Chapter 39
St. Peter’s List
“We’re all fighting growing old, in the hopes of a few minutes more.”
~Fall Out Boy~
The wrinkles on the back of his hands were irksome. He despised looking at his skin that way, but ever since that day, it was inevitable. Age was claiming him, and it was relentless. No matter how many spells, tricks, or powers he obtained nothing changed the process.
“You beckoned, Master?” Taking his old brown eyes off of his hands, Ezekias faced the remaining witches and Conan.
“Yes, I have rather important matters to discuss with you all.” he spoke, like a king before his subjects from the chair of his study.
“Where are Olivia and Caris?” asked Lorelei, the older of the witches.
Upon hearing those names, Ezekias’s eyes twinkled and he fought the urge to smirk. Their arrogance put them in the situation that they were in now—one dead and the other imprisoned.
“Olivia has been sent off elsewhere in order to train for the nearing battle. As for Caris…” he paused and took out the rusty key that Caris found for him.
“Caris betrayed me—so she paid the price.” Ezekias said each word slowly, as if wanting them to assess the gravity of treason. Never once did he stop caressing the key that he flaunted before them.
“Caris and Anise both betrayed you, Master?” Lorelei’s voice dared to sound skeptical, but she spoke with caution.
“Do you doubt me Lorelei?” Ezekias questioned.
“No, of course not.” She did not hesitate to respond.
“Well good then. In any case, I have gathered you three here since you are my remaining allies to let you all know of what has happened, and to warn you.” This time his eyes went stern and menacing. It was obvious that Ezekias was having a hard time trusting anyone after all the betrayals.
“If you are planning to defy me, know that it will not end well for you. This—” he stopped himself to stand and address the key. “—is the testament of Caris's failure. Had she been successful, Skylar would never see freedom. Now, I want you all to tell me one thing.”
Again he paused to watch them, trying to see if they were hiding anything. Conan seemed distant almost in a daze, and Rose held a stern demeanor as if she was angered by something. Then there was Lorelei, long curly black hair and electric blue eyes plastered on her flawless porcelain skin. She was tall and slender, having a perfect athletic body, and her expression held nothing but reverence for Ezekias.
But Lorelei never showed anything else towards him—and that now made Ezekias suspicious.
“What is your purpose of fighting alongside me?” he asked them all.
“I will follow Olivia and protect her no matter what, and I will aid you Master as long as you will have me.” Conan instantly spoke without any hesitation.
Ezekias was not surprised by the response. Ever since he put the wolf on the spot; all he ever did was adulate.
“So, if Olivia was to betray me then you would follow her…am I right?” Ezekias neared Conan this time, and the question made him silent.
“I—Master…” he tried but failed to come up with a retort.
“It matters not, I’d rather have comrades with convictions than not.” Even though that was far from the truth, Ezekias dismissed Conan and let him rest easy. He did not feel the wolf to be any threat or smart enough to attempt anything like Anise or Caris had done.
“As for the two of you…do you both swear fealty to me?”
“As long as you will have me, Master,” Lorelei said with a bowed head.
“I will sear it but I need to know one thing first…” This time, Rose interrupted, making Ezekias and the others stare at her.
“Why would you send me to fight such a being like that angel girl? With all due respect, I am your comrade, Master, and you put me in danger.” Her words were daring and they made the others uncomfortable, but her eyes and posture remained defiant.
It was obvious to Ezekias that Rose was indignant, but the truth was he cared little for any of them. They were just pawns, and like in any game of chess, they’re sole purpose was to be sacrificed or used until they outlived themselves. If lucky enough, there might just be that one pawn that makes it to the other side of the board to become a queen, but Ezekias was already preparing that piece. He firmly believed that Olivia would be his ace.
‘The ultimate weapon of destruction…’
He played with those thoughts as he eyed Rose who stared angrily back.
Ezekias felt somewhat benevolent that moment, and his god-like complex led him to bask in a capricious nature. It was how he believed true gods behaved.
“Oh my dear Rose, do not tell me that some newborn angel gave you trouble?” he patronized, making her feel even more indignant. No matter what he believed, one thing was certain, Rose was still of a lot of use to him. Thus, Ezekias would dismiss her attitude and keep her around until she outlived her purpose.
“I did not expect for her to be immune to my Active power. It rendered me useless,” she exclaimed.
“Well, now you know, Angels are immune to Wiccan magic and any other type for that matter. And the best way to learn that was to experience it. In any case, you are all dismissed,” he said, putting his arms behind his back.
“But Master!” Rose tried, the frustration getting the better of her.
“I said you are dismissed.” In one instant, he grabbed hold of her neck and stared close into her frightened eyes. “Or do you want to be permanently dismissed?” His voice, like many times, slithered its way into her ears, and Rose did the only one thing she could do.
“I apologize.” And with that said, she left along with Conan.
Lorelei was about to follow in tow as well, but Ezekias stopped her.
“My dear there is something I need you to take care of,” he said to her.
“Anything, Master.”
He held up the key for her to look at, and she instantly understood. “Go and free your sister.” Ezekias smiled when Lorelei went to take the key.
Her hand touched the rusty object that was in his own, but the old witch refused to let it go, as he pulled her close to his body.
She stared at him with a tint of disappointment hidden in the corners of her eyes, but he ignored it in an uncaring fashion. He was a god, and gods took what they wanted.
With that mindset, Ezekias smashed his lips on her tender ones and kissed her—caressing her body. It did not take long before her clothes came off and he had his way with her.
Lorelei simply obeyed and did the only thing she could do to survive—please her Master.
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After everything that happened, Mia was finally home. She did not know what to think anymore. Between Jasmine and Exsavior, her late night trip with the spirits and Isabel’s vision—things were not as straightforward as they were before.
Then again, it never was a yes or no question. Her life was thrown into such a mess, but one thing seemed to become clearer with every truth she unraveled.
“Leaving doesn’t seem to be such a bad idea.” Sitting down on her couch, Mia pulled out an envelope that she stored in her nightstand. It was the letter Daisy had given her.
What it contained was a mystery, but somehow Mia had her suspicions.
‘Would this be enough to make me decide?’ Slowly with a tint of fear, she tore open the letter and read it.
Just as she thought, it was her mother’s goodbye. It gave reasons as to why she left, and what she planned to do with her life. Of course, it all pointed to Mia. Apparently, Amelia could not take having an Immortal daughter. Even though she did not know what an Immortal was per se—she would refer to them or her as abominations.
As Mia read further her heart began to ache, but nothing shocked her. She knew what her mother thought of her, and according to the goodbye, Amelia seemed to come off as a very unstable woman.
She suspected of her own Savant bloodline, and the things she was able to see and do. It made her sanity wither, and created many obstacles for her to pursue a normal life. Marriage must have helped her condition, and Lynn was probably the best thing in her life.
“I guess when I was born that all went downhill…” Mia said to herself, as she read the final words of the letter.
“I can’t take this constant dread and paranoia that something or someone is watching me and my family. Now that she’s come into my life—I fear that they’re closer to me. I won’t let them have me! I’m sorry Daisy, but this is it. This is my goodbye…Mia was just the final straw. I will be on St. Peter’s list no matter what.”
Any normal person wouldn’t be able to handle such a thing so easily, but Mia was used to it. She was the outcast—she always was and now that she was finally amongst people that related to her—she still felt the same.
Always was—always will be.
“Even in the immortal world I’m probably one of a kind.” She laughed at her own melancholy.
In an instant, the sounds of her door being opened brought her attention. She quickly turned her stare to find Lynn standing with an extremely fatigued expression. Her Covenant clothes were battered and worn with bloodied stains—Mia did not even bother to address how awful she looked, as she stood and neared her sister.
Not holding anything back, Mia cried into her arms as she hugged her tight.
“Shh…it’s alright, I’m here now.” Lynn said with a broken voice.
“I missed you so much. I didn’t even know when I’d see you again.” Mia sobbed, letting all her pain out. It was easy to come off as the brave type in front of Isabel and the rest, but that did not mean that she wasn’t on the brink.
And now that Lynn was back, Mia did little to refrain herself from breaking down.
“Honestly, I thought you weren’t going to welcome me back.” Lynn tried to joke, but Mia did not respond to it.
Moving her away from her chest, Lynn stared at Mia. “We need to talk. The Covenant…they’ve done things Mia, we can’t stay here.” At first, Lynn was going to explain how they killed Darius, but she found the subject still sore.
“What—what are you talking about?” she asked, wiping her eyes.
“They were experimenting on humans, trying to isolate the Immortal gene to create immortality. That’s how the Aberhants came to be, Mia. They’re evil and now we have to get out of here or—” Lynn was about to continue her explanation, but Mia interrupted her.
“Why would they come after us? What did you do Lynn?” Her voice started to sound judgmental, and it began to hurt Lynn.
Here Lynn was, trying her best to save her baby sister, and the only thing she’s repaid with was skepticism.
“I didn’t do anything, aren’t you paying attention? They’re using humans for their experiments!” Lynn started to yell and it made Mia move back to look at her.
“I know what you’re saying but the only thing that means for me is that they might be getting closer to curing Immortals. Don’t you see Lynn; that’s what they promised me!” Mia exclaimed, but it wasn’t news to Lynn.
The sole reason why Mia was a part of the Covenant, aside from their ulterior motives to manipulate her, was to be cured from her powers. However, now that they knew what she was, it seemed more than just a stretch.
“Mia, innocent lives are not worth it. You can’t tell me that you’re willing to sacrifice countless lives in order for you to get what you want," Lynn said.
This time, Mia’s tears were not of any sadness; instead, they were angry. “So now I’m selfish? I am always the selfish one! I get nothing and I’m supposed to be ok with that! How is that fair?” Mia screamed at her sister, and the words confused Lynn.
She understood that her sister was hurting and that she never did get a break during her childhood, but where was this talk about egoism coming from?
‘Something must have gone down during my absence.” Lynn thought to herself, as she looked at her sister with stern eyes.
“When…when have I ever accused you of being selfish?” Lynn began.
“You’re doing it now! Why can’t you support me? First it’s, do what the Covenant says, now it’s, we run from them? Do you even know what you’re doing with your life—because otherwise, I don’t want to be dragged down with you.”
“Whoa, that’s not fair. Everything I do is for you! How dare you say I don't know what I'm doing with my life! You don’t even know what I’ve been going through!” Lynn was beyond angry, and her voice boomed louder than her sister’s making her stare back in shock.
She did not hold anything back anymore as the tears streamed down her reddened cheeks. “You’re an ungrateful little brat, and all you do is give me a hard time because of bullshit! You know what, I don’t need this shit! Darius is dead, and it’s all because of you!” And there it was what Lynn feared she might have said.
No matter how hard she tried, Lynn could not ignore the small feeling that had crept its way into her heart—that loathsome horrible emotion of resentment—resentment towards Mia. She did the things she did for her, and Darius paid the price. In addition, Lynn was rewarded with nothing but contempt from her sister.
Mia stood there in shock, the tears seeping out of her eyes uncontrollably as if a robot that’s lost its functions. Her green orbs seemingly watched Lynn, but in reality they were lost in the distance, and Lynn, who was done yelling—continued to cry in anger and frustration.
Part of that frustration was directed to herself for feeling the way she did towards her little sister—and the other part was directed to their entire situation and it’s inevitability.
“You know…mom said the same thing.” Mia said with a low voice, and Lynn just listened, the tears refusing to stop.
“She blamed me for everything…and I understand that. I get what Daisy meant. Do you remember St. Peter’s List, Lynn?” she asked, her eyes crying mechanically, and her face tired as if ready to give up.
Lynn refused to answer so Mia continued. “The Catholics say it’s a heavenly list for the lives that get blessings during their time on earth.”
“So what of it!” Lynn yelled.
Mia looked down at the rug of her living room, remembering her mother’s words and how selfish they seemed. But they only sounded selfish because it meant sacrificing Mia’s happiness. Was it truly selfish? Was Mia being selfish for wanting her mother to be involved in the ugliness that was her life? A child is supposed to love their parent, and any child would never wish ill on them.
So maybe she was the selfish one…
“Mom said she was going to stop at nothing to be on that list…if you want to be a part of that, you better leave me too, because it’s obvious, I can only bring heartache.” Putting two and two together, Mia fully understood Daisy and everything she said that day.
Angels…brought nothing but tragedies to the humans.
Lynn was surprised to hear those words, and she found herself not knowing what to say. She was supposed to be the one on the moral high grounds.
How did Mia turn the tables so easily?
With a grunt of anger, Lynn turned and slammed the door shut behind her. She couldn’t bear to be in the presence of her sister anymore, and because of that, she decided to head in the direction of the only one person who would have her.
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David stood in his backyard awkwardly, trying his best to master his posture. The night air soothed his skin and calmed his nerves, as he desperately searched for Aquarii.
‘Come out! Wouldn’t you want to stretch your legs?’ He thought to himself, feeling foolish. David didn’t have a clue as to where exactly Aquarii was. The only thing he understood was that he lived in his subconscious, so that may call for some stretching every once and while.
“You’re doing it wrong…” Suddenly, his attention was brought to the trees to see Exsavior sitting on one of the branches.
“I can’t seem to understand…are you a stalker or do you have some kind of cat-complex?” David said sarcastically as he dropped his stance.
Exsavior laughed, landing right next to his side.
“Let me teach you. No one is ever born knowing this stuff,” he said as he put one foot forward and the other back for support.
“You need to put your strength and balance on the foot behind you because it will be the one to give you the impulse.” Exsavior explained and David mimicked his actions.
“Now, this is the typical Lycan stance.” Exsavior then stretched his arm out with his clawed hand ready to rip anything in his way. The other arm was inclined behind his torso in order to show some equilibrium between the two.
“Why is it typical?” David asked, once again copying his movements.
“Because with one twitch, you can shift into your—what did she call it…?” Exsavior trailed off.
“The Nigi-mitama?” David said, completing his thoughts and remembering the little he had learned from the books Jasmine brought Exsavior.
“Yes! I’m still trying to figure all that out.” Exsavior grumbled to himself, feeling inadequate for not remembering. “In any case, when you shift in this posture, you will automatically gain an impulse because of how different the human body is to that of a lycanthrope. This is why it is the typical stance.”
David nodded his head in affirmation, and toyed with the idea of shifting just to see if Exsavior was right. Nevertheless, he opted against it since his mother could walk outside any time.
“Exsavior…?”
Loosening up the stance, Exsavior shifted his stare towards David. “What?”
“I think we should talk,” David started as he plopped down on the soft lawn, uncaring if he stained his pajamas. The last thing his mother needed to worry about was stains; now that he was a full-fledged werewolf, ripping clothes a part was much more common. It made David remember the Wilderness Slacks Jasmine gifted Exsavior.
He envied them to no end, and he made it clear. Apparently, the pants were etched in runes by witches, a custom that ran in every First People tribe. It allowed the wearer to shift without worrying about tearing it to shreds.
“What about?” Exsavior retorted, also sitting down to face him.
“Well, there’s this dude…he kinda lives in my head.” David began, trying to explain it in the most normal way possible.
“You speak of the Shinto.” Exsavior stated, making David blink.
“My what?”
“The Shinto, it’s the ethereal encasement where the four parts of the soul reside.” Exsavior said.
But David was still confused, and Exsavior explained what he had learned when he went to visit the Sierra Reserve, giving David more confidence to tell him about Aquarii.
“So this Aquarii must be a manifestation of one the souls. It’s a mysterious power—I myself have never experienced it the way you have.” Exsavior said.
“But it’s happened to you? Like, do you have someone like Aquarii?” David asked in hopes that he was not the only one.
Exsavior nodded solemnly. “I do; his name is Ara, but he is not something I trust.”
“Why? It’s a part of you isn’t it?”
Again the words made Exsavior glum. It made David wonder what he wasn’t telling him.
“Dude, you can tell me. We’re practically brothers.” David’s words shocked him, and it made Exsavior break his gaze from the grass to look at him.
It was odd for David to watch Exsavior like that. For the first time, he could see how uncanny their resemblance was. They could almost be twins.
‘The clan we’re both from must have been a very powerful bloodline.’ David thought.
“Alright, I will tell you. Ara is an angry part of my Shinto. I don’t understand why, but he is dominant, cocky and very headstrong. I cannot control him and he does not wish to heed me. Also…” Exsavior stopped himself, thinking about his next choice of words. “He tried to use my body to kill all of those that I unconsciously use as my pack members.”
“Wait what?” David barely understood what he said. He knew that somehow Ara tried to use Exsavior to kill, but the last part about pack members was what he failed to grasp.
“Somehow, my Alpha dominance is using the people around as pack members. It means that Mia, Isabel and even your mom are helping me get stronger,” he said tentatively.
“Well that’s good!” David exclaimed as he grabbed Exsavior’s shoulder for reassurance. He was happy to hear that one of them was actually getting more powerful.
“Maybe, but it also means that they are members of my pack, and that makes them a target for Ezekias.” After saying the name, David almost growled in anger.
“It doesn’t matter. Whatever it takes to get stronger and best that bastard. He killed my brother and Isabel’s to get that necklace. We can’t let him get away with it,” David said, as he stood in defiance. He started to do the stance again, but was interrupted.
“David, Exsavior get back in here! Its bedtime; you both have school tomorrow!” Lily called from inside, making David sigh in frustration and Exsavior grumble.
Going to school was the furthest thing from their minds.
“Well, we’re in this together, brother.” As they walked inside, Exsavior put his hand on David’s shoulder, mimicking the action he was slowly getting used to and boldly wording how he felt. He was still scared that David might reject him like he did the first time they met, but after everything they had been through, it didn’t seem like he would.
In surprise, David turned back and grinned. “For sure,” and with that said, they both walked inside to do as they were told.
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The ward was still the same as ever—white and insipid. All the cells were the same, and the wails and screams of every patient made her skin crawl the very same way it had the done the first time she visited.
Passing each cell, Lorelei counted the numbers in search of her objective.
Of course, none of the first was the one that contained her sister, and it was not until she reached the end of the long hall that came to a stop. Before her was a door that led elsewhere.
The entrance was rusty and it was the only thing that broke the monotony of the entire ward. Corrosion adorned the hinges and the metallic texture of the thick door bore an eerie red hue—something similar to what you would see in horror films. It was obviously that door that the main character needed to access to progress even if every fiber in their being screamed against it.
One sigh escaped her lips. “This must be it.” Lorelei said with a bored tone.
“No one has accessed that chamber in a very long time.” The voice of the person who let her in the ward stopped her from proceeding in opening the door.
“That is because no one had the pass to open it.” Lorelei said, facing the nurse who wore nothing but white.
Her perfect pale face stared at her as her red lips coated in makeup twisted into a smile. She bore the look of a woman living in the sixties with her blond hair tied in a high bun.
“Oh, so I presume that you are the bearer of the key now?” said the woman, and it made Lorelei sigh again.
“Yes, I am,” she said in a tired tone as if anticipating the next course of events.
“Good then, let me test you.” The woman spoke, her voice changing to a deep hoarse tone laced with a feminine sound. It made her come off as an evil creature of hell.
Before Lorelei’s eyes, the woman morphed, shifting into a ghastly being. Her skin clung to her bones and the paleness became almost translucent. Her hands were now clawed and her eyes silky white, glared menacingly at her.
The beast wasted no time as it hissed and tried to attack, but Lorelei stopped its movements, using her index finger that she placed on its forehead.
“Gelu.”And as the words left her lips, so did the ice-cold air depart from the tip of Lorelei’s finger. The beast’s skin stiffened and froze, leaving behind a statue of its ugliness.
“Humph a wraith,” one flick of her hand, and the creature turned to powdered snow. “What a weak being for a guardian.” And with that said and done, Lorelei proceeded in opening the door.
The key fit perfectly and the door unlocked, revealing a flawless room that resembled the ward. White coated the matted walls and at the end of said room was a desk with a flower in a vase. There was an enormous window that took up most of the wall, and before it was a chair where a woman sat.
She faced the window, and upon closer observation, Lorelei noticed that through it was something that was not of this world.
“The War of the Fifths…” Lorelei said to herself in wonder.
“He condemned me to watch it for an eternity.” The woman spoke, never turning away from it as her eyes reflected the ongoing scene.
“You are Skylar, are you not?” Lorelei asked.
When the name was said the woman stood, causing her long light brown hair to cascade down to the small of her back. She was of a tan complexion, and her eyes were the lightest shade of blue. Her body was round but fit, denoting her time of fighting—possibly in the War of the Fifths. Lastly, she was a tall person, almost the same height as Lorelei.
“I am and at the same time I am not,” she said, the white gown making her look even more insane then her words. “You my dear are a lucky one. You belong in St. Peter’s List—your ending will be the best of them.” Her words were cryptic but Lorelei ignored them.
“Whatever the case, Master Ezekias has sent me to get you. We leave now.” Lorelei ordered.
The woman, upon hearing the name, looked at her bare feet in a casual manner. She began to twitch the right one as if checking if all was right. It was then that she turned back her stare and spoke.
“Anemoi, Notus.”
When the words were said, Lorelei’s eyes widened in shock as she braced herself the fastest way she could.
However, the woman disappeared before her eyes in a powerful gust of wind, only to reappear instantly before her.
She then used both her palms and smashed them into Lorelei’s abdomen, sending her flying back with a strong whirlwind to the beginning of the long hallway.
Skylar twitched her foot again, and stared at her palms. They were glossy and frozen and she gave kudos to the witch that was probably unconscious for causing that.
“Not quick enough I’m afraid.” Another twitch and her body dissipated in a gust of wind, taking her away from the ward and leaving behind the wails of the tormented patients.