VERMON
By morning, mom had blurted out all the things she knew about the Deshayes bloodline. She even had some old articles which I flicked through with interest and intrigue. In fact, I was surprised to know one girl from the bloodline once lived too close to our town.
No wonder.
I was never interested in the clan business so they asked everyone to stop telling me the important details. They were hypocrites by blood. Even as a child, I saw the greed for power in their eyes.
"I know someone who can help. He's a good guy." She offered, seeing the mess that was my bed right now. There were papers every freaking where.
Interesting. "Really?"
"Yes, I have known him since forever. He's not from here but he helps out from time to time. I think you've already met him." I always tried to forget about these people so it's highly unlikely I'd still want to remember. But mom didn't need to know that.
"Fine." I stood up, gathering the articles that seemed important. "Where do I find this guy?"
"Ok, don't be mad. I may have already called him and told him about your problem?"
I glanced up, seeing the guilty smile on her face. I couldn't stop the chuckle. "Mom, I'm not mad. I can never be mad at you."
"Oh, thank God."
When I wanted to know more, she started telling me how we always didn't belong to the Red clan. Apparently, my great grandparents from mom's side belonged to another clan near the town. But since the place was destroyed, the survivors scattered around other clans and we got into this one.
Talk about bad luck.
"Also, can you ask him if the spell worked? It's for some plan B, whatever that means." Mom asked with a worn-out smile. Something told me she didn't like revisiting the memories.
"Yes, of course. But what spell are we talking about? I thought we have a strict no practicing magic for outsider's rules."
"I owe him a lot." She shrugged, looking away. As if the truth was more than I could handle. "You think this clan gives a shit for us? They don't. The only reason they haven't kick us out because of that man. He helped us when I married your father. So when he asked me to close the gate of hell...I couldn't walk away."
Close the gate of hell...
Something like guilt crashed me when she talked. I wanted to be like her once I grew up. Not whatever fucked up version of a warlock I was. Burring those thoughts, I nodded. "I will surely ask him about that spell."
With that, I was marching out of the house faster than I ever ran. As far as I knew, Aaron was taking a nap after pulling an all nighter so it was easier for me to sneak out without his ass following me around. I was thankful for the smallest miracles because what do we know? Byron already left to New Orleans of all places. If I was being tactical, he was desperate, trying to find anyone to help him.
"You were looking for me?"
Startled, I turned around to see a man around in his mid-twenties. The man was freakishly tall, hell, even taller than me. He had a mop of chestnut hair styled into a spike and he was looking at me in a curious manner. Whatever he must have found, made him smile brightly and that's when I noticed he had a ring pierced on his lips.
"Vermon?" The man said, his voice soft yet firm. "We finally meet again."
I could remember some fleeting moments when I was a child. This man...I knew him from somewhere. But this was impossible. Even back then he looked exactly like this. There's no way I could miss that lip ring as this one was the only man to wear jewelry between all of our clan members.
Don't just look at it, look through it. Try to understand...
"Zedkiel."
***
5132
"Um miss, can I help you?"
I glanced up from the new leaflet, watching the guy behind the reception. He was short and had a cut on his cheekbone. Rumors had it that he was also a warlock.
"Oh yes, you can. I believe someone named Emie was staying here?" I whispered sweetly. It only took two phone calls to 5133 for her to figure out where this 'Hannah' used to teach. Her own little shop named, 'The Rune' where they sold herbs and things alike. I was really impressed with their collection. Like really really impressed. But they didn't hold any real value to me.
After flipping some pages from the register, he shook his head. "Sorry miss, I don't think so."
Dammit.
"Do you still need some help?" He said, clearly annoyed at me for my lack of response.
"Yes. Why don't you give me that-" I pointed at the round-looking thing. "Just that."
His eyes narrowed for some reason. "You mean the crystals?"
"Yes, of course." I smiled, feeling his scrutiny even from here. Once he was gone, I looked through the register book but there was no one named Emie. I almost gave up but then I noticed it was only months ago that they changed the book. Holy hell.
"Here, miss. Your crystals. It will only cost-" He started but I cut him off with a glare.
His eyes widened as I tried hard not to show my Reaper side. But when I finally opened my mouth, I knew I sounded exactly when I was ready to take souls. "I need the old registers...like right now,"
"But this store's owner said not to look through the old things! Sorry I can't help you." It wasn't clear if he was just brutally loyal to his leader or was afraid of the woman but I was this close to finding my sister. If he was the one standing in my way?
I had no problem removing him from it.
"Call Hannah or tell me where she is," I demanded, slamming my fist on the counter. He jolted back at the force. "Tell me now or help me, God..."
"In Norcia, Italy. I don't think you'll find her whereabouts. They change places every now and then so give up on finding her. You are being inconsiderate."
A new voice replied instead of him. I could feel whoever was behind me was smug about it. Gritting my teeth, I turned, expecting to see someone like Byron but it was a middle-aged woman with a smile on her face.
"And who the hell are you?"
Her smile brightened. "Also rude. You two definitely have nothing in common."
Well, damn. She might as well have slapped me in the face. Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "Or so I keep hearing about. Now, who are you if you're not Hannah."
"Kiam, pack your things and go upstairs. Make sure you close the shop behind you. We have a guest." Kiam, looked like he wanted to rip my head apart by the way he glared before stomping his way upstairs. I had half the mind to ask if he needed Snickers but something told me, he'd really go for my heart next.
I brought my attention to the woman instead. "So, who are you?"
"Chiara, Hannah's cousin. I'm handling the shop since she left. You are right to ask questions, I guess. She tried to look for you, you know, she really did. Your sister was also looking for you. But there was no sight of you anywhere-"
"I was in a sanatorium." If they really tried, they'd have found me but they didn't. I couldn't even hold them responsible. "Where's my sister then?"
She paused, and I could hear her heart beating faster than normal. "This will look like a big bomb-dropping but both your mother and sister died."
I heard her.
But I just stared and stared.
Dead, they were dead. DEAD. Just like Zach was.
As in dust to dust, ashes to ashes. And out of everything, I giggled. Hahaha. Little Lana had no one left to mock perfection.
"You're lying."
"I have no reason to lie. Most of the witches know what happened after the souls returned." By souls, she had to mean souls like Zach. Dammit.
"Hey." The woman touched my shoulder and by the look in her eyes, she waited quite a while for me to stop giggling. "Anyone would be sad after knowing that but I can show you ways you can find closure. In fact, I just remembered something. Your mother had a place not far from here. She had a great collection of things. As her daughter, you should inherit it. See if you like something."
I stood up, surprisingly wobbly to even step back. She watched me like one would to a rabid animal but I wasn't about to attack her. Oh, no. I had better things to do. Like turning myself in.
"I need to go," I said to the shoes, not looking up to see her reaction. "Thanks for telling me the truth."
I walked out, not feeling a damn thing.
VERMON
"You're telling me you hid evidence that could potentially land that girl in prison?"
"Regrettably so, yes." I was expecting Zedkiel to show his disappointment just like mom did but it seemed like the leader of the Moon clan just loved to surprise people.
"You did the right thing." He chuckled when I gave him a look that said otherwise.
"No, really. You would've damned an innocent if you didn't." He stated firmly. "I never knew she was involved or I would've stepped in sooner. What is her name again?"
"Lana," I whispered, still remembering files after files on my desk with the horrified faces looking back at me. Dead, all of them were simply dead.
"And you think she killed those innocent people?"
"I'm not going to talk about the recent incident but the first time she was accused, many witnesses confirmed that it was Lana that night. I didn't even get to do anything to send her to prison. Not a week went by and I heard her mother bailed her out." Funny how I should have seen it coming. "It was my first case where everyone and everything was working against me, neither letting me prove that she was innocent nor guilty, of course, I kept track of it. Based on something found in her home, the case was reopened in two months. The court proved that she wasn't mentally stable. Roth Gill knew Valentine, she made sure instead of a state one, Godfrey Sanatorium was .the only option left for her."
He scoffed. "You detectives and your logics."
"It's my job, Zedkiel." I couldn't help but defend myself. Magic didn't exist in the world I worked in. They only knew logic and facts.
"That's beside the point, how do I think that you know her personally?" I wasn't jealous by any means but shit, sometimes my mind wasn't rational at all.
"That case is too close to my heart, Vermon. Of course, I know her personally." He said with a coy smile that I didn't like too much.
I gritted out. "How?"
"The fire was caused by someone from the Deshayes bloodline you've got that right but it wasn't Lana, I can assure you that much. It was the sister-" He started excitedly only to stop short with a frown. "No, now that I think about it, it was definitely the mother's fault."
"What are you talking about?"
"You see...I'm going to tell you a story. You have heard what it's like to be a Reaper simply from a diary. But I've seen people use that kind of power. These powers come from different feelings. Some have those from envy, rage, or losing someone you love. I knew a girl named Emeline. She was the beloved of Alexei."
He sighed as the name parted from his lips. He sounded so damn sad. "She was a kind girl, a true witch, a pure soul. This clan of yours had it out for her. They wanted to sacrifice her on her nineteenth birthday based on a prophecy. But when she wasn't dead that's when everything started. She could bring dead people back to life. Can you imagine that? But Keisha wanted nothing more than to kill her own kids."
"Was...Is she dead?" Like the way, Zedkiel was talking about this girl...Emeline, he wasn't dancing with joy. "Who are these Alexei and Keisha? And what does it has anything to do with Lana?"
"On the contrary, dear, it has everything to do with Lana. Keisha Deshayes is her real mother. Roth Gill is just a woman who adopted her. Keisha was a manipulative bitch. She had a hunger for all kinds of power. Doesn't matter if it's white or black magic. Keisha was the true monster and yet her cousin Catherine paid the price."
What? "I thought Catherine was Keisha's great-great-grandmother, not cousin?"
He chuckled, rubbing his chest with a look I couldn't detect. "You have no idea how much history had been tampered with within the last few centuries. The Red clan had always dramatics in lying and forging wrong documents. I can assure you that Catherine was really Keisha's cousin. Poor Catherine was hung and burned into a witch trial even if she was only a witch, not a Reaper. But of course, the Red clan doesn't want words to get out that they burned an innocent witch to death."
That I could agree with. The Red clan was always up to no good.
"It was bound to happen that her kids would also bear this dark side. That night...Emeline, Emie came to Memphis, hoping to meet her sister, your suspect Lana but Keisha betrayed her and took her mentor's soul. It caused her to trigger the Reaper curse just as I assume Zachery's death triggered Lana's. So if you are looking for anyone to blame? Emie was the one who set that fire, not Lana."
She was innocent. I didn't even know I was holding my breath until then.
"You still didn't tell me if Emie is alive. Because if she is...I have to report her to the Chief. Too many people have lost their lives that day." At least, it wouldn't be her. If only I could hear it from her mouth...
"She is neither dead nor alive. You see...Keisha had a bad habit of body jumping. Keisha body jumped into her daughter and being the naive girl Emie is...She shoved a dagger into her heart. It took both of them to hell and then we locked the gate with your mother's help. Now, if you want to drag Emie from hell to here, I'm more than happy to assist you." He grinned, showing his teeth.
"That was plan B," I concluded on my own. "My mother's spell?"
"Yes. That boyfriend of hers...Emie might have killed him. I won't deny that." He wondered aloud, startling me. "How did she ever get over that?"
Before I could say something normal like I didn't know or it wasn't my business, I blurted out. "The fuck I know? That son of a bitch is dead, that's all matters."
There was a wary tilt in his face as he observed me almost to the point that I was ready to bolt. Then his face went blank and he shook his head. "Interesting. But whatever you're hoping for, I suggest you stop before you hurt yourself."
And by the way, I just knew what he was implying for...it was already too late.
***
Guys...who have read the first book know that I've included some of the characters from it. Now indirectly you guys know what happened to hell or as plan B was supposed to go according to Lex. It's been locked so no one can get in or out. What do you think about it? And, Dalton has officially joined the group, yay!