(Jared POV)
It took a while for Sloane to finally make it into her room after having to have Isbal clear a path for her. So by the time we'd made it towards the office, we'd already had to cancel two more appointments. At this rate I was sure that our clients were going to stop coming to us.
Sloane had suggested that instead of working for humans we would profit more catering to Supernatural cases. Which wasn't a bad idea but the payments would probably not consist solely of money. Though I'm sure anything given to us could be sold in exchange for some.
This was something to be decided another day. Right now I was worried about something else.
"Sloane, you can't just bring Isbal into work. He sticks out like a sore thumb," I attempted to persuade her again.
"Sissy boy! Don't think this Godly being is like you with shitty abilities. If I don't want these ants to see my sexy body than they won't."
I'd noticed that his cursing was beginning to quiet down a bit. No less verbal abuse flung our way but at least he was giving logical explanations we could follow.
After that I left them to their own devices. Back in my office I began to sort out the mass of paperwork I'd forgotten to tidy up yesterday. Trying to avoid the office saturated in Celise's scent had been the only thing pounding in my head as my last client had left.
By the time I politely sent the last client out the door, the sun had already set and I felt frustrated. The moon was out in all its glory practically mocking the wolf inside my body. Thankfully I wasn't controlled with the Werewolve's instincts.
The Coven was in a neighborhood that seemed to come right out of a picturesque advertisement. Most of the houses were identical and hard to distinguish one from the next. I'd have thought robots lived in the place if I didn't know that surfaces were deceiving. It was extremely quiet; not a single child or teenager running around playing. Not that there weren't children in the Coven but much like other Supernatural creatures, it was difficult to reproduce.
Although Mage's body is closely similar to a Human's body, the ammount of magic coursing through our blood acts as a type of constant birth control of sorts. I've seen researched studies on why each Supernatural had problems conceiving and it's largely assumed it has something to do with the magic in every body.
Humans sometimes believe themselves infertile but will randomly spring out a child, usually shocking them. This is another example of the magic within their bodies preventing them from conceiving. When the magic is depleted enough, a baby is created. Imagine a couple having rigorous sex multiple days in a row, it's bound to exhaust the energy inside of them. During that time, sometimes a baby can be made.
I'm not to sure about the scientific aspects though, just that if you have a lot of sex, drain the magic sustaining your body, a baby is born. In simple terms.
I pulled my car into the driveway with a light blue VW bug in the front. One of the only colored cars on the entire block. There was no need to bother locking up my car, so I proceeded to head to the front door. Before I reached, it was pulled open to reveal an older looking woman with silver purple hair.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes, dear," Auntie Beau exclaimed as I gave her a smile.
"Nice to see you as well. You look more beautiful every time I visit."
She slapped my arm before pulling me into a hug.
"I've just finished with a batch of my famous cookies."
By famous, it would be better to say natorious. Not because they were the best cookies ever made but because of the ingredients. It's better not to think about what was in them.
"Have you heard about how the Vampires were mass killed like the Fire Coven," I asked as I went to sit at her kitchen table.
The inside of her house was a normal size as opposed to most of the other Coven members who used a type of space magic to remold the interior. If you didn't know any better, you'd think Auntie Beau was really just a normal old human granny with a litter of kids and grandkids.
At my querie she glanced up and I could see the flash of worry in her eyes. "You know I'd give no worries about a bunch of them dying, dear, but I am rather concerned about your sister and you. I've seen something similar to this before.."
Her voice trailed off as she begun spatula'ing the cookies from the pan and onto a cooling rack. I'd been hooked.
"What do you mean? Has this happened in the past?"
It was disconcerting that when Sloane and I had tried researching any mass killings in the past millunium that seemed to fit this kind of thing, we'd come up empty.. How old was Auntie Beau?! Let's pretend that maybe the database was incorrect and my guess on her age was inaccurate.
Auntie Beau didn't answer right away. By the time she set the last cookie down her aged hands were quivering.
"Auntie Beau? Are you okay?"
A jolt shot through her, making her totter on unsteady legs before she steadied herself on the counter. She turned around to look at me with genuine fear. I was clearly heading towards shell shocked. Auntie Beau has never looked this scared before. I'm not even sure she was this scared when the ShadowMancer had me.
"What I'm about to tell you can only go so far as your sister. It's something that was long ago thought to be erased from any of the books. We'd all tried to make sure it wouldn't repeat again so it was thought that if the information was erased no one would get the same idea."
Her footsteps were unsteady as she made her way to a chair across from me and sat herself down.
"This happened when I was about fifty years old, very much a young adult who thought I could take on the world with my magic. Invincible as you will. In our village there was suddenly an epidemic of mummified corpses showing up and many thought it was some kind of unusual plague. Back then plagues and diseases weren't uncommon especially with the lack of proper medicine in the Human community.
It started off unnoticed at first, unlike this time where large handfuls of people have gone missing at the same time," she looked out the window to the bright moon with a frown, "At first I'd assumed the missing people were caused by one of the local Selkies or Werewolves. Both were prone to killing humans and it was often that a villager or two would head into the woods and vanish without the rest of us catching on. Then suddenly those villagers would return except.. they weren't alive but rather sucked dry.
I've never in all my years seen a dead body like that except in pictures of mummies buried in tombs. It bore resemblance to how a Vampire fed except instead of the blood, the entire life essence and magic was drained from these bodies. My entire village was nearly completely exterminated before strong magic weilders of many of the Supernatural community finally showed up. It was found that a Dark Elf was attempting to open a passage into the God Realm to unseal one of the Starving Ones. In order to do that you need the sacrifice of large quantities of Supernatural creatures to build the bridge into their world."
By now I knew my face was the exact replica of Auntie Beau's. Goosebumps broke out across my skin and I began recalling Sloane's magic getting progressively worse. Is this because someone is trying to free a God? Will she need to stop this guy alone? I won't allow her to face this alone! Having come to that conclusion I put that thought away. First, we needed to find the asshole trying to cause problems in this Dimension.
"Thanks Auntie Beau. You've given me a lot of food for thought."
"Pish-posh, dear. I simply told you a story of my childhood."
Childhood? Was fifty really childhood? I knew the Supernatural live long lives but ... fifty still seemed old to me. I'd never tell her that though, so instead I opted for my winning smile.
After that we ate her cookies and talked about nonsensical things. I'd been worried that if I left she'd begin recalling the slaughter of her entire 'childhood' village.
A/N: I hadn't planned on writing but I figured I should push through it. I've got problems writing these more 'serious' chapters. They're so boring to me! Ack. Well, they needed to be added so not much I can do. *Shrugs* Hope you enjoyed it. Even though I definitely didn't. :P
(New Note: I had to go back and erase that last couple of sentences because it didn't fit with the happenings in Chapter 25))