Immortal Tales #Wattys2020

Chapter Twenty Eight

Emily

Mat took in a breath as if air had come back to his lungs. He stumbled back shivering, away from her. He was clutching at his chest, as if his heart had been ripped open.

Jane was the only one still standing, her brown eyes wide in fear.

-Ok, what the Nature was that?! - the immortal said. -One second you are fine, the next you pass out, and the fragile boy almost gets a heart attack. -

Emily ignored her. Was she still even Emily?

-Mathias - she muttered. -Your name is Mathias Rafael Jones, you are the boy we saved in Central Park. -

Mat's green eyes looked around the room, as if searching for an escape.

-Our paths were already entwined because we saved your life and those dates on your arm ... - her head was pounding with the truth revealed by her previous visions. -One is your date of birth, right? And the other ... -

-My father's - he replied grimly.

Mat had recovered from the pain in his chest and was offering her a hand to get yup. She was afraid to touch him, in case that would spark another vision. Black spots still appeared at the edge of her vision.

Jane looked at his tattoed arm and raised an eyebrow.

-Your father was born in August of 1940? That would make him ... -

-78, or at least that is how old he would be now if he hadn't killed himself- he finished for her, no trace of sarcasm left in his features. -Although, he never looked more than eighteen so it was pretty hard to tell. -

Something at the back of Emily's head kept banging against her mind. This wasn't possible. Mathias was suggesting that his own father had been immortal. The mist people had wanted to take him as a baby, so it was possible that was an plausible explanation. She had seen him being way too young for his age, and yet it was hard to believe.

Immortals didn't roam freely in the world. They were either under the influence of the mist people or exiled, and as far as they knew, there were only four of them, all in that house.

Isaac and Andre had appeared in the room. She had been too distracted in her own thoughts to realise it.

Andre's hand was holding Isaac's tight.

-The baby I almost took. - Isaac said distant, his gaze focused on Mathias. -It was during the bombardment of Coventry, remember? November 1940. He must have survived the war. -

Mat's eyes were hurt, reliving a past he thought he had left behind. He had known his father was an immortal, just like them. After they had saved him, Emily had never the baby a second thought. She just assumed he would live happily ever after. But how could you be happy, all alone in the world whilst the people he loved died?

Mat had chosen not to tell them, maybe because he though they would not have trusted him enough. What was he really doing with them? Why offering his help at all?

-Look, his machine works - said Jane. -And if he had any hurtful intentions he would have killed Emily two weeks ago and sided with the mist people. It could be a complicated plot to make us trust him, but I doubt his two neurons could cope with such effort. -

Emily doubted it, the guy was borderline a genius. But she did agree with Jane's message.

The girl saw her friends' paths dividing, awaiting for a choice. No one knew of her visions and yet the were all looking at her for a final answer. Mathias didn't look scared, but his emotions were wild with colours, a mixture of sadness, hope and fear. He did not want to be left behind.

-I say we can trust him - she said finally.

The tension stayed with the as they moved to the living room, looking at the documents she had brought home the night before. Until the machine was ready to run, those were all they had.

Mathias sat next to her around the kitchen table, their knees brushing against each other. Emily still felt the pull of the threads connecting their heart, and wondered if it was her vision that triggered Mat's pain earlier. She had pulled a connection with his past.

The girl wasn't sure on how to use this magic, but she knew she had been able to do so because of their pre-existent bond, created when she saved him. Did that mean that she could access all people's pasts? Or their futures? Wasn't that mist people were capable of?

She tried not to think about it.

-What do you have for us Luz? - he asked instead, his familiar grin back on.

The girl spread the documents on the table.

Three murders had occurred in the past week in Chicago, all under similar and peculiar circumstances. The first shot was from 6 days ago, of a woman named Bella Ghys, a Romanian immigrant opera singer. Her corpse had been found in the Upper East Side, on the pavement. One person was missing from the singing crew, Fausto Ghys, the woman's brother. He was the main suspect until he too, was found dead in a similar manner. The lead had gone cold for a few days, until a third murder occurred. The singer's tailor was found dead. This time a woman saw a man with brown eyes and brown hair walking away.

-All the killings were done near the Coast - suggestead Jane. - Maybe we can look there? -

-I think it would be easier to find a motif - objected Mat.

The girl looked over the pictures again. The story didn't seem complete. The woman and her brother might have shared a secret, but how could the tailor know about it? And what could a singer possibly know that could cost her death?

-The Opera House - she said, an idea forming in her head. - The singer must have had reserved tickets for her family or friends. -

Andre looked though the papers. - 14B and C - she confirmed.

-What if while they were there they overheard something valuable and then told the singer? - Emily offered.

Isaac nodded. -It wouldn't be the first time in history where the Opera is a place to exchange secrets between aristocrats. -

-The aristocats? - Mat asked confused. -Anyways, my machine will have finished loading in a couple of days. I can get us tickets for the Opera in the meanwhile, but we need someone to stay behind to check it processes in the right way. My best guess would be the pregnant lady. -

Andre didn't seem enthusiastic about it, but did not say anything.

Jane faked a sob. -Great so I am guessing I am stuck with Isaac as my fake date? I will bore to death! - she complained, despite Isaac's scowl. - Can I at least slap his ass a couple of times? For the sake of the act of course. -

Andre's growl echoed in the room.

-I would take that as a no - murmured Mathias, stupor clear in his face.

Maybe he hadn't realised how much mortals differed from immortals. Maybe he wouldn't try to kiss her again after that.

Not that it mattered.

She readied herself for another battle.