"What you mean, 'no'?! I'm his partner, you jerk! Let me through!"
The security guard stared at Whynnie with obvious boredom in his eyes as two others held her back. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but he's only requested to see one guest, and it's not you," the guard reiterated. "We'll let you know if he asks for you. Thank you and goodbye."
Whynnie pulled her arms out of the guards' grips and harrumphed. "I'll be back," she snapped, pointing at the head security guard before spinning on a heel and storming out of the penitentiary.
Aphrodite floated into the cell as the door slid open, nodding to the guards. "Thank you, darlings," she told them. "Now give us some privacy, would you?"
"The conversation will be monitored, ma'am," one of the guards replied. "And if he does anything deemed threatening, we'll be stepping in."
Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Understood. Now shoo."
The guards stepped back, and the door closed behind Aphrodite.
The goddess of love stared at Delvis Billiard, who sat on his cot with his head in his hands. "My, my, my," she purred. "You really jumped the gun, didn't you?"
"I killed someone," Delvis mumbled into his hands. "With my bare hands. Because of what you did to me."
"Hand," Aphrodite corrected him. "Your bare hand. You only used one—which, admittedly, is quite impressive."
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH," Delvis hissed, lifting his head as his eyes turned black-and-pink with fury. "Don't you DARE try to make this sound like some kind of victory! I was USED like a PUPPET to MURDER SOMEONE!"
"Oh, yes. A Faithful cultist." Aphrodite gave Delvis a mocking pout. "Such a tragedy. Now before you try anything funny," she added, raising a finger as Delvis leapt to his feet in a rage, "remember that you are currently in the Safe Haven Penitentiary, surrounded by trained guards. And keep in mind that you are standing before a goddess, who existed long before you were even a thought."
Delvis hesitated before slowly sitting back down, his expression dark.
"Good boy." Aphrodite crossed her arms. "Now tell me, darling: why the summons? If there was anyone's presence you requested, I thought for sure it would be Whynnie's."
"I want you to tell me how it happened," Delvis answered before Aphrodite finished speaking. "Tell me how Veronika was able to take control of my body and use me to carry out her d--- Purge!" He spat out the final word angrily, glaring at his employer.
"Of course." Aphrodite dipped her head. "You are currently employing the ability known as 'cardiosynchrony'—a coin termed by yours truly, trademark pending. This ability is very powerful, and if used without caution, it can be reversed."
"How?" Delvis asked.
"Someone with more focus, more willpower, could override the original user's ability to control it," Aphrodite explained. "In this case, that's exactly what Veronika did to you."
"Is there a way to sever our connection?" Delvis inquired desperately. "I refuse to let that happen again!"
"You want to sever the connection?" Aphrodite smiled in amusement. "Let her go."
"Who, Veronika? Absolutely not," Delvis snapped. "I'm not letting go of her until she's dead. There has to be another—"
"Not Veronika."
Delvis stopped, perplexed. "What?"
"You heard me, Detective," Aphrodite responded coolly. "Veronika is not your problem." She floated closer, her eyes narrowing. "It's Alice Jenkins."
Delvis recoiled, shock and disbelief written all over his face. "What?" he whispered.
"Yes, that's right, Detective. It's Jenkins," Aphrodite repeated. "You refuse to let her go, and therefore you cannot let your obsession with Veronika dissipate. And personally, I have no qualms with that. The stronger your control over the cardiosync becomes, the more likely you are to catch her. I'd much rather have her dead or behind bars than out and about, slaughtering potential customers."
"Wait, wait, wait," Delvis broke in, squeezing his eyes shut and rubbing his temples. "You're telling me I have to let Alice go to break this bond?"
Aphrodite blinked. "Well... yes," she confirmed. "She's gone, Detective. And no amount of pining can bring her back."
Delvis fell silent at that, slumping on his cot.
Aphrodite waited a few moments, tapping her fingertips together. Then she asked, "Will that be all?"
Delvis sighed. "You got any idea how long I'll be in here?"
"Not very, once everything's sorted out in court," Aphrodite responded. "I'll testify on your behalf—let everyone know that you weren't in control when Lox was murdered. You should be out in, oh, a few weeks or so."
"Great," Delvis muttered. "Some more time to myself is just what I need."
Aphrodite frowned. "You could always invite some... company," she suggested.
Delvis chuckled ruefully. "You mean Whynnie?" he guessed. "Yeah, I... I don't think so. I don't... I don't want to talk to her."
"What?" Aphrodite said, perhaps more sharply than she intended. "Why not?"
Delvis met Aphrodite's eyes, his expression growing serious. "It's barely been two months since my fiancée died," he answered evenly. "And I let Whynnie walk into my life with barely a second thought. She made me laugh, made me smile, and—and made me feel again." He shook his head slowly. "I don't want that. Not yet. Not until I've done what I need to do."
"That sounds both unhealthy and unwise," Aphrodite warned. "You may end up destroying yourself before you ever lay a finger on Veronika."
"I'll take my chances," Delvis snapped. "But I won't feel like how I felt with Alice... until her death is paid for in blood." His voice changed as he spoke the final phrase, his mouth twisting in a snarl as he tilted his head. "You understand, don't you... Mother?"
Silence filled the cell again.
Then Aphrodite's lips curled into a smile, and she cupped Delvis's face in her hands. "Oh, yes, my darling boy," she murmured. "I understand completely. But perhaps in this quest of yours... you will find love as well as vengeance." She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to Billiard's. "Love is the only way you will be made whole again," she breathed.
Delvis (?) closed his eyes (which had turned black-and-pink) as well. "I... yes, Mother," he mumbled. "I... I will love again."
"Good boy." Aphrodite pulled back and patted Delvis's cheeks before releasing him and floating backward, watching as his eyes returned to normal.
"So you get what I'm saying, right?" Delvis went on, straightening up, completely oblivious to what had just happened. "I can't be with Whynnie—not while I'm hunting Veronika. I won't let myself... I won't..." He trailed off, searching for words, before sighing and letting his hands fall to his thighs. "I can't fall in love again," he finished quietly.
Aphrodite scanned his eyes and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Very well, Detective," she said at last. "Carry on in the power of your broken heart." She turned to leave, but paused as the doors slid open and looked over her shoulder. "But I assure you," she added, "the power of one mended is far stronger."
Delvis scowled as Aphrodite left the cell.
"I... I don't understand."
Veronika looked around at the Elders in confusion, unease making her insides churn. "You're moving me?" she asked nervously. "But vhy? Haff I done somezing wrong? If so, I vill right it!"
"It's not that, Lady Veronika," Leeson told her soothingly. The Apostle stood in the midst of the Elders, his hands folded before him as usual. "Covering up your connection to us has put an extra strain on our public relations," he explained. "We've had to denounce the Faithful's message to us, deny all connections to that mess in the Animal District, and condemn the killings of the targets in an outrageously short span of time, and that's aroused suspicions havenwide. So for the time being, the presbytery have come to the conclusion that it would be for the best if you were... hrm... shuffled from temple to temple in order to, shall we say, lighten our load."
"It's not like you will miss anyone here, is it?" one of the Elders piped up with a chuckle. "You don't really know any of them, after all. And that's for the best, of course. Fellowship, in your case, may be the greatest hindrance to your work."
Veronika's eyes darted to her left, where a company of Crusaders—including Lady Marli, Lady Sonya, and Sir Pablo—stood. Marli kept her eyes on the ground, while Sonya and Pablo both gave Veronika apologetic gazes.
"This won't be an issue for you, will it?" Leeson pressed, leaning slightly to meet Veronika's eyes again.
"...Nein," Veronika replied after a beat. "I... I vill be alright."
"Fantastic!" Leeson gushed. "Now, we understand that you'll be bedridden for a few more weeks due to those broken bones of yours, so you can stay until you've healed. Your lack of activity during that period will work to alleviate pressure from the authorities as well."
"Could that be an alternative?"
Every head in the room turned as Sir Pablo spoke up. "Excuse me?" Leeson asked, his grin growing somewhat tighter.
"An alternative," Pablo repeated. "Instead of, y'know, shipping her off to other temples, we could just have longer rest periods between her Purges. Having her carry them out one after the other might've contributed to—"
"The presbytery," Leeson interrupted, his words clipped, "has spoken, Brother. We need the Devourer working as often as possible, whenever she is able. Prolonged periods of inactivity are not an option."
Pablo set his lips in a thin line and nodded stiffly. "Yes, Apostle. It was just a suggestion."
"Keep your suggestions to yourself," Leeson snarled, his grin disappearing entirely. "You are a Crusader, not an Elder. Leave the decisions to those who know how to make them, understand?"
Lady Sonya glanced at Sir Pablo's hand as it tightened into a fist. "Yes, Apostle," he muttered through gritted teeth.
"Hmph." Leeson's grin returned as he turned back to Veronika, who had cast a concerned look in Pablo's direction before meeting the Apostle's gaze again. "Take heart, dear Sister," he purred. "Once you are back to form, you can try your hand at the arthrogon again."
"Ja," Veronika replied quietly. "Okay."
"In the meantime," Leeson went on, extending a paw backward and bringing it forth again when an Elder placed a file in it, "you can study up on some, mm... mutual allies of the Guiding Light."
Veronika raised an eyebrow and took the file. "Vhat do you mean?"
"This file was sent to us by a longtime follower of the Saved who also happens to be an employee of the company known as the META Corporation," Leeson responded, placing his hands behind his back. "It should provide some insight into the subjects of your research."
"Ja? And just who are zese subjects?" Veronika asked as she opened the file.
Leeson's grin widened, and he breathed, "They call themselves... the Malakhites."
Delvis Billiard spent four months in jail after a series of delays and admittedly impressive judicial gymnastics by the prosecution, his annoyance alleviated only by several amicable visits from the chairman and chairwoman. Thankfully for Delvis, though, Aphrodite was allowed to post his bail before Christmas rolled around—but not before he requested one more visitor.
-
LOST HEART
Camilla Gray walked into the cell and sat down in the chair provided. "Hey, Delvis," she greeted the cell's inhabitant.
"Camilla." Delvis scratched his bearded face lazily. "Welcome to my little slice of heaven."
"You didn't call me here to test your comedy routine," Camilla said matter-of-factly. "Get to the point. I have stuff to do."
"Oh." Delvis chuckled. "Well, someone's having a bad day."
Camilla checked the clock on her phone. "You have ten minutes," she stated.
Delvis frowned. "Fine. I'll get to the point," he conceded, holding up his hands in surrender. Then he let them fall and leaned back against the wall. "What happened to your family?"
Camilla let out a bitter chuckle. "What family?"
"Hey," Delvis snapped. "I did what you asked and got to the point. You can pay me back by not dodging questions."
Camilla narrowed her eyes. "Why do I have to tell you about my family? That's personal. And you're not my counselor."
"Maybe not, but I know your counselor. We go way back. So consider me her proxy for the moment." Delvis half-grinned and added, "Besides, this is part of getting to the point. So if you wanna know why I asked for you, you're gonna have to play along."
Camilla sighed heavily. "Fine," she said after a moment. "I'll play. But don't you dare go sharing this with anyone."
"Oh, I won't." Delvis's grin grew he drew a finger across his chest. "Cross my heart."
Camilla ignored the horrible joke and adjusted herself in her seat. "My dad left before I was born," she began. "Aphrodite said he didn't know she was a goddess, and when he found out, he freaked out and bailed."
"Understandable," Delvis said, nodding.
"So all of us—Xavior, Hart, Whynnie, and me—were raised by Aphrodite," Camilla went on. "Whynnie was the odd one out, obviously, since she wasn't really one of Aphrodite's kids, so she got bullied by Xave and Hart a lot. I tried to be nice to her."
"She told me," Delvis replied. "She appreciated your efforts." He cocked his head. "A shame you haven't spoken to her in years."
"I cut all ties with that family after what happened," Camilla responded coldly, her expression turning hard.
"And... what happened, exactly?" Delvis asked warily.
At that question, Camilla's black eye seemed to turn blacker while her pink eye glowed. "Aphrodite had a favourite child," she said in a whisper, looking Delvis dead in the eye. "A son she had almost lost long ago... one who lived on only in her heart. She had a keepsake from him. A very special piece of memorabilia." Camilla stopped and smiled thinly, tilting her head. "And I broke it."
-
"Okay, now hold it steady... just like that."
Camilla stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth as she struggled to nock the prized arrow on the string of her bow.
"Good job!" her older "sister", Whynnie, cheered. "You've got it! Now aim at the target, and make sure not to let it slip."
Camilla obeyed, pointing the arrow at a plaque on the other side of the office. Her little 8-year-old arms shook with the strain of keeping the arrow held back. "Can I let go now?" she asked, her voice tight with worry and excitement.
"You gotta stop shaking first," Whynnie giggled. "You don't wanna miss, do you?"
"It hurts!" Camilla complained.
Whynnie frowned. "Okay, um... just... let it relax, okay? Put it down and we'll try again."
"Uh-huh." Camilla slowly began moving the arrow into a relaxed position—
—and her fingers slipped.
The sisters gasped and watched in horror as the arrow caught on the bow, forcing the arrowhead into the belly and creating enough pressure to make the arrow break in half with a loud SNAP.
Camilla dropped the bow and broken arrow, her eyes wide with terror. "No, no, no, no, no...!" she cried, falling to her knees and trying in vain to push the halves together.
Whynnie backed away, hands on her head. "Camilla, what did you do?!" she wailed.
"It wasn't my fault!" Camilla protested. "I was—"
Suddenly, the door to the office flew open, revealing the goddess of love with a horrible glare on her face.
-
"Aphrodite was furious," Camilla said quietly. "She screamed at me so loud... and then she hexed me with an anti-love curse." She smiled ruefully. "She always goes the extra mile for her kids, y'know?"
"Ouch." Delvis winced. "Now, uh, forgive me for asking, but... why were you using the prized arrow in the first place? Whose idea was that?"
Camilla barked out a laugh. "Do you really have to ask? You're the detective. You can figure it out."
Delvis sighed. "Whynnie."
"Bingo." Camilla brushed some hair out of her face, looking off to the side and shaking her head. "I really thought she cared about me, y'know?" she said, her voice breaking slightly. "But that's when I realized—at least, when I began to think that... no one really cares about anyone. Everyone's just looking out for numero uno."
Delvis was quiet for a few moments after that. Then he asked softly, "What changed?"
"What changed?" Camilla echoed, laughing. "A lot, actually. I met Cameron. I met D'kala. I met MacKenzie. And... I met Gus." A small, wistful smile came to her face. "He broke my curse."
"How'd that happen?"
"Not sure. But I have a theory." Camilla crossed her legs and leaned back. "Gus was a gay guy dipping his toes in the straight world. That might've exposed some kind of flaw in the hex."
"Sounds complicated."
"I'm sure it is. Haven't looked into it much, though." Camilla checked her phone again and gave Delvis a pointed look. "Your time's almost up. Are we done here?"
"Just about," Delvis confirmed, nodding. "I just have two more things. First, what were you doing at The Love Shack? You know, when we ran into each other."
"That's private," Camilla answered coolly.
"...Okay." Delvis cleared his throat. "Then I guess I have one more thing."
"Which is?"
"Will you do me a favour?"
Camilla raised an eyebrow. "A favour?" she repeated. "Hm. Depends on what you're asking for, I guess."
"It's... kind of a big one. But I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I can."
"In money?"
"In any way you want. As long as it's legal and doesn't cross any moral boundaries, that is."
"Oh, c'mon, Delvis. Trust is a two-way street here."
Delvis rolled his eyes. "Right. But seriously: from one former Xirxine intern to another, can you please do me a solid?"
Camilla let out a long, ragged sigh. "Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine," she grumbled. "Whatever. What is it?"
Delvis gave her a sad smile. "Whynnie's Christmas present."