The Gate

40. A Story on a Starry Night

"Jane-Anne isn't a registered Forbidden." said Jingfei doubtfully.

"That's because Mrs. Pearce decided to do the unthinkable. She decided to keep her daughter's identity a secret from everyone, including Jane-Anne herself. She did that with the help of a djinn, an encantado, and a siren. The djinn made Jane-Anne forget, the encantado helped Jane-Anne break away from her old life, and the siren..."

Makaya pursed her lips. "The siren helped Jane-Anne heal. She knew how to enter the mind and manipulate it. She learned Jane-Anne's song, and how to get complete control of her without her knowing. That's when the plan formed."

Jingfei nervously reached for her phone.

"What are you doing, Fei? I didn't finish my story." said Makaya.

"You're admitting to manipulating an innocent girl," said Jingfei.

"And? Do you know how many people have manipulated Jane-Anne? You're better off asking who hasn't. Jane-Anne has been used by everyone she has ever met. There's no point in reporting that I did what everyone else has already done. Calm down. Have a fritter."

Jingfei glanced at the fritters, but didn't bother to reach for one. Instead, she crossed her arms, intent on listening to Makaya's confession.

"The siren visited a despicable organization called the Agency and directed them right here. Then, she used Jane-Anne as a yuki onna to kill whoever she saw fit. The siren needed to get the Forbidden scared, and ready to slip up at any moment. If enough of them slipped up, the Agency would get full permission to take the town. Just like the settlers took this place from the Atalka natives. Repetition is history's favorite game, isn't it?"

"You went to the Agency?" Jingfei asked, her voice shaking at the prospect of her worst fear coming to life.

"I did." Makaya confirmed. "It's fine. Just take a deep breath." Her words dripped with a musical perfume that forced Jingfei to obey.

"If all of this is true, and the killer was Mrs. Pearce's daughter, why didn't Mrs. Pearce do anything?" Jingfei asked, more calmly this time.

"Setsuka is a master of denial and deflection. She simultaneously pretended that her daughter was innocent while making sure that no one in the court caught on to what was happening. But, the yuki onna was only part of the siren's plan."

Makaya paused to grab a fritter. She first offered it to Jingfei, who refused. Makaya shrugged, taking a bite.

"The other half of the plan was more complicated, but a lot more fun. It all hinged on Lena Matthews becoming Forbidden. There were several steps. The first was a friendship with Carter Reynolds, accelerated when the siren lulled him into the water. The second was leading her to Atalka Trail with a wolf. All the siren needed was for Jerome Hawke to nudge her in the right direction, and off she went! I have to hand it to Lena, that girl doesn't seem to fear death."

Makaya paused to take another bite before continuing.

"Next, she needed Flora Delaney to kill Lena. Lena had the right predispositions for a dryad. She was already mixed, and there was a tree in her checkup. The siren tried telling Flora point blank that Lena was from the Agency, but Flora didn't believe it. So, the siren got proof in the form of an ID. After that, it took a little push from Jane-Anne, and  Flora did what was needed to be done. Of course, the siren made sure that Jane-Anne killed Flora as well. She was a loose end."

As Makaya spoke, Jingfei had no choice but to listen. Makaya's earlier words had placed a spell on her, and she couldn't fight it. Makaya seemed unbothered by Jingfei's restlessness.

"The siren let Lena do her detective thing, poking around for the yuki onna. She didn't expect her to find Fuyuko, but it doesn't matter now. You see, the siren helped the Agency obtain a recording of the most recent Forbidden meeting, and they're on their way now. The mission is done. The last moments of the siren's life are already written in the stars, unchangeable."

"How did you know what would happen at the Forbidden meeting?" Jingfei asked. "No one knew how that was going to unfold."

"Are you kidding?" Makaya asked. "I orchestrated the entire thing. All I had to do was tell Setsuka that I saw a wolf in Lena's checkup and she could present a werewolf to the court. I had pushed Lena and Jerome together a while ago, so I figured that everyone would find Aaliyah soon enough. Then, all I had to do was add a yuki onna and the most beautiful chaos ensued. It was more than enough evidence for the Agency. Rumor has it they're bringing every single man to this small town. No one is going to escape, not even us."

"Why would you want that?" Jingfei asked.

"I want it simply because I can," said Makaya. "We are cursed with power and powerlessness at the same time. If I could change that and exercise my own will in this world, then why shouldn't I?"

"Because exercising your will is going to hurt everyone. It will kill you." Jingfei answered.

"Exactly. But I get to die knowing that I have control over it. No other Forbidden gets to say the same." said Makaya.

"Is it really worth this entire town?" Jingfei asked.

"You don't know how I died. Having a say in my own mortality is worth it." Makaya hissed.

"Fine, Makaya." said Jingfei. "How did you die?"

At this, Makaya's face relaxed into a slow smile. "So chatty so suddenly. Why don't you try a fritter, Jingfei? It's a special recipe. I learned it from my time in Georgia." Her voice sang with a power that Jingfei couldn't fight.

Unable to resist the voice of a siren, Jingfei took a bite of a fritter and chewed slowly. She stared at Makaya in apprehension, wondering what would happen to her.

"Don't worry, Fei. They're not poison. Unless you consider peach a poison." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I almost forgot that the Jiangshi can be killed with peach wood. Ingesting the peach itself shouldn't be good for you."

At her words, Jingfei collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

"So dramatic." Makaya murmured. "Don't worry Honey, it won't kill you. I don't think. It's for the best. You were a loose end."

Makaya stepped over Jingfei's body and found the old radio she kept in the security booth. She smiled to see it still there, untouched. Makaya turned on the radio, already knowing the song that would play.

Blue skies, smiling at me...

A/N: I don't like switching POVs midchapter, but I couldn't resist having a nice villain monologue. I know that everyone noticed that something was off about Makaya, and you were correct!

QOTD: If you had the option to punch Mr. Matthews or Makaya in the face, who would you pick and why?