him live much longer. Maybe he could push his accomplice around, but he couldn't do the same to her. And he'd find out what happened if he tried. Taking a second to center herself, Aedan squatted down and put a hand on the ground. Power flowed from her hand into the earth and, in no time at all, a trio of zombies stood around the shed. Waiting.
Aedan rose. "You can come out, murderer. I know you're in there. Your time is up. We're going to end this now."
"If that's what you want," he responded. A moment later, he launched himself from the shed and right at her. Aedan felt the tip of the blade he held bite into her arm even as she was shifting out of the way. She brought her own blade up and let it bite into the meat of his thigh. "You haven't got it in you, bitch. You won't kill me. You're a cop. You have a code that you have to follow."
"I'm a cop, yes. But I'm not wearing my badge tonight, fuckwad. I left it at home. Tonight, I'm merely a private citizen. And you're going to die by my hand." She made sure to smile at him.
"I don't believe you," he returned.
There's a fire within,
Hate to admit it, but I always knew
Violence and sin
Keeps me fearless
Keeps me from being...
You...
Aedan's smile widened. Then she lunged forward.
~*~*~*~*~
The house was abandoned. Just like the entire neighborhood was abandoned. But there was light shining up the stairs from the basement when there shouldn't have been, letting Edward know he was in the right place. He glanced at the group of men behind him, making sure to remind them that he was in charge. It was bad enough Aedan had come here alone. He didn't like that he had a handful of lycanthropes as his backup. He was going to strangle her when he got his hands on her for going off half-cocked like this.
After receiving nods from the men with guns, Edward took point and started down the stairs. He couldn't hear anything, but that meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. His gun was up, safety off and weapon pointed straight ahead. Anyone who dared come around that corner was going to find themselves on the business end of a gun loaded with silver shot. They'd have two about one whole second to prove they were a friend before he pulled the trigger.
He came to a halt on the last step, cast a look over his shoulder, then began moving again. Coming off the steps, he found himself in a large, open basement. He didn't need to look hard to know that this was the lycanthrope killers newest lair. There was an enclosed room to his right. He made a motion that way with one hand before starting forward. He felt more than heard the men behind him spread out, moving the guys with guns away from his back. It made him feel a whole lot better and allowed him to fully concentrate on what he'd find when he entered that room.
He didn't like what he found.
The walls were lined with various implements meant to be used to torture people. Every single one of them had been coated in silver, telling everyone present that the murderers had planned on killing more lycanthropes. The floor at his feet was littered with several types of blades, a wooden table on its side not far from him. The concrete was spattered and stained with blood.
A woman was on her back on the floor, bleeding heavily out of a wound in her belly. Her eyes were closed and it didn't appear that she was breathing. He turned his attention away from her to study the only other person in the room. Micah was strung up on a crude looking cross. His hands and his feet had been nailed to the wood in the same manner he'd seen depicted in every crucifixion image ever painted. A crown of thorns, shining silver in the overhead light, sat upon his head. Blood caked his hair, painted his face, and trailed down his torso and legs. There were red spots on his skin that looked like healing scars. And there was a fresh knife wound in his gut. He was going to die, and soon, if they didn't get him out of there.
"Jesus Christ," Richard breathed from behind Edward.
"Exactly," Edward nodded. "Let's get him down."
"The girl is still breathing," Raphael said. Edward turned to see the rat king was kneeling over the woman, fingers pressed to her throat. "She's barely alive. What do we do with her?"
"We take her with us and heal her. Then we find out why she and her psycho partner did this," Richard replied. Raphael nodded and motioned for two of his rats to deal with the girl. He came over to where Edward stood before the cross and glanced from Death to Richard. "He's going to need time to recover. I don't know. It looks bad. We might need Dr. Lillian."
"She's already at the Circus. I sent her ahead when I got the call. How do we proceed?" Raphael asked.
"Feet first. Then hands. Then we undo the cuffs and the collar. We lower him gently," Edward said. He reached up and carefully removed the crown of thorns. The tips were liberally coated in blood. Muttering a curse, Edward tossed the thing aside and went in search of a hammer to remove the silver spikes from Micah's hands and feet.
It was slow going. They were trying hard to get Micah down without causing any unnecessary pain. But every time they jostled him, the man moaned softly. Finally, after what felt like an age, they'd lowered Micah to the floor and Richard was checking his vitals. "He's alive. Barely. There's silver under his skin. I can smell it. He needs to push it out. He'll be able to shift and heal then."
"Is he capable of doing those things?" Edward asked. He knew enough about the lycanthropes to know that it was possible Micah would need help to accomplish the things Richard was talking about.
"Possibly. He is Nimir-Raj. He's powerful. Then again, he's suffered so much abuse, he might need help," Raphael said, studying Micah's wounds intently. "Richard and I could attempt to force the change. It wouldn't be pretty or easy."
Edward considered it a moment, then nodded his head. "Do whatever needs to be done. We need to take him home alive and in one piece. I know Minette would appreciate it. And I don't think Aedan would let any of us live it down if we didn't try."
"Aedan." Micah's voice was faint, a whisper of sound that was barely audible in the silence of the room. Green eyes bright with pain found Edward's face. One of Micah's hands, mangled and bruised, reached out to try and take hold of Edward's coat sleeve. The other hand pointed to the back of the room, where a set of stairs disappeared up into the darkness. Edward took it to mean that the other member of the pair and escaped and Aedan had gone off, alone in the dark, to find him.
Fucking great.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-02-26 03:39 am (UTC)r,hkew"ASB'f:rbhn;al/tehy;l4t3eg;l5rehleqahD%R
EHJr4yh
Yeah. My brain is broke. Thank you....EVIL ONE!!! ;-)
(*applauds anyway*)
(no subject)
Date: 2018-02-26 05:01 am (UTC)thanks for reading
.:muah:.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-02-26 08:42 pm (UTC)Poor Micah. *sigh*
And Edward. Fuck. Shit is about to get real.
Kudos, hon!
(no subject)
Date: 2018-02-26 11:44 pm (UTC)i had a much more intense thing between Minette and Aedan in my head. but, alas. it did not work out that way when i started writing. perhaps this isn't a bad thing since we did get to see so much stuff going on.
it is not wrong at all that you get excited to see Rhia. i am the same way with my Sues. even if its in my own damn fic! but now you have some context for the visions Rhia had earlier (Visions from Hell)
i think Aedan is always wandering around half cocked. the girl just can't find a groove to fit into or whatever. you know that her actions will not pass without someone chewing on her ass. could even be several someones. we'll see how that goes. you and Rhia are well within your rights to be pissed off at her.
Cassadore's reasons will be revealed at a later date. i promise. also, did you notice the tension between Aedan and Cassadore? i do not know what the hell is up with that. but... wow.
poor Micah will be fine after some rest and maybe some raw meat. dunno. but he'll be okay. physically. we'll see if anything happens mentally.
yeah. Edward. shit is very much about to get real.
glad you enjoyed, sweetie. thanks for taking the time to read.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-02-27 12:06 am (UTC)I feel like I should scold you for thanking me for taking the time to read your stuff. Like, it's a chore or something. It's not. It's my pleasure, believe me. But I won't scold you, because I know you're just being gracious and appreciative and I love you. *kissy-kissy*
Of course Cassadore has his reasons, and - YES - I didn't notice the tension between them. Maybe they'll let you in on WTF that was about someday.
Context is always nice. Of course I had to go back and re-read that bit just to refresh my memory because, you know ... my memory is shit.
Yay! It's my Sue. *waves pom-poms* Yeah, I'm hopeless. I get ridiculously giddy over it.
It is NOT a hot mess. *glowers at you*
(no subject)
Date: 2018-02-27 12:40 am (UTC)we'll see if they let me in on it. i might have a clue. but its possible they'll never tell. and i do know what Cassadore's reasons are. i think you'll kind of like them
well, if it makes you feel better, i went back and referenced the vision in that chapter so i was sure i got it right.
i'm right there with you. sometimes, when i reread something someone else wrote, i will do so specifically to read the parts with my Sue in them.
trust me. it feels like a hot mess. because it was just so everywhere
(no subject)
Date: 2018-02-27 01:23 pm (UTC)I noticed it has become a habit. I figure it comes from AO3. I do it there too because, yeah, strangers reading my stuff and actually taking the time to comment is still amazing to me. lol
I'm sure I will love whatever Cassadore's reasons are. I just can't wait to find out. Impatient? Who, me? Nah. *whistles*
I still toss around the idea of doing an MSV story every once in a while, but then I remember how long it takes me to write anything and well.... Besides, I'm not sure what 'verse I'd play in. Marvel's been done so much. Maybe HP? At least I know that one. Dammit ... now I've got a Marauder's era MSV bunny nibbling at the back of my brain. *sigh*
(no subject)
Date: 2018-02-27 01:39 pm (UTC)it does come from AO3. the only thing i do there that i don't do here is, after typing out 'thanks for commenting', i add in 'comments are <3' because they really really are.
i'd put it in now, but the reasons come closer to the end of the fic. so... do you want more story or do you want reasons? can't really have both at this point.
i will admit that i think your take on an MSV would be awesome. but i completely understand now wanting to do one because it does take lots of time and effort and i know i get frustrated with myself for taking so long with a chapter that i write in a week. so don't feel bad if you don't ever do one. i'll still love you if it never happens.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-02-27 04:17 pm (UTC)