Chapter 38
That's How the Story Goes
"In the middle of the night, when the Angels scream...it's time to do or die."
~Thirty Seconds to Mars~
'Death ends a life, but not a reality...death ends a life, but not a reality...death...ends...a life...'
Her fading eyes stared blankly at the sheets that covered her legs. The tears that streamed down coated its navy blue hue, creating the silhouettes of each droplet.
Lynn repeated the phrase in her head so many times, but no matter how much she reminded herself, it did not soothe her pain. The Covenant taught their pupils to live by that code, but was it truly worth upholding? It was the Covenant itself that destroyed Darius.
"Darius..." She wanted to scream his name, and cry out freely, but everything in her body was working against it.
"Here...drink this. It will help." Locke's voice chimed in to break her unhappy thoughts.
She did not bother to look up; she did not bother to ask where she was or how he found her. The only thing Lynn could assume was that she was in his bedroom.
A soft warmth seeped into the palms of her hands as the cup he held was passed to her. Lynn's green saddened eyes watched the gooey liquid—reminding her of the llyrium. She did not question it, but somehow she knew it was not the same potion she was accustomed in taking.
"This isn't llyrium..." Her voice, although low and whispered, sounded agitated.
Locke folded his arms across his chest, the playful mien he usually adorned his features with long gone.
"That stuff in the long wrong will control you. This is Ambrosia, it's better and safer."
Lynn went silent again at his words. She took a sip at the gooey golden liquid and felt its warmth penetrate anything that it touched. It made her skin tingle and it lifted much of her fatigue. The Ambrosia was magical—it was even alleviating her sorrow.
But when Lynn noticed that, she finally stared up at Locke with hard angry eyes.
In one instant, the cup flew across the room and splattered all over his walls. It whisked past him, but Locke remained stoic and unmoving at the violent gesture.
"What the fuck are you trying to pull? I don't need you to save me from this!" she screamed with angry tears, her face red and flushed and her body trembling.
Lynn's fists balled up instinctively, as she awaited his answer.
"I am simply looking out for your well-being..."
"Bullshit! Why do you care? Why are you hanging around us? I—" she started to scream again as she neared his towering form; her red hair that was usually braided to one side—freed itself in a chaotic mess. Grabbing onto his chest, Lynn pushed Locke as hard as possible. "I...don't...need...you!" her voice boomed throughout his home, and it cracked under her sobbing. But Lynn never once ceased yelling the phrase as her feeble attempts to push Locke away became futile.
After a few minutes of her trying, Lynn gave up and sobbed into his chest. Locke, without a moment's hesitation, grabbed onto her frail form and hugged her close.
Her sobs were loud and uncontrolled and she simply let her body go limp in his arms.
"I couldn't do anything!" she cried. "I couldn't protect him!" she wailed. "I just watched him die for me!" She let her soul out in order to fight off the pain, but Lynn felt as if she was drowning—being pulled down by the ever weighing guilt over her failure. It was as if she would never get through the pain.
"Shhh, whatever happened. You are safe now, and whoever you have lost, has given you the most precious gift that someone could give in this world."
Locke heard her cries begin to settle.
"He who defends a life with his own, and dies to protect the same, does not pass. The souls become one and they will live on together in the same body."
She was expecting to hear nonsense about how Darius was in a better place, or even stuff about how she need not waste his sacrifice crying—but never once did Lynn expect to hear such words. They were beautiful and they made all the sense in the world. A person who dies for someone they love is giving them their life.
Darius would have done anything for her, and he did.
But Lynn still did not feel right with herself. She will never forget that moment—seeing his torn up body battling against those Templars for her.
The sight of Claire taking his life will be forever imprinted in her mind.
But was that a good thing? It was plaguing her—destroying her resolve and eating away at everything she was within. How could she live on for the King if she had little strength or desire left?
Moving her head away from Locke's chest, she stared up at his bronze mystical eyes. He was a frightening character, but somehow his embrace made her feel safe.
"Are you...doing something to me right now?" she asked with a tired voice.
Locke squinted. "I only made you dream the one time when I found you. Whatever you are feeling now maybe tied to my presence. Tricksters are catalysts to illusions, placebos, and anything hypnotizing," he said, hesitating before saying the next few words.
"But it could also be just you..." those words tickled her skin as she stared into his eyes. He seemed unsure of himself for the first time, as if he did not want to look at her, and the way he spoke came off distant.
Was he nervous for some reason, or was he feeling uncomfortable by her presence?
At that moment, Lynn did not want him to pull away. She did not want to be left alone again, and because of that intensifying feeling, her mind snapped. All of her thoughts disappeared, and she simply acted.
Her hands grabbed his fuzzy perfect face, and she kissed his lips.
Locke responded for a second, but broke away to stare at her.
"What in Asgard's name are you doing to me?" he asked, almost frightened by her.
Lynn was slightly confused by his question, but the tears were masking her face again, and the redness started to seep into her flesh. She felt horrible, as if her own skin irritated her, and she wanted nothing more but to numb that pain.
"I just need you now. Please, make me feel that bliss again." Lynn spoke, as she neared him again. Locke's expression was one she had never seen on him before.
He was shocked, his face was coated in sweat, and his hands were trembling. It was only when she grabbed them that he got a hold of himself. Lynn then proceeded to kiss Locke again, her lips finding warmth in his, even under his rigidness. However, her tender touch seemed to work and shortly after, Locke loosened up and took control.
He wanted her, since the moment he laid eyes on her small perfect figure. Lynn was remarkably beautiful, but what he was feeling now was not the same thing from when they first met.
As they lay on the bed and his hands roamed that perfection he admired, Lynn's battered up clothes came rushing off. Locke touched her skin, sending electricity up her spine, and he used his lips to play with every inch of her body—from her neck down to her chest where he grabbed her firmly, making Lynn snap her head back and caress his hair.
She could only writhe and moan under his touch, and she wasted no time in removing his own clothes. Her fingers then found comfort on his hard chest, as he allowed her time on his own body. Lynn could tell that her hands excited him more every time they grazed his skin. It did not take long before they reached his pants. It was then that she found hesitancy, and Locke's breath was caught as he waited to see if she was regretting her choice. But it was not until she unzipped the pants and caressed his virility that Locke let all his worries go and succumb to the sensation.
Shortly after, he stopped her actions to avoid feeling overwhelmed, making Lynn's legs wrap themselves around his waist as he lifted her up and kissed her.
'Why do I feel more than just pleasure and desire for this woman?'
A powerful feeling of pure ecstasy enveloped his body, making Locke want to burst when he became one with her. It had been so long since he lay with a woman, and as the feeling came rushing back, he found himself grabbing onto Lynn out of fear of losing it—of losing her.
She was so warm, and he cradled her small frame as they rocked and swayed together.
After basking in their closeness and before he could release, Locke moved her away and laid her on her back to stare at her. Lynn was flushed and tired, her eyes did not have their usual intensity, and that hurt him.
His final action then made Lynn sleep comfortably under his illusions as he kissed her forehead and left for the bathroom.
Once a upon a time, Locke would have never stopped from finishing the job with a woman, but somehow after seeing Lynn so broken, he did not wish to force himself unto her. That and he did not want any offspring.
But it was true.
The group of young Immortals he had stumbled upon was affecting him. They were an endearing bunch, filled with passion and a strong desire to live even after all the hardships they endured.
And Lynn...she was just another one of them. It was because of how amazed he was with them that Locke could not stand idly by and let them die fighting Ezekias.
Moments later, after taking care of himself, Locke went back to Lynn's slumbering form and lay next to her. It only took a few minutes before he decided to break his gaze from the sleeping beauty and leave to rendezvous with the others. Those kids were lost without him, and the notion reminded him of something else.
As he got dressed, Locke pulled out a golden necklace—the Eye of Horus, and placed it on Lynn's neck. He cast a spell of Arcane magic onto it, making it invisible to all eyes including her own, and kissed her forehead again before departing.
Ezekias would not have his way with those children. Not this time—not again...
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The clock ticked away with no worry in the world as the hand descended on the morning hour. Like any other Sunday, Joseph would take out the trash and ready himself for work, and as he combed his hair and prepped his clothes, he made haste in order to avoid being tardy.
The sun was barely out yet, but it was obviously coming about for the night was beginning to dissipate. Instantly, he stared up at the sky and marveled over it. Its navy blue hue was something Joseph always found beautiful to look at—possibly the only highlight of working so early.
Taking one deep breath, he took out his keys from his jeans pocket, and nonchalantly made his way to the parked car that stood in front of his home on the curb. Once the key was firmly in its place, Joseph was about to turn it to open the door, when something caught his attention.
A soft wind blew on the sidewalk that faced his apartment building. At first, it seemed like nothing until it started to turn into a small swirling gust. It wasn't long before the wind transfigured into something that scared every single nerve in his body.
The clattering sounds of the metal keys hitting the tarred streets filled his ears as if it were the only thing resonating. Joseph stood awestruck, his mind numb and refusing to assimilate what he just saw. There before his eyes was Caris, kneeling down and panting uncontrollably with her head facing the concrete.
She was completely naked, but that was the last thing that surprised Joseph.
Apparently, Joseph would not make any move to approach her, which led Caris to look up at him. Her eyes were fierce and urgent, and she completely disregarded any fear he had at that moment.
"You need to help me," she said in the most exigent manner.
Her voice was strained as if the very action of moving her lips was painful.
"I—I—what...how did you? Oh my god...what am I seeing?" Joseph turned around after he heard her speak. He tried to laugh at himself—believing to be in some sort of dream, but found his nerves getting the better of him.
"Joseph—please, it's a matter of life and death!" This time, Caris stood with a wobbling stride, but she stood nonetheless. Her determination, possibly the only thing keeping her alive, forced her body to resist.
The minute she neared him, her body almost fell into his and never once did her heavy breathing let up—if anything, it worsened.
Surprised by the action, Joseph turned to see Caris on her fours—trying desperately to catch her breath.
"Please..."
Out of everything he did not understand, out of everything he was frightened of—one thing stood out most. Before his eyes there was a woman in pain and in need—in his need.
Shakily, Joseph began to react, and he slowly went to lift her up, but when his hand touched her skin, he yelped in fear. Her body started to wither and turn to dust. It made Caris look back up at him as she lifted herself up the best way she could.
"I'm sorry, but please try not to touch me," she said.
"Then how am I supposed to help you?" he asked with a nervous voice—still unsure of what was going on.
"Take me; take me where I need to go. There isn't much time left." The more she spoke, the more strained Caris's voice sounded—to such an extent that a fit of coughs began to control her speech.
"Ok, um shouldn't you get dressed first?" Joseph asked, finding it a bit idiotic the question.
Caris did not speak as she was unable to due to the coughs that forced blood out of her. She simply shook her head and touched his car, making Joseph understand.
At that moment, he Joseph began assessing the emergency, and it was because of this that he opened the doors to his car—allowing Caris to sit herself on the backseats in order to rest more effectively.
Starting up the engine, Joseph felt himself calming slightly when his favorite song filled the car.
"Slow it down...Angie come back to bed. Rest your heart...rest your legs." He sang for his ears alone—finding the song spot on for the situation he was in.
"Joseph, please take me to one-o-three Fairview Avenue. Go as fast as you can." Caris spoke to him again, and it made his green-grey eyes stare at the rearview mirror to find her face.
She was deathly pale, her eyes tired and they were losing its shine. Something was definitely killing this mysterious girl.
No words were said on his part as he ignored his duties for the day and accelerating in the direction he was told to go in. During the entire ride, he listened to his favorite song, and couldn't help but think of Caris.
His mind wondered about her and how she just appeared out of thin air, but it was also afraid for her life. It didn't matter to him what she was or what was happening to her—the fact was that she was in pain and was probably dying. There was no way he could ignore that. Sure at first he was scared out of his mind, but now he needed to step up.
"Tie up your scarf real tight, these boys are out for blood tonight." Joseph sang, finding the words soothing, as he mind lost itself with the lyrics.
"Those words...that song is beautiful..." Caris interrupted his singing, making Joseph notice her again.
He looked at the mirror once more, and found her half asleep, her breathing slowing down considerably. It made him panic and speed up the car. Wherever she was taking him—he could only pray that it would be enough to save her life.
"Yeah, it is but it's a bit sad. It's about a woman who was strong but got into a lot of trouble. In the end it didn't turn out so well." Joseph debated whether or not he should have said the last part.
"I know what you must be thinking...Joseph..." Caris tried to soothe him, but she could not continue to speak.
It made Joseph laugh nervously. "I will do whatever it takes to get you out of this Caris."
After that nothing much was said, as they finally arrived to their destination. It made Joseph sigh in relief, even though he failed to understand why Caris wanted to be there in the first place.
Without any warning, he heard Caris step out of the car. It made him chase after in worrying, but he came to a stop when he saw her standing before an apartment building—stark naked.
"Caris...?"
"She must be here...this is where Isaac lived..." and surely enough, Caris felt pleased when she saw a blonde young girl step out of the building—eying her with nothing but stern curiosity.
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"You have a lot of explaining to do." Exsavior's exigent voice came off as unsatisfied, and he was far from being pleased with Locke. The trickster seemed to know so much but would only tell them very little.
The group of teens all sat around in Isabel's living room. David and Exsavior both stood facing Locke who was in the center of the room, as if ready to be sacrificed. Mia, who remained quiet, was positioned behind Exsavior as Isabel accompanied her. This only left Jasmine to herself on a lone couch next to Exsavior's other side.
She didn't mind the solitude as she was too preoccupied with a certain lycan.
"Exsavior, try not to exert yourself too much. You're still healing remember." Jasmine said.
Exsavior looked at Jasmine through the corners of his eyes, but did not say anything when Mia spoke.
"I think he's fine. Exsavior is stronger than you think." Mia's voice—contrary to Jasmine's—was far from concerned. She sounded more annoyed than anything and it made Jasmine quiet down.
"Yes well, what exactly have I done wrong now?" Locke spoke, ignoring the growing female tension.
"For starters, you begin by explaining how Exsavior's father was involved with the council." Isabel chimed in this time, making Locke stare back at her.
"Father...?" Locke began—his eyes falling back on Exsavior. It took him a few seconds before he realized what the witch had said.
"Sirius—he was your father?" The trickster's question sounded very genuine, as his bronze eyes analyzed Exsavior's form. It made the lycan feel uncomfortable.
"Don't act like you didn't know!" yelled David as he almost positioned himself between them.
In a show of truce, Locke instantly lifted his arms up and began to explain. "I'm sorry, but I really did not know. Sirius was not as close knit to the council like the rest of us were."
"Why? I am his son and he never spoke about the council before nor did he ever mention Ezekias, you or Margery." Exsavior was starting to get agitated and Locke could clearly tell how much it affected him.
This made him succumb to the truth. "Alright Exsavior, I will tell you everything I know." And Locke did tell them everything he knew or at least everything related to Exsavior's father and the Council.
Apparently, Sirius was one of the first to be a part of the Council, as he came from the Eastern lands with the status bestowed upon him. He was a lycan born of the First People in a territory where the humans spoke the language of the cupids. This was not news to Exsavior, for he knew the origins of his father and how he was a knight for the royal arms of the Eastern lands—but that only explained more about Exsavior's chivalry rather than shedding any light on their predicament or Ezekias's motives.
However, according to Locke, Sirius did not want anything to do with the Council after he arrived on new lands. He dismissed it and destroyed any ties he could with all of them—the only one he was unable to undo was the bond itself.
Though the only interesting fact that Exsavior found worthy of noting was how Ezekias approached his father.
"What could that old bastard have wanted with my father?" Exsavior asked, now sitting down with his legs crossed in a full pensive manner.
"Ezekias was or is a crafty old geezer. There must have been something that he found interesting in your father to make him approach him." Before he continued, Locke remembered a peculiar event that occurred during that time, something worth mentioning.
"Isabel, tell us, how does a witch age?" This made all eyes fall on the blonde witch.
"What does that have anything to do with my uncle and the old dude?" David questioned, making Exsavior smile at his choice of words.
"Shh just let her answer." Isabel eyed Locke suspiciously, but complied with his inquiry.
"It's different with each individual witch, but the way it works is simple. We age like regular humans until we reach a point where our stasis takes effect. It usually starts during the middle age period," Isabel explained, still feeling suspicious.
"The thing is Ezekias was in his stasis before he met with your father." Locke said, facing Exsavior once more.
"Wait, what do you mean before he met with Exsavior's father?" Isabel spoke, feeling confused. "Once an Immortal begins the stasis there's no turning back."
"Exactly my point, Ezekias met with your father against Dante's orders and when he returned, the male witch was an old male witch." Locke said the last phrase slowly, in order to get them to understand his point. "I've always wondered about it, but never really cared to pursue it much. Now that it may be of some relevance, I thought it was worth mentioning."
"Are you saying that my father somehow broke Ezekias's stasis?"
"Ok, stop! What is a stasis? You guys are confusing me." David broke their discussion uncaringly, causing Mia to speak as well.
"The Covenant gave me a lecture on that but I fell asleep." She also admitted to not having a clue as to what they were talking about.
This in turn made Locke sigh in frustration.
"You kids are far too young. The stasis is a simple term for when an Immortal begins their years of eternal life—in other words, their immortality."
"Wait, it's different for every Immortal? Like it's not just, they aren't human so they don't age?" David asked again.
"No of course not, Mother Nature doesn't create anything so sloppy. Can you imagine a world with thousands of ageless beings? How can living incognito be even possible like that?" Locke mocked, making David scoff at him.
"Well, excuse me for not being in the know."
"In any case, each race of Immortals does have a different way of entering the stasis. It's basically biology but for Immortals." Isabel explained.
"That would be a much more interesting class then biology itself." Mia commented trying to liven up the room.
"You still would probably fall asleep and fail." Isabel's teasing made Mia glare at her in a playful manner.
"Ahem! To further explain it—take a Lycan for instance." Clearing his throat and capturing all of their attention once again, Locke pointed at Exsavior as demonstration, making him feel uncomfortable.
"When Exsavior was born, he was just a pup. Now if he was forever ageless, how did he come to be the size he is now?" Before Locke could continue his explanation, Jasmine, who had been quiet, answered.
"That's simple. Lycans age slowly the first years of their lives. It's the premature stasis if you will. For instance, once a pup has reached three human years, it would take ten human years for the pup to age one full year."
When Jasmine said those words, both Mia and Isabel stared at the three lycans in the room.
"You're kidding?" Mia started. "That would make Exsavior..." but she stopped herself from doing the calculations.
"Lycans age slower in the premature stasis, but after three stasis years—roughly thirty human years—the pup begins to age faster." Exsavior explained.
"But how come that wasn't true for me?" It was the most valid question David had all night.
"Because you never did the first shift—werewolves enter the premature stasis, and eventually the stasis itself because of the shift. The more times a werewolf shifts or is forced to—the faster they will enter a stasis." Exsavior said and surprisingly enough David understood.
"Yes, like I said before. Every Immortal is different, but I have yet to meet one that can reverse the stasis let alone undo it." Locke spoke, eyeing Exsavior curiously, as if he knew what his father had done.
"The only way to undo a stasis is with death, which is why an Immortal turns to dust when slain," Jasmine added.
"The years fall on their bodies all at once." Isabel said solemnly, making everyone present quiet.
Before anything else was said, something caught Locke's attention.
"It seems we have a visitor."
Turning their stares to follow Locke's gaze, Isabel was the first to stand. She approached one of the windows of her living room, the very same one that Locke was fixated on.
When her eyes clashed with the streets, she saw her...
"She's the witch I felt from before!" Isabel said loudly, for the room to hear.
"What are you talking about Isa? Who's out there?" David asked, approaching her form.
Isabel turned to face them all, but instead of speaking, she moved past them. Once she reached the door that led to the outside, she opened it and spoke. "Our visitor is the same witch that was with Ezekias at the cemetery; she was also the same one that knocked you out back at the school, David."
When this was said, everyone stood and followed Isabel outside. It wasn't long before the blonde witch faced the naked dying girl.
Suspiciously, Isabel approached her slowly, as the rest of her friends emerged from the building that was her apartment complex.
"Isabel, be careful," yelled Mia as she tensed up, preparing herself for whatever was to come.
But Isabel was being cautious, and she demonstrated her distrust when she stopped a good distance away from the naked witch.
"We know you work for Ezekias. Who are you and what do you want?"
Nothing was said from the witch, instead her pained face contorted even further as her body tried to approach Isabel. Her steps were awkward and clumsy, but when she finally came in contact with Isabel, everyone began to move forward in worry.
"My name...is Caris...and you must know everything." With that said, Caris grabbed hold of Isabel's face, forcing her to enter in a daze.
She saw it all—Caris was not lying when she said that she needed to know everything. There before Isabel's eyes, were the memories and past events of her brother's death. It flashed in a rapid whirl, swiftly taking Isabel from memory to memory. She didn't even have time to process any of it.
"Isabel!" Finally, David's voice broke her out the trance. He was holding onto her arms trying to pry off the other witch, when the rest of her friends neared—prepared to fight if need be.
Apparently, it all happened in a fraction of a second, and as Isabel stared back at Caris—she smiled faintly and fell to the ground—turning into a pile of dust.
"Oh my god, Isa, what did she do to you?" Mia asked, but Isabel could not say anything. Her eyes were wide with tears, her face pale, and as she lifted one hand to touch her cheek where Caris had made contact, Isabel spoke.
"I know the truth..."
Before anything further was said, the sounds of screeching wheels filled their ears, making Locke notice the speeding car for the first time.
He sighed. "It appears we had an unwanted guest." His voice came off bored, and before he vanished to give chase, Isabel spoke to him.
"You're not going anywhere!" This time, her face was angry—angrier than any of the other times she felt frustrated. She was hurting and she would take it out on the trickster if need be.
"Or did you simple forget to mention that Ezekias killed Cassius and Isaac?" Not even Locke was prepared for the next brusque movement. When the names were said, David shifted instantly and tackled Locke to the ground. His enormous muzzle was rabid, snapping at the ancient Immortal with ferocity.
"Cassius was my brother, you bastard! Just tell us what you know before I rip your head off!"
There were no words on Locke's part, making David angrily rage until he mauled his face off. It was then that he noticed, after witnessing it himself countless times, that he had fallen prey to one of Locke's tricks.
Just like that, Locke lifted himself up with his torn mangled face and repelled David with an invisible power.
"Arcana." The spell was just but a word, but it was enough to send the wolf flying away. It was then that Locke's face regenerated itself in a very off-putting manner, making everyone present twitch with disgust. Like a repulsive slime swirling around until it took shape—Locke's face returned to its usual satiric expression.
"You don't want to fight me." His voice came off low and menacing, as if the evil came as second nature to him.
However, even like that none of the young Immortals backed down. Mia faced him with defiance as did Isabel who had angry tears streaming down her face. Then, before anything hasty was done, Exsavior stepped before them.
"We are not afraid to fight you and we will if we have to." He began, his eyes turning red with an intimidating gleam. "Tell us what you know—now!" the last command Exsavior said made his face almost shift into the wolf of fables that lived within him.
Somehow, the command—as forceful as it was—made Locke retract a bit. 'How—how can he have so much dominance? I am not even a werewolf...' Locke thought in angst as he felt Exsavior's Will trying to overpower him.
"Alright, but like I said before, I would have told you if I had known. We are all on the same side." With that said, he eased his presence, lowering his guard, trying to let them know that he was peaceful.
"So, Isaac, the third wielder of the Eye of Horus, was your brother..." Locke stated rather than asked as he eyed Isabel. She simply glared back, but refused to speak. "Things just keep getting interesting. Though, it is making more sense now. Shall we return inside to discuss this?"
Like always, Locke was acting more composed than ever—and the teens, eying each other—realized that it was probably best to be indoors rather than in an open space where a fight could break out.
If anything, they all had questions. What had Caris done to Isabel and what did she learn to put him on the spot like that?
'Well, I guess I'm about to find out.' Locke thought as he went back inside the building with the kids in tow.